OSU TDC Annual Report 2012

TDC Technology Development Center

annual report

2012

TDC Annual Report D i r e c t o r ’ s m e ssa g e

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T h e T e c h n o l o g y D e v e l o pm e n t C e n t e r : Ta k i n g T e c h n o l o g y f r o m t h e C amp u s t o t h e C o mm u n i t y

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F e at u r e d O S U C o mm e r c i a l i z e d T e c h n o l o g i e s

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T h e T e c h n o l o g y B u s i n e ss D e v e l o pm e n t P r o g r am : H e l p i n g O S U T e c h n o l o g i e s R e ac h T h e i r F u l l P o t e n t i a l

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F e at u r e d T B D P P r o j e c t s

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C o S ta r t : R e s e a r c h e r s b e c o m e E n t r e p r e n e u r s

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C o wb oy T e c h n o l o g i e s : H e l p i n g Fac u lt y I n v e n t i o n s f i n d C o mm e r c i a l S u cc e ss t h r o u g h S ta r t u p A cc e l e r at i o n

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F e at u r e d S ta r t u ps

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T D C S ta f f P r o f i l e s

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O S U J o i n s t h e Nat i o n a l A cad e my o f I n v e n t o r s

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T h e T D C I n t e r n P r o g r am : L e a r n i n g T e c h n o l o g y T r a n s f e r

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I n t e r n at i o n a l T e c h n o l o g y T r a n s f e r C e n t e r : A M o d e r n V i s i o n o f t h e La n d - G r a n t M i ss i o n

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S tat i s t i cs

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The Technology Development Center Oklahoma State University 201 Cordell North Stillwater, OK 74078-6056 (405) 744-6930 (405) 744-6451 fax tdc@okstate.edu email tdc.okstate.edu web facebook.com/OkStateTDC twitter.com/okstate_tdc

director’s message

L a n d - g r a n t u n i v e r s i t i es

h ave b e en i nvolved

w it h econom ic development si nce t hei r i ncept ion. T he or ig i na l la ng uage of t he e st abl ish i ng ac t s is u nequ ivo c a l ; S e c t ion 4 of t he Mor r i l l Ac t st ate s t h at f u nd i ng for la nd- g ra nt s is for “… t he endow ment , supp or t , a nd m a i nten a nc e of at le ast one col le ge where t he le ad i ng obje c t sh a l l b e , w it hout exclud i ng ot her s c ient i f ic a nd cl a s sic a l s t ud ie s , a nd i nclud i ng m i l it a r y t ac t ic s , to t e ac h su c h bra nc he s of le a r n i ng a s a re rel at e d to a g r ic u lt u re a nd t he m e c h a n ic a r t s .” T he H at c h A c t of 18 87 f u nd e d t he e s t abl i sh m e nt of a g r ic u lt u ra l C o op erat ive E x ten sion S er v ic e s at e ach of t he l a nd- g ra nt s to do re s e a rch a nd promote d is cover ie s i n soi l a nd pla nt s cienc e. I n t he contex t of t he I ndu st r ia l Revolut ion , it s e em s cle a r t h at t he or ig i n a l for mu l ator s of t he s e ac t s s aw u n iver sit ie s a s pl ac e s t h at wou ld b enef it lo c a l e conom ie s — i n mo der n ter m s , t he for mu lator s e st abl i shed la nd- g ra nt s to supp or t st ate e conom ic development .

Ok l a hom a S t ate Un iver sit y h as a l l of t he element s to supp or t t h i s la ndg ra nt m ission. T he fol low i ng pages g ive a mple proof of t hat — f rom moder n wheat va riet ies cover i ng 47 p erc ent of t he st ate of Ok la hom a , to rad iat ion badge s i n 2 5 p erc ent of a l l rad i at ion bad ge s i n t he world , to a n i m a l fe ed i n 50 p erc ent of a l l U. S . c at t le , to m a ny more , b ot h lo c a l a nd i nter n at ion a l. I f v i sion a r y Ju st i n Mor r i l l cou ld v i sit O S U to d ay, he wou ld lo ok at wh at we a re doi ng i n re s e a rch a nd te ch nolog y t ra n sfer a nd say, “Y E S , t h is i s wh at we h ad i n m i nd .”

