Technology Transfer

CCR research is recognized in novel competition to encourage the commercialization of breast cancer inventions.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in CCR Connections (Volume 8, No. 1). The Breast Cancer Startup Challenge was named one of six finalists in the HHS Innovates Award Competition, and was one of three finalists recognized by HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell and Deputy Secretary Bill Corr. For more information on the Challenge, see previous article on the Poster website. 

Start-up companies are instrumental in bringing the fruits of scientific research to market. Recognizing an opportunity to bring entrepreneurial minds to bear on the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, the Avon Foundation for Women partnered with NCI and the Center for Advancing Innovation to launch the Breast Cancer Startup Challenge.

By Michele Newton and Thomas Stackhouse, Contributing Writers, and Rosemarie Truman, Guest Writer

Editor’s note: In May 2014, the Breast Cancer Start-Up Challenge was named one of six finalists in the HHS Innovates Award Competition. This award celebrates innovations developed by employees of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support the mission of HHS. In the final phase of the competition, the public will be invited to help select “The People’s Choice” winner; public voting takes place May 29 through June 6, 2014.        

By Karen Surabian, Thomas Stackhouse, and Rose Freel, Contributing Writers, and Rosemarie Truman, Guest Writer

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), led by the Technology Transfer Center (TTC),  the Avon Foundation, and The Center for Advancing Innovation have partnered to create a “first-of-a-kind” Breast Cancer Start-up Challenge.

By Karen Surabian, Thomas Stackhouse, and Jeffrey W. Thomas, Contributing Writers

As the fall and winter seasons progress, you may be attending more scientific conferences, where you may find a number of opportunities for research collaborations.

To assist your lab in reaching its research goals through collaborations, the staff of the National Cancer Institute Technology Transfer Center (NCI TTC) can guide you through a tool box of agreements you may need for protecting your intellectual property (IP) and effectively managing your collaboration. 

By Karen Surabian, Contributing Writer

Patents provide a period of exclusivity and are a way to exclude others from making, using, or selling an inventor’s novel technology. For the National Institutes of Health (NIH), patents are an incentive for an outside party to license, develop, and commercialize NIH technologies that will benefit public health, especially those that require substantial further development by an outside party, such as therapeutics and diagnostics.

By Karen Surabian, Contributing Writer

The National Cancer Institute’s Technology Transfer Center (NCI’s TTC) recently launched a redesign of its website. New graphics, color scheme, and updated features provide a user-friendly environment for finding information related to technology transfer at NCI.

You’ll be able to easily navigate the new TTC website for information about invention reporting, transferring materials and information, and collaborating/ partnering with NCI. Begin on the home page to review interesting news and events related to technology transfer at NIH.

By Karen Surabian, Thomas Stackhouse, and Jeffrey Thomas, Contributing Writers, and Bruce Crise, Guest Writer

Advancing scientific discovery is increasingly dependent on diverse and innovative partnerships, and the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) is an essential tool for establishing partnerships. CRADAs allow a federal laboratory to enter into collaborative research and development (R&D) projects with outside parties (commercial or nonprofit).

By Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer

The physical proximity of the SAIC-Frederick Intellectual Property (IP) Office to the NCI Technology Transfer Center (NCI-TTC) is one of the many benefits of being at the Advanced Technology Research Facility (ATRF), according to Courtney Silverthorn, Ph.D. Being in one location “has increased the effectiveness of both informal communication and formal meetings. We have already brainstormed solutions for several issues in the hallway during an informal chat,” said Silverthorn, an SAIC-Frederick IP specialist.