Deep Tech Entrepreneurship From Lab to Impact

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was part of an official mission of the National Labs. Subsequently, the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 and the Federal Technology Transfer Act reinforced this initial directive and permitted National Labs to file patents and license inventions to the private sector through cooperative research and development agreements (CRADA). In 1989, the Department of Energy was directed by Congress to establish a tech transfer office resulting in many CRADA being developed.

The National Laboratory System Today With an annual budget of $15 billion and over 60,000 scientists and engineers, the national labs also known as FFRDC represents one of the most important and active research ecosystems in the United States and globally. Currently, 13 federal agencies (e.g., DOE, DOD) sponsor a total of 42 National Labs. The research that is conducted spans multiple scientific and engineering disciplines, ranging from clean energy, nanotechnology, quantum computing, cancer research, astronomy, material science, and many others.

Figure 1:

Current List of FFRDSc (NSF)

Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs | Harvard Kennedy School

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