Dr. Steven Price Associate Vice President for Technology Development and Director of the Technology Development Center

steve.price@okstate.edu

The Technology Development Center

Taking Technology from the Campus to the Community

Oklahoma State University’s Technology Development Center (TDC) is proud to be a par t of fulfilling OSU ’s land- grant mission . As a landgrant institution , OSU is called to ser ve its communit y both locally and globally, and par t of that ser vice includes sharing the universit y ’s technological innovations for the benefit of the public . N ew discoveries at OSU are continuously being made and commercialized with the suppor t of the Technology Development Center.

The TDC’s commitment to researchers and scholars has been the driving force behind programs such as the Technology Business Development Program, CoStart, Cowboy Technologies and the International Technology Transfer Center. Along with fostering the creation of innovative technologies, the TDC is also bringing these technologies to the public through commercialization. Assisting faculty, staff and students with the invention disclosure process, performing technical and market assessments to evaluate the commercial prospects of an invention, working with patent counsel to assess patentability and providing appropriate legal protection are only a few of the many ways the TDC is involved in the commercialization of new technologies.

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F e at u r e d O S U C o m m e r c i a l i z e d T e c h n o l o g i e s

Lactobacillus in Bovamine®

The bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus used in this directfed microbial was developed at OSU. Now, this OSU technology is not only OSU’s leading royalty generator, it is also helping maintain the proper balance of microflora in the gastrointestinal tracts of dairy and feedlot cattle. Specifically, the Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria convert lactic acid to propionic acid in the rumen, which helps the cattle convert food to energy.

OSL Radiation Badges

Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) is a technique developed at OSU that uses luminescence emitted from radiation-sensitive materials to measure radiation exposure. This technique has been put to use in 25 percent of all radiation badges in the world.

The badges are used to detect radiation in hospitals, medical and dental offices, universities, national laboratories and other industries where radiation poses a potential threat to employees. In addition to successfully detecting radiation, OSL is OSU’s No. 2 royalty generator.

OSU Wheat Varieties

OSU’s wheat variety development program through the department of plant and soil sciences has produced ten wheat varieties that have been commercialized by Oklahoma Genetics Inc. The wheat varieties include Centerfield, Duster, OK Bullet, Okfield, Guymon, Billings, Pete, Ruby Lee, Garrison and OK Rising. Each variety has unique characteristics that make it adaptable to Oklahoma conditions including the traits necessary for high yields, superior quality, disease and insect tolerance, excellent milling and baking characteristics and excellent grazing potential. These traits are also essential for keeping wheat producers in business as well as essential in order to attract buyers on a regional, state, national and international basis.

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Antibodies for Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) Testing

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) invented at OSU are now used to perform immunological tests to identify BVDV in cattle. BVDV is a costly disease in cattle as it suppresses the cow’s immune system, making it susceptible to other infections. The OSU antibodies are advantageous because they can be used in the four methods of immunological detection/identification that are widely practiced for BVDV diagnosis as opposed to other antibodies that cannot be used in all four tests.

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Maven QST Quantitative Sex-Typing Kit

The forensic DNA testing community is now using this technology that was invented at OSU. The Maven QST simultaneously detects male DNA in two ways while also quantifying the exact amount of femaleonly DNA within a sample.

Additionally, the Maven QST can accurately predict degradation in DNA samples

Geo Trax Survey™

This OSU-developed technology uses electrical resistivity imaging to generate a continuous and detailed image of the subsurface of the Earth that is far more complete than images created from typical borehole investigations into the subsurface. Among the many advantages of using Geo Trax Survey is the ability to confirm the absence or presence of subsurface issues such as aquitard layers, tanks, fugitive oil, debris and other site features or impediments. Better knowledge of the subsurface allows users to make better business decisions regarding their sites.

OSU Turf Bermuda grass Varieties

An ongoing team effort between the Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department and the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at OSU has led to the commercialization of several varieties of seeded Bermuda grasses and vegetative types. The product line includes Latitude 36, NorthBridge, Patriot, Riviera and Yukon turf Bermuda grasses. These OSU turf type Bermuda grasses offer high visual and functional quality as well as improved winter hardiness. These Bermuda grasses are great fits for golf course fairways, tee boxes and intensively trafficked/intensively managed sports fields because they respond well to intensive management and offer elite performance.

“Don’t create a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

Go find a problem that exists and then just think creatively about how to solve it.”

Dr. Dennis Martin’s advice to faculty researchers

who are interested in commercializing technologies.

Martin, professor and turfgrass extension specialist (left), and Dr. Yanqi Wu (right), associate professor of grass breeding/genetics , shown over a field of

OSU’s commercialized ‘Riviera’ bermuda grass .

Riviera was used on softball fields at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was installed in 2012 at Citizens Bank Stadium, home of the Philadelphia Phillies.

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T h e T e c h n o l o g y B u s i n e ss D e v e l o p m e n t P r o g r a m

Helping OSU Technologies Reach Their Full Potential

One example of the Technology Development Center’s commitment to researchers and scholars is the Technology Business Development Program (TBDP). Started in 2005, the TBDP is known generically as a “gap-funding” program. Such funding programs fill a developmental no-man’s-land where promising technologies arising from university research can languish for lack of even a modest amount of research support. This bottleneck, also called “the valley of death,” represents a gap seen in all technologies moving from research to development to commercialization. The technology is too specialized to get traditional federal funding and is too basic to get normal industrial support.

So, the TBDP seeks out research projects with high commercial potential and helps those inventors reach that potential by supporting the project to the point of licensing. Using funds from royalties generated by OSU-licensed technologies, the TBDP funds prototype development and/or feasibility demonstration activities for technologies at the early stages of development. The TBDP tracks the development, assesses the commercial potential and assists in the commercialization of the technology through licensing the new technology to existing companies or forming a new startup. Additionally, by having panelists with diverse industry backgrounds, the TBDP provides opportunities for researchers to network and develop potential industry connections which may help in technology and business development.

By helping projects reach their commercial potential, the TBDP is an illustrative example of how the Technology Development Center is executing the third aspect of OSU’s mission: service.

The TBDP puts out a request for proposals every fall and spring semester.

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Li st o f Avai la b le R e war ds TBDP I — $5,000 TBDP II — $10,000–$30,000 TBDP III — $30,000+ Industrially Sponsored Research Matching Program — $50,000 M o r e i n f o r m at i o n i s ava i l a b l e at tdc.okstate.edu/tdc-programs/

Since the Technology Business Development Program began in 2005, it has funded $1,266,517 and generated:

56 proposals funded 22 proposals resulting in patent applications/issued patents

18 proposals resulting in licenses

$3,839,343 follow-on funding to OSU that can be directly traced to the 56 awards, representing a 3:1 leveraging

16 proposals that have produced startup companies or have an interest in starting a company

86 student employees have been supported by TBDP funds

18 students have been involved in business plan development for TBDP projects

42 publications produced

F e a t u r e d T B D P P r o j e c ts

In the last year, the TBDP has funded a number of noteworthy projects. The three projects featured here demonstrate how the TBDP helped bridge the gaps between research, development and commercialization.

Dr. Jamey Jacob , an associate professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering , has had two projects benefit from the TBDP. The TBDP provided his latest

project, a method of using cold plasma for its sterilization properties, the funding needed to hire a student and get supplies. Jacob explained, “We were coming in with a technology that was relatively new and unproven, and … we needed to develop results to validate that the concept was actually going to work.” The TBDP gap funding ultimately allowed Jacob to develop a prototype and then get the critical data that was needed to validate the cold plasma concept.

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Dr. Melanie Boileau , an associate professor of food animal medicine and surgery, found out about the TBDP in

an email that came through the OSU network. The email announced a TBDP grant opportunity and requested that interested parties submit technologybased research proposals. Boileau took advantage of the opportunity and has since had two projects benefit from TBDP funding. She commented that “with TBDP monetary support, I was able to fulfill the objectives of the 2010 project, which became building blocks for the current research project. Such support will hopefully lead to formulation and commercialization of a new technology targeting the field of food animal veterinary medicine.�

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Dr. Jeanmarie Verchot , professor of entomology and plant pathology, says this is an exciting time in

the world of biotech. She is on the verge of commercializing virus-free canna lilies, with a little help from the TBDP. The TBDP helped Verchot acquire the equipment and personnel she needed. She was able to fast-track her research and move her virus-free canna rhizomes from the lab to the greenhouse. Working with Cowboy Technologies, Verchot developed a strong business model to launch VF Canna LLC . Additionally, Verchot

has developed an online magazine to start expanding her reach to consumers, and though still in product development, she is using her resources to begin marketing her product. “We should have a product very soon, but we already have the ability, through using some online resources and having the personnel available, to tap into the customer base ahead of having the product, so they are starting to know who we are.�

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CoStart

Researchers become Entrepreneurs

When researchers develop new technologies, they have two options at OSU: They can either license their new technology to an already existing company to commercialize, or they can do it themselves by starting a company and developing the technology with the help of CoStart. The CoStart program began in 2008 to help OSU researchers developing new technologies get access to resources they need to further their work.

Unlike other research universities that have super incubators for technology development nearby, in Stillwater, OSU’s labs are the only ones that have the equipment many researchers need to develop their technologies. So in addition to leave options, CoStart offers researchers access to university lab facilities at extremely reasonable rates. Robert Palmer, assistant director of the TDC, says this is probably the most important fact OSU researchers need to know about the benefits of CoStart: that they can lease their own academic lab for commercial enterprise. CoStart is in place for those researchers who have the initiative to become entrepreneurs. Palmer encourages anyone involved in research and who has a “little bit of entrepreneurial spark” to walk into his office and say “‘tell me about [CoStart].’”

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CoStart is also another example of the TDC’s commitment to the land-grant mission’s call to service. “To me, the landgrant mission that was originally described by the Morrill Act translates functionally to economic development,” says Palmer. This means “assist[ing] the economy of the state by creating opportunities to improve the way they do business,” which is in fact the aim of CoStart as it creates opportunities to improve OSU researchers’ abilities to grow their technologies here in Oklahoma.

Cowboy Technologies

Helping Faculty Inventions find Commercial Success through Startup Acceleration An innovative technology does not instantly make for commercial success; there’s more that goes into commercializing a product — a lot more. So to help OSU technologies make it successfully from the campus to the community, Cowboy Technologies LLC was founded in 2011. Cowboy Technologies, a for-profit company, develops early-stage OSU technology companies until they are ready to be stand-alone entities by providing management and marketing expertise along with seed funding.

The Technology Development Center works closely with Cowboy Technologies to identify OSU-developed technologies that show the most promising results from the TBDP and the TDC’s other programs. Jai Rajendran, manager of Cowboy Technologies as well as a manager at the TDC, notes, “Both the TDC and CT have a common mission of successfully commercializing OSU technologies. CT acts as a funding continuum to TDC’s TBDP program to help develop a business around proven OSU technologies. TDC and CT work together in developing a plan for IP protection and executing needed licensing and CoStart agreements.”

The projects that Cowboy Technologies invests in are entering the critical phase of technology development known as the “valley of death.”

Most commercialization efforts fail due to inadequate planning, incorrect markets, lack of investment and the absence of experienced management.

Cowboy Technologies bridges the valley of death by utilizing a systematic risk reduction process targeted to overcome critical failures. Providing seed funding, using diverse university resources and sourcing future capital are key elements in this process to establish a sustainable startup company. Cowboy Technologies also networks with industry experts, business groups, angel investors and OSU alumni for additional support in business development.

Cowboy Technologies is another example of how the TDC is working with other OSU programs to execute the third aspect of OSU’s mission: service. Steven Wood , CEO of Cowboy Technologies, explains, “We believe Cowboy Technologies is a modern adaptation of the land-grant mission that takes technologies developed on campus and footprints them into the wider community. We believe this form of outreach is our mission, and we take that mission very seriously.”

Steven Wood , CEO of Cowboy Technologies (left) and Jai Rajendran .

cowboytechllc.com

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F e at u r e d S ta r t u p s

XploSafe, LLC

AMP

This OSU startup is working to make the world a safer place by providing critical safety solutions for homeland security and chemical safety.

XploSafe began as a student-faculty startup in June 2009, and since then has commercialized two distinct product lines (eight products in total) for explosives detection and chemical safety. These products protect people who deal with unstable and hazardous compounds, whether they are in the laboratory or in the battlefield XploSafe specializes in one-step, quick and accurate detection of improvised explosives that are often used by terrorists. In addition to being one of the fastest-growing companies in Oklahoma, XploSafe has attained global distribution of its chemical safety product line through SigmaAldrich, a technology company. XploSafe is managed by Shoaib Shaikh, a recent OSU MBA graduate, Dr. Allen Apblett, professor of chemistry, and Dr. Nick Materer, associate professor of chemistry at OSU.

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Associated Material Processing LLP (AMP) is an OSU startup that is selling an OSU-developed absorbent chemical to remove and recover arsenic from contaminated potable groundwater and industrial waste effluent. Long-term exposure to arsenic, a toxic chemical, may cause a variety of cancers including skin, lung and bladder, so the removal of arsenic is of utmost concern. One of the target markets for AMP is the semiconductor industry, where considerable amounts of arsenic-laden waste water are produced during the making of integrated chips for electronic devices such as smartphones. AMP is now marketing an arsenic filter technology that has a significantly high capacity of adsorption compared to existing materials. AMP is also capable of recovering the adsorbed arsenic as a sellable commodity. AMP was founded in November 2011 and funded by Cowboy Technologies and i2E Inc. Dr. Allen Apblett serves as the company’s chief technology officer.

These three companies are just a few examples of the 11 new startups that have been launched based on OSU technologies in the last five years

MesoBio MesoBio is a recent OSU startup that is now providing biomedical products and services to the life sciences industry. MesoBio’s initial product line is a library of micro RNA (“miRNA”), which was developed by Lin Liu, a Regents professor and the director of lung toxicology at OSU. “miRNA” is used by researchers as a catalyst to test the effects a new drug will have on a disease. “miRNA” can be used to increase the efficiency and accuracy of therapeutics research, particularly into genetically based diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and arthritis. MesoBio was founded in 2012 by Dr. Rubin Pillay, Daniel White Jordan, Dr. Lin Liu and Shoaib Shaikh. Chuck Shirley, an OSU MBA student, serves on the management team. MesoBio also recently attained an investment through VentureSpur, a venture accelerator based in Oklahoma City.

T D C S t a ff P r o f i l e s

D r. S teve n P r i ce

Bob Palmer

Daniel Rafferty

Associate vice president for technology development and director of the Technology Development Center

Assistant director

Licensing associate

As the director of the TDC, Steve is responsible for all aspects of commercializing technologies at OSU. Along with working on licensing and intellectual property issues, Steve negotiates industrial relationships and markets the university’s support of OSU research to the world. But what gets Steve, a former plant geneticist, most excited about his job is when he’s learning from the faculty. “When

Bob’s responsibilities include evaluating technologies to determine their patentability and commercial value.

The most difficult task is finding the appropriate commercial outlet for the technology, which may involve finding an existing company to work with or may also involve assisting with new company development. He spends a lot of time visiting the researchers in their labs. “You can’t evaluate something if you don’t

As a registered patent agent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Daniel brings valuable knowledge and experience to the TDC concerning patent strategy. He assesses the patentability and marketability of new technologies as well as adds knowledge and skills concerning contract negotiations, licensing and nondisclosure agreements to his repertoire. He says, “One of the joys of the job is that there

I get the most thrill, it’s because I’ve learned

know anything about it, so you have to study and

are many different projects all going on at

something that just makes me really excited

learn as much about it as you can.” Working

research objectives and technology develop-

the same time,” and all of these different projects expose him to the broad range of inventions coming out of OSU. Daniel loves this part of working for the TDC because he says the “diversity

ment and working with the TDC to assist in

of inventive effort never stops surprising me.”

— not because of a tech transfer possibility but because I learned something scientific.”

Steve also enjoys the TBDP program and says he’s “glad that we can take excess money and return it to support research.”

with the faculty is Bob’s favorite aspect of his job because “most everyone that I’ve talked to is very interested in furthering their

commercialization activities.” Although Bob

retired in September 2012, he continues to work as a consultant to the TDC.

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C i n d y M a l aye r

A n g e l a C ro s s

J a i R a j e n d ra n

Manager

Administrative support specialist

Manager of technology and business development

Managing the Technology Development Center is the responsibility of Cindy Malayer. Included in her daily routine are important tasks like making sure deadlines are met, patent fees are being paid, and royalty payments are being made. Cindy also keeps track of the patent database and assists faculty with processing confidentiality agreements and material transfer agreements.

Cindy enjoys working with the faculty and learning about their new technologies. “The best part of working in the TDC is being able to see firsthand how a technology goes from the development stage to the marketplace where it can benefit OSU and the public.”

Angela’s job as an administrative support specialist means she makes sure the office runs. From answering phone calls to setting up meetings between parties both on and off campus and handling all of the logistics for those meetings, Angela keeps the TDC functioning productively. Additionally, she is responsible for maintaining the TDC’s website and social media sites.

As a visual person, she says she enjoys this aspect of her job the most because it gives her the chance to work with graphics. Angela also enjoys seeing all of the different technologies that are coming out of OSU. “It’s just amazing some of the stuff that’s happening. Some of the life-changing technologies that are coming out of here are really mind-boggling.”

In addition to analyzing the patentability and commercialization potential of new technologies, doing market research and preparing commercialization opportunity reports, Jai has unique responsibilities as the manager of technology and business development. Jai is responsible for managing the intern program at the TDC and, as the manager of Cowboy Technologies, he is also responsible for transitioning projects between the TDC and Cowboy Technologies. His position in the TDC gives him a chance to see and get involved in the process of technology and business development. Jai says, “To help take an invention from lab to market place is the most fulfilling aspect in my job.”

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O S U J o i n s t h e N at i o n a l A c a d e m y o f I n v e n t o r s

The Technology Development Center at OSU never ceases to look for new ways to support researchers and scholars in their endeavors. To that end, this year OSU became home to a chapter of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and inducted its first 24 members: OSU faculty who currently hold active patents. The NAI’s mission of cultivating an entrepreneurial culture among university researchers complements that of the TDC and its programs as well as the mission of OSU as a land-grant university to bring knowledge from the campus to the community.

At the inaugural induction ceremony, which was held on Thursday, May 10, 2012, Dr. Paul Sanberg, president of the National Academy of Inventors, spoke to those gathered to honor the inductees. His address focused on the role of the NAI in changing the culture of universities to include inventors as part of the mission. Working closely with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Sanberg and the NAI are working to encourage entrepreneurship among university researchers by recognizing inventors and by gaining greater visibility for university technologies.

