Bayh-Dole Bulletin | Edition 28
New Report to Measure Bayh-Dole’s Economic Impact
Bayh-Dole Bulletin: Edition 28
A Word From Our Executive Director
On September 22, the Bayh-Dole Coalition will be releasing an important study of the economic impact of the Bayh-Dole Act on the American economy — which includes first-of-its-kind data on its impact on every state in the Union. RSVP here to join us on Capitol Hill for the unveiling of the report.
This couldn’t come at a better time, as some voices are now saying that this landmark law is past its prime and should be replaced by a return to Washington micro-management of inventions that benefit from federal funding. That charge certainly isn’t substantiated by the data we will be releasing. In fact, the findings show Bayh-Dole is more productive now than ever. Unfortunately, since the law works quietly with no fanfare, it doesn’t receive the credit it’s due — we hope to change that with this report.
Simultaneously, we are in the midst of another contentious election, and next year kicks off the race for the 2028 Presidential election. The question of how to best respond to increased international competition and how to get our economy in full gear will be top-line issues. We will be working diligently to get the word out that of all the changes we can make, pulling the plug on the Bayh-Dole Act when we need it more than ever is not one of them.
With your continued help and support, we can meet that challenge. This is a daunting task, but luckily, we now have strong data to make our case. Now’s the time to do so.
August Coalition Highlights
- Comment: Bayh-Dole Coalition Comments on NSF PAPPG Proposed Revisions (8/24)
- Comment: Bayh-Dole Coalition Comments on NIH RFI re: Measuring Scientific Impact (8/19)
- Comment: Bayh-Dole Coalition Comments on Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program Proposed Rule (8/17)
- Article: Diagnostic Imaging, “Molecular Imaging in Focus: PSMA PET Pioneer Martin Pomper, MD, PhD Traces PSMA’s Origins and the Path Ahead for Theranostics in Prostate Cancer” (8/12)
- Article: IP Protection Matters, “American Innovator Award Winner Discusses the Bayh-Dole Act and the Importance of Strong IP Protections” (8/6)
- Op-Ed: Dr. Colleen Scott, Clarion-Ledger, “My Mississippi lab is changing cancer surgery. This law made it possible” (8/4)
- Also ran in the Hattiesburg American (8/4)
Upcoming Events & Coalition Priorities
Join us for the Bayh-Dole Coalition’s upcoming event, “Measuring the Impact of American Innovation,” where we will unveil our new landmark report examining the economic impact of America’s technology transfer system under the Bayh-Dole Act.
The program will take place on Tuesday, September 22 from 9:30-10:30 AM ET in the Senate Dirksen Building, Room 562. Please RSVP here.
Conducted by Vital Transformation, the new analysis offers a fresh look at the scale and reach of Bayh-Dole’s impact on the American economy — from trillions of dollars in economic activity and millions of job-years to dramatic growth in patenting, licensing, and commercialization.
The analysis updates previous studies with five years of additional data from the AUTM licensing surveys and, for the first time, provides state-by-state insights into the reach of technology transfer across the country.
At a time of intensifying global competition, these new findings show what’s at stake for American innovation — and why the system that brings those discoveries to the public matters for our economic future.
We hope to see you in D.C.!
Reminder: Submissions for the 2027 American Innovator Award are open! Help us recognize the inventors, technology transfer professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, and others who make the Bayh-Dole system work. Nominate an innovator here
Member Corner
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- October 18-21: Licensing Executives Society USA-Canada will host its 2026 Annual Meeting in San Diego! The program will deliver in-depth content, networking, keynotes, panel discussions, roundtables, and hands-on workshops designed to help you stay ahead in today’s fast-moving IP landscape.
If you are a member and your organization has an upcoming event, submit the information here to be featured in our newsletter and events calendar. If you are interested in becoming a member, please apply here!
Member Spotlight
Our August member spotlight is UNM Rainforest Innovations (UNMRI), the technology-transfer and economic development organization for the University of New Mexico (UNM)! In addition to protecting and commercializing technologies developed at UNM by filing patents and copyrights, UNM Rainforest Innovations has played a vital role in New Mexico’s economic development. The organization has helped create over 170 startups. In 2022, New Mexico-based startups supported by UNMRI employed approximately 274 individuals, paid an estimated $21.6 million in wages, and generated $39.1 million in total output.UNMRI currently manages over 680 technologies available for licensing in its portfolio, and just this past year, the University of New Mexico ranked #52 on the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents.
“After joining UNM Rainforest Innovations as President & CEO in 2003, I’ve watched New Mexico’s entrepreneurial ecosystem experience tremendous growth, and the Bayh-Dole Act has been an important part of that story. Bayh-Dole empowered universities to steward and commercialize federally funded inventions, and to date we’ve seen over 170 startups form to commercialize UNM technologies with many remaining in New Mexico and contributing to our economy. We’re proud to be a part of the Bayh-Dole Coalition because it is essential to protect that pipeline between university discoveries and tangible solutions in our state, and in the nation.” — Elizabeth (Lisa) Kuuttila, CEO & Chief Economic Development Officer, UNM Rainforest Innovations
Get Involved
If you’re interested in formally joining the Bayh-Dole Coalition or donating to our organization, please do so below!