Event
Thursday, May 1, 2025 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET
Video Webinar
Event Summary
On May 1, 2025, the Bayh-Dole Coalition hosted a timely webinar examining a critical question: Should the federal government fund basic research?
In his landmark report, Science: The Endless Frontier, Vannevar Bush recommended to President Roosevelt that the U.S. government should fund basic research in our universities and federal laboratories. Now eighty years later, questions are being asked about the benefits of this investment, particularly at a time when our nation faces crippling deficits.
Our program discussed the impact of Vannevar Bush’s recommendations and whether his vision holds true today. We considered what role the government should play in funding research in the 21st century and what return on investment hard-pressed taxpayers should expect as a result.
Read the full transcript of the video webinar here.
Speakers
Joseph P. Allen (Moderator)
Joe is the executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. As a professional staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee to Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN), he played a key role in the successful passage of the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 and its subsequent amendments. