- Do other agencies in the U.S. government follow NIH’s licensing practices when funding outside research?

Dr. Rohrbaugh：
The other major agency that funds biomedical research is the National Science Foundation. They fund a wide range of science and engineering, and they have accepted the research tool guidelines. Other foundations and institutions have also accepted them, like Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and as such they have come to represent fairly standardized practice within the tech transfer community, both in federal agencies and in academic laboratories.

- From your perspective, what are the key lessons that NIH has learned in the quarter century since the Bayh-Dole Act was enacted?

Dr. Rohrbaugh：
It’s not as easy and straightforward as we initially thought it would be. I think, as I said earlier, we’ve all matured and we’ve learned many good lessons about effective ways to manage intellectual property: to spend wisely, invest wisely, work in a flexible manner with industry, let market needs drive some of the investment decisions in tech transfer operations, maintain a solid research base, and preserve that base and its ability to conduct further research.

- In your view, what are the challenges currently facing university-private sector biomedical collaborations in the United States?

Dr. Rohrbaugh：
The challenges are the complexity in which scientists interact with companies, the increased emphasis at universities on spinning out companies, in issues such as deciding whether to hold equity, and to what extent they are involved in start-up companies. Some universities have chosen to be arms-length and will avoid participating in the process, whereas others are very much involved in helping the business develop, select people who might manage the business, writing business plans, and finding investment opportunities. In addition, the way that scientists consult with industry raises complex issues with respect to conflict of interest and the appropriate role of the university receiving the economic benefits that arise from technology transfer, versus safeguarding the academic principles of the university.

1　2　3