Dr. Nicholas Materer, associate professor of chemistry and recent inductee into the NAI, commented that membership in the National Academy of Inventors is especially gratifying because of the recognition and validation it bestows upon those inducted. Materer remarked that the process of developing a technology to the point of commercialization is often a new area for academics. For those who do pursue the business side of their inventions, the effort largely goes unnoticed. But NAI, according to Materer, “puts us on the radar … it’s nice to have something that recognizes some of this effort because a lot of the effort to commercialize is extra effort beyond your traditional job in the laboratory.” Materer also believes that this independent validation may encourage younger faculty to consider potential commercial applications of the basic science they are doing in their labs.

Membership in the NAI is among the many examples of how the Technology Development Center is committed to supporting university researchers and technology transfer. In addition to the resources available through other TDC programs, membership in NAI provides OSU inventors connections to other member universities and research institutions, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the Association of University Technology Managers. In addition, OSU faculty members now have the opportunity to publish in Innovation and Technology – Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors, NAI’s quarterly journal.

The inaugural members of OSU’s chapter of the National Academy of Inventors include: Girish Agarwal , Jeffery A. Anderson , Allen Apblett , Sahlu Ayalew , K. Darrell Berlin , Richard H. Bost , Brett F. Carver , Jeff Edwards , Warren T. Ford , Khaled Gasem , Raymond L. Huhnke , Bob Hunger , Katherine M. Kocan , Dennis L. Martin , Nicholas F. Materer , Stephen W.S. McKeever , Prabhakar R. Pagilla , Neil Purdie , Albert T. Rosenberger , Rathindra Sarathy , Charles M. Taliaferro , James P. Wicksted , Yanqi Wu and Glenn Zhang .

Sanberg also inducted Steve Price in recognition of his 11

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plant variety certificates and one patent during his past life in industry.

Nicholas Materer (front) receives his certificate of introduction into the National Academy of Inventors

from Paul Sanberg , president, National Academy of Inventors (left). Also present were (from right) Steven Price , associate vice president for technology development and director of the Technology Development Center at OSU and Stephen W.S. McKeever , vice president for research and technology transfer at OSU.

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TDC Intern Program

Learning Technology Transfer

The TDC’s commitment to researchers and scholars means more than just providing programs such as the Technology Business Development Program and CoStart; it also means providing students exposure to the world of technology transfer. While the current staff of the TDC assist today’s faculty, they also train interns in technology transfer so that the interns may one day become the next generation of licensing officers.

Working alongside current licensing officers, the TDC interns learn how to screen and prioritize technologies for commercialization efforts, prepare abstracts of technologies for marketing purposes and prepare market analyses for technologies, perform preliminary patent searches, identify key companies that may have an interest in certain technologies, and explore various licensing, sponsored research or venture creation opportunities with companies. TDC interns typically have technical backgrounds in either physical or life sciences which better prepare them to understand and evaluate many of the technologies; however, students who are currently studying business or law are also encouraged to apply for TDC internship positions.

Recently, Rupesh Agrawal , a TDC intern and an MBA candidate from the Spears School of Business, was named a 2012 i2E Fellow.

The i2E Fellows Program provided Agrawal the opportunity to work with advanced-technology startups and i2E investment funds.

“My TDC experience has helped me with on the job training while pursuing an MBA. The internship has given me the opportunity to review technologies over a broad spectrum, and patentability exercises have helped me understand the importance of innovation in developing a technology with a global perspective.”

Rupesh Agrawal, TDC intern

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I n t e r n a t i o n a l T e c h n o l o g y T r a n sf e r C e n t e r

A Modern Vision of the Land-Grant Mission

This summer, a joint group from universities in Armenia and Georgia came to OSU to learn about technology transfer. This opportunity was made possible through the International Technology Transfer Center (ITTC) which, in addition to hosting these guests, has also hosted groups from Egypt, Pakistan and the Philippines. The training these visitors receive is designed to help them either start their own technology transfer center in their home country or more effectively manage their established technology transfer office. The ITTC is a vehicle for sharing the best practices of OSU’s technology transfer program with the international community.

