My Journey into Academic Tech Transfer

The profession of technology transfer was formally created in the early 1980s with the passage of Bayh-Dole Act. The Act enabled universities to own and commercialize their intellectual property (IP), and thus tech transfer offices started to emerge to accomplish those goals. IP commercialization requires a good understanding of science, business, and IP laws. Our PhD and/or postdoctoral training provides us a scientifically strong background, but to gain business and legal skills, we are required to seek opportunities outside the lab. In this chapter I discuss my career transition journey into tech transfer and introduce some of the resources that are likely available at your institution or from your computer that can be explored by researchers interested in making a career transition. Finally, I discuss some of tech transfer officers’ day-to-day activities and attempt to capture the fascinating aspects of our profession.