Welcome to the Bayh-Dole Bulletin, a monthly newsletter from the Bayh-Dole Coalition. The Bayh-Dole Coalition is a diverse group of innovation-oriented organizations and individuals committed to celebrating and protecting the Bayh-Dole Act, as well as informing policymakers and the public of its many benefits.
Bayh-Dole Bulletin: Edition 8
About the Bayh-Dole Coalition
A Word From Our Executive Director
At this time five years ago, I got a call from my friend Hans Sauer. He suggested that we do something to celebrate the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Bayh-Dole Act, as it was constantly under attack, and few realized how much it had contributed to our country. We ran the idea by a few friends who agreed that was a good idea. Because of COVID, we had to cancel our in-person event and hold a virtual celebration instead. When he heard about our event, Senator Robert Dole insisted on recording a tribute to his friend, Sen. Birch Bayh (here’s the link). Soon afterward, Sen. Dole passed away.
The response to those initial efforts was so impressive that we decided to keep the momentum going and formalized our group as The Bayh-Dole Coalition. It’s fair to say in our short time together we’ve made a real impact. No longer do our opponents get by with having their misleading attacks go unanswered. Our members have written compelling pieces published throughout the nation. Our “Digital Library” documents the true story of how the Bayh-Dole Act evolved, effectively countering the false history those on the other side created. We’ve had several very successful “Faces of American Innovation” events telling some of the stories behind the law’s incredible impact on public well-being. We’ve just added our Washington Liaison so we can effectively work with the new Administration and Congress as they seek to strengthen our economy in a time of unprecedented international competition.
And certainly not least, we played a major role in stopping efforts that would have undermined the Bayh-Dole Act just as we need it the most. This is all due to your help and support.
We have new challenges in the new year, but looking back on our history, I’m confident that we will meet them.
December Coalition Highlights
- Op-ed: Kevin B. Kimble and Paul Campbell, DC Journal, “March-In Framework Could Undermine Efforts to Help HBCUs” (12/12)
- Poll: “Intellectual Property Protections and March In Rights” (12/10)
- Press Release: “Majority of Voters Oppose Undermining Intellectual Property Rights, New Poll Shows” (12/10)
- Op-ed: Shafiqul Chowdhury, NOLA.com, “Federal proposal puts Louisiana’s innovation future at risk” (12/6)
- Webinar: “Unleashing America’s Entrepreneurs: The Bayh-Dole Formula for Economic Prosperity” (12/6)
Upcoming Events & Coalition Priorities
- Happy holidays! Need a gift idea for the inventor, researcher, entrepreneur, or tech transfer professional in your life? We’re still accepting nominations for our 2025 American Innovator Award! Nominate them here. Submissions close on Friday, January 31, 2025.
Member Corner
- At 4 PM ET on January 27, 2025, IPWatchdog will be hosting its event session, “PREVAIL and the Future of PTAB Proceedings in a Trump PTO,” to discuss what changes are most likely in the upcoming Trump Administration and the possibility that Senators Coons and Tillis will once again submit legislation in the Senate to reform the PTAB.
Does your organization have an upcoming event? We’d love to feature it in our newsletter and events calendar! Submit the information here.
Member Spotlight
Our December member spotlight is the Washington University in St. Louis Office of Technology Management (OTM)! The WashU OTM has received 1,400 patents, helped create 110 startup companies, and managed close to 10,000 agreements in the past decade. Every year since 2013, WashU has been ranked among the top 100 U.S. universities granted patents. The OTM is led by seasoned IP and tech transfer professionals — including Gina Smutz.
As the OTM’s Compliance Manager, Gina combines her past technology transfer experiences as a contract coordinator and a technology paralegal to assist the WashU community with government, foundation and private funding reporting for university intellectual property.
“IP Compliance is a team sport that touches upon every area of the technology transfer process. Compliance professionals are integral to making sure that we follow the regulations and implementing guidelines for all federal agencies under the Bayh-Dole Act.” — Gina Smutz, Compliance Manager, Washington University in St. Louis Office of Technology Management