Training individuals from around the world about how to do technology transfer is only one facet of the International Technology Transfer Center.

Unique to OSU, the ITTC also allows the university to enter into contractual relationships with outside parties, both foreign and domestic, which is illegal in many other states. So far, the ITTC has had foreign contracts with inventors in Armenia , Georgia , Mexico, Egypt and Hungary.

Dr. Steven Price, associate vice president for technology development and director of the Technology Development Center, has been using his connections with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Commercial Legal Development Program (CLDP) to grow the ITTC. Price is able to make contacts through the CLDP, which is outreach he considers vital to a modern view of OSU’s land-grant mission. “A modern interpretation is that a land-grant university should have an influence beyond its state borders. Today we should look upon the boundaries of the university being the boundaries of the world. And I think that is in accordance certainly with our mission here at OSU.” Besides satisfying the mission of the university, Price sees other potential benefits of the ITTC as another revenue stream for the university as well as leading to joint research programs between OSU and other universities. Price reflected, “There’s all kinds of reasons for [the ITTC], any one of which I think is sufficient on its own, but certainly together it’s a really compelling program.”

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S t a t i st i c s

r e s e a r c h e xp e n d i t u r e s

r o ya lt i e s $2.0M

$200M $175M

$1.5M

$150M $125M

$1.0M

$100M $75M

$0.5M

$50M $25M $0M

2002

’03

’04

’05

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

2012

$0M

O S U ’s R e s e a r c h E x p e n d i t u r e s for F Y2012 were $181.7 Million.

2002

’03

’04

’05

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

2012

The TDC had a record year in licensing income in 2012, generating $1.9 million.

d i sc l o s u r e s

Pat e n t s

60

10

50

8

40

6

30 4

20

2

10 0

2002

’03

’04

’05

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

OSU has averaged 37 disclosures per y e a r i n t h e p e r i o d f r o m 2 0 0 2 –2 0 1 2

20

2012

0

2002

’03

’04

’05

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

F r o m 2 0 0 2 –2 0 1 2 , O S U h a s b e e n awarded 67 patents by the U. S .

P a t e n t a n d Tr a d e m a r k O f f i c e . T h e s e patents represent a variety of f i e l d s i n c l u d i n g p h y s i c s , c h e m i s t r y, biosystems, agriculture, plant pathology and engineering.

2012

Licenses Yielding income

T B D P Awa r ds $300k

50

$250k

40

$200k

30

$150k 20

$100k

10 0

$50k 2002

’03

’04

’05

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

2012

Currently 43 OSU patents are licensed to companies, generating a total income of $12 .4 million between 2002 and 2012.

$0k

2005

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

2012

For ever y $1 awarded by the T B D P, $ 3 . 0 8 o f a d d i t i o n a l funding is brought back to OSU.

l e g a l f e e s a n d r e i mb u r s e m e n t $600k

Legal Fees

Legal Fees Reimbursed

$500k $400k $300k $200k $100k $0k

2002

’03

’04

’05

’06

’07

’08

’09

’10

’11

2012

Oklahoma State University in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services. Title IX of the Education Amendments and Oklahoma State University policy prohibit discrimination in the provision of services of benefits offered by the University based on gender. Any person (student, faculty or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based upon gender may discuss their concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with the OSU Title IX Coordinator, Director of Affirmative Action, 408 Whitehurst, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, (405) 744-5371 or (405) 744-5576 (fax). This publication, #4372, issued

by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the director, Technology Development Center, was printed by OSU Marketing, Southwestern Stationers at a cost of $3,092.00. 2500/Jan/13.

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The Technology Development Center Oklahoma State University 201 Cordell North Stillwater, OK 74078-6056 (405) 744-6930 (405) 744-6451 fax tdc@okstate.edu email tdc.okstate.edu web facebook.com/OkStateTDC twitter.com/okstate_tdc