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The article below appeared in the May 2008 issue of Technology Transfer Tactics.
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For a university TTO to develop an in-house SBIR/STTR* program may not be all that unusual, but when that service is offered not only to faculty and university spinoffs but also to local businesses, it sets the program apart. The Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer at Iowa State University in Ames, IA, has had just such a program in place since mid-2005.
“I’m available to any small business in the state that qualifies for an SBIR program,” says Kris Johansen, PhD, MBA, SBIR/STTR program administrator and technology marketing coordinator at Iowa State. “Naturally, a lot of the companies are start-ups around the Ames area.”
Johansen provides what she describes as “a pretty comprehensive range of services,” from basic information about the SBIR/STTR program to assisting with hands-on proposal preparation and review. In addition, she holds informational workshops, as well as proposal writing workshops. “And, we also offer topic searching services, so people can find the appropriate solicitation for their R&D capabilities,” she notes.
Though the help she offers to outside companies may seem outside the TTO’s scope, the relationships it leads to can pay off later for the university. When local companies need outside help, she can put them in touch with “collaborators or consultants here on campus,” she says.
Beyond any direct payback, she sees this outreach as part of her office’s role in the community. “Part of our rationale is to help fulfill our economic development mission,” she explains. “So, if we can provide services that benefit faculty start-ups and other companies as well, that helps us fulfill that part of our mission.”
Realizing benefits
A number of other potential benefits foreseen when the program was launched have also been realized, Johansen says. “Since I also have responsibility for marketing technologies, there have been some synergies in identifying potential licensees, and of course if a start-up [licensee] works, there is royalty sharing with the university,” she notes.
“People are very enthusiastic about having the service,” Johansen adds, noting that the university does not charge a fee. “I have worked with companies that are currently licensees, and it helps them become even better companies. I can offer them more support in developing their technologies and getting them commercialized. And, it is a way to strengthen ties between our leading researchers and local businesses.”
Contact Johansen at 515-294-3208 or kajohans@iastate.edu.
* The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Technology administers the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program, a competitive grant initiative aimed at advancing small high-tech companies. For more information, go to http://www.sba.gov/SBIR/
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