Partnership Initiatives to Enhance ARS Research & Adoption of Outcomes

--- Science-based Innovations for Public Benefit ---

NACOP WorkshopNorman, OK

August 17-19, 2010

Richard J. Brenner, Ph.D.Assistant Administrator of ARS

for Technology TransferOffice of Technology Transfer

This is all about relationships,

ARS SCIENTISTS

… building trust,… and developing efficient processes

to serve…

… and is shaped by the issues, needs, & concerns of scientists, line, and program

managers

A Partnership Initiative…

Starting with some Definitions & Goals… “Partnerships” …

…relationships that facilitate research and outcome-delivery with any entity outside of the Management Unit or local ARS (location / Area) research environment.

Overarching goals of Partnership Initiative:1. Strengthened research capabilities through

partnerships2. More $$ to the bench (discretionary)3. More time to conduct research (e. g., reduced

administrative burdens and enhanced assistance to scientists, Unit, Location, Area)

4. Greater impact from research outcomes, and documenting value of investing in ARS.

Topics for Discussion-- uniformity & efficiency --

Overarching goals of Partnership Initiative:1. Strengthened research capabilities

through partnerships Nurturing our relationships with

university partnersWhat strengths do they provide to ARS?What unique strengths does ARS

contribute?Are we forming optimal teams of

comprehensive research expertise?To what extent can we operate uniformly

& predictably across the agency?

Mechanisms / Partnerships to Increase Extramural Funds to ARS Bench

Competitive Grants (AFRI, SCRI, NSF, NIH, DoE, foundations)

Focused public sector partnerships on high priority areas. Some examples…. Local / regional / urban agriculture

EPA / DoC / Dept of Labor, / DOT, DoD, HUD, NIFA Council of Governors, Council of Mayors

Land management / sustainable environmental practices DoE – bioenergy Urban planning (states, counties, cities) DoD (BRACs and current bases in operations) DoI – Reclamation, U.S. Geologic Survey

Job Creation and Entrepreneurship in rural America Dept. of Commerce, Economic Development, Office of Innovation

and Entrepreneurship; Small Business Administration

Mechanisms / Partnerships to Increase Extramural Funds to ARS Bench

Focused public / private sector partnerships on high priority areas such as… Nutrition and health (includes genomics)

Pharmaceutical corporations; NIH Nutritional products Asthma and allergy foundations, others… / private

sector firms Preventive medicine & preventive measures

Disease prevention / personal protection Protecting the warfighter (repellents) Detection technologies for emerging pathogens

(plants, food animals, reservoir animals, humans)

Overarching goals of Partnership Initiative:1. Strengthened research capabilities

through partnerships2. More $$ to the bench (discretionary)

Do we adequately capture our actual costs of executing the research? (facilities?, energy?)

Other direct costs? Are we capturing actual indirect costs? Are we expeditiously delivering $$ to the

scientists?

Topics for Discussion-- uniformity & efficiency --

Overarching goals of Partnership Initiative:1. Strengthened research capabilities through

partnerships2. More $$ to the bench (discretionary)3. More time to conduct research (e. g., reduced

administrative burdens and enhanced assistance to scientists, Unit, Location, Area) Capturing & relaying info on funding

opportunities? Grantsmanship assistance… Simplifying approval processes; negotiating

SOW / terms & conditions of partnerships Tracking submissions; monitoring performance

Topics for Discussion-- uniformity & efficiency --

Overarching goals of Partnership Initiative:1. Strengthened research capabilities through

partnerships2. More $$ to the bench (discretionary)3. More time to conduct research (e. g., reduced

administrative burdens and enhanced assistance to scientists, Unit, Location, Area)

4. Greater impact from research outcomes, and documenting value of investing in ARS. Increasing likelihood that research outcomes will

be adopted by end users Valuation of outcomes

Topics for Discussion-- uniformity & efficiency --

Early Priorities for a “Partnerships & Innovations” Initiative in ARS

Capturing & relaying info on funding opportunities

Providing grantsmanship training and assistance in preparing all aspects of the proposal packet

Establishing partnerships through a simplified – but well coordinated -- approval process; Coordinating SOW / terms & conditions of

partnerships Tracking submissions; monitoring

performance

Importance of University / Private Sector Collaborators & Cross-Area Partnerships

with ARS:Some FY 2009 Metrics

LicensesCurrent active: 301 (316 were active during FY)

--- 129 with commercial products in the marketUniversities – 118 (39%)Non-profits – 17 (6%)Small Businesses – 105 (35%)Foreign businesses (no U.S. presence) – 7 (2%)Large businesses (includes foreign multinationals

with major U.S. presence) –54 (18%)CRADAs

Active 233 (during FY 2009) Domestic companies – 217 (93%; ca. 62% small

business)Outside state of researcher – 167 (72%)Out of ARS Area of researcher – 133 (57%)

Model of a Public/Private Partnership for Commercialization of Research Outcomes

Structural Assets and Financial Resources

T2

Intellectual Capital

IntellectualAssets

IntellectualProperty

HumanCapital

Complementary Assets(required for federal license)

Man

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apac

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Tech

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Prod

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C

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Prod

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These can be facilitated by Partnership Intermediaries

of ARS (TBED entities) linked to mission priorities

CRADA

Adapted from Sullivan, P.H., Profiting From Intellectual Capital, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2000.

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ARS Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership Program (ATIP)

Concept & Strategy for Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership

Program --through Partnership Intermediary Agreements (PIA) --

To partner with selected economic development entities that can enhance the effectiveness of the ARS technology transfer program and expand its impact

To enhance the flow of ARS technologies and research outcomes to small and expanding businesses and to encourage technology-based economic development

To provide complementary business assets and business expertise to private sector partners of ARS

Goals of ARS Partnership Intermediaries

Provide complementary assets to ARS Office of Technology Transfer Guide local / regional business with research needs to the

appropriate ARS scientist across ARS (CRADA opportunities)

Triage business plans of private sector to seek “winners” as candidates for licensing / research partnerships with ARS

Acquire marketing assessments on ARS technologies from 3rd party sources (business schools, entrepreneur programs, angel investors, etc.) for targeted marketing

Coordinate “Technology Showcase” events to facilitate partnerships with private sector companies (TEDCO, October 30, 2008 – Four Points Sheraton at BWI)

Goals of ARS Partnership IntermediariesProvide complementary assets needed by

private sector to succeed in commercializing federal inventions Assist in accessing public / private funds

SBIR proposals Angel investors / state funds Manufacturing capacity

Manage their own seed/venture funds or networks to support CRADA and license partners of ARS

Assist in problem solving manufacturing capacity Network with other ATIP members and other

federal PIA networks.

Building the ATIP Program

Envisioned as providing an efficient network for ARS with each member serving as a conduit to a greater number of local, regional (e.g., county), or state entities, including venture capitalists and angel investors.

Because of the need for regional access to private sector companies and resources for sustained economic development, ATIP is likely to have optimal effectiveness with at least 8 PIA partners, strategically distributed across the country in partnership with each Area.

Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership Network

Early Success from ATIP (TEDCO) …Rice-based frying batter,

“Choice Batter” gluten free, absorbs 50%

less oil (Fred Shih, New Orleans, LA)

CrispTek, LLC• TEDCO-facilitated marketing

plan• ARS Licensed 4 April 2008• TEDCO support October 2008

(MTTCF)• First sale, 3 May 2009• Internet sales; 300 stores; 3

food companies

Leveraging the Assets of Partnership Intermediaries of ARS

The Innovation Ecosystem to Promote Technology Transfer from USDA

ATIP is uniquely positioned to serve Secretary Vilsack in supporting goals of other USDA agencies as well as other federal Departments with common interests, thereby reflecting a leadership role of USDA in the Executive Branch

Local / regional agriculture production (know your farmer, know your food)

Bioenergy and opportunities for entrepreneurs to create wealth in rural communities

Food security (national / international; emerging zoonotic / plant diseases)

Food safety Nutrition and childhood obesity

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The Innovation Ecosystem to Promote Technology Transfer from USDA

The White House Innovation & Entrepreneurship working group has recognized ATIP as a “…novel and impressive federal model…” for facilitating commercialization of technologies from federal labs

Seeking ways to promote innovation and job creation using existing authorities and appropriations

E.g., SBIR and proposed SBIR-TT modelRegional / virtual proof of concept centersCross-sector partnerships

ATIP members (10) convened their inaugural workshop 21 June 2010 to begin formulating strategies to address some of Secretary Vilsack’s priorities consistent with ARS mission

ATIP was joined on 22 June 2010 by the comparable national intermediary network of DoD (7 members) to identify and address areas of common interest to DoD and USDA (supporting Sec. Vilsack’s goals)

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DoD PIA Network Members

2BridgeT TM

Accelerating Innovation

A Joint Workshop

of Members of the USDA

ARS Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership

(ATIP) Program,

and Members of DoD’s Office

of Technology Transition

Partnership Intermediary Network (OTTPIN)

June 22, 2010

Beltsville Agricultur

al Research Center (ATIP & OTTPIN

members)

June 21, 2010

Beltsville Agricultur

al Research Center

(ATIP members)

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ARS ATIP and DoD’s OTTPIN reached agreement to formalize interactions to create a new model to facilitate public/private partnerships for sustainable economic development and to address common interests of DoD and USDA.

Example projects may include:Local / regional food production in cities and DoD

installationsDistributed bioenergy production from biomassZoonotics & emerging diseasesHealth & nutrition of DoD personnel and

dependents

A USDA / DoD Partnership…

Showcases to Highlight Research Outcomes and Capabilities

Hosted by Intermediaries (ATIP) each geographically convened, and each themed to one of the five prioritiesClimate Change (mitigation & adaptation)Bioenergy (sustainability & economic viability)Nutrition and Health (nutritious & convenient)Food Safety (reduce pathogens through detection

& suppression)International Food Security (sustainable,

efficient, local)

This is all about relationships…

UNIVERSITY

RESEARCH

PARTNERS

INSTITUTIONS

GRANTING /

FUNDING

AGENCIES

FEDERAL R&D

PARTNERS

LINE MANAGEMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

ARS Scientists

…and building trust

PRIVATE SECTORNURTURING RELATIONSHIPS

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Richard J. Brenner, Ph.D.

Assistant Administrator

Office of Technology Transfer

5601 Sunnyside AveBeltsville, MD 20705

(301) 504-6905Photo: Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD (Joann Perkins)

The Office of Technology Transfer ….

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Business/Business.htm

… promoting the adoption of ARS research outcomes

The Innovation Ecosystem to Promote Technology Transfer from USDA

The Agricultural Technology Innovation Partnership program (ATIP) is a network of intermediaries established by ARS to fast-track adoption by the private sector of research outcomes (science-based innovations) to facilitate sustainable economic development

Members are accomplished economic development organizations, commodity independent, and geographically strategic

Strong links to universities, state/local governments, multiple federal agencies

Provide complementary assets needed for businesses to succeed domestically, compete globally, while furthering the innovation initiative of the Administration and key specific priorities of the Secretary of Agriculture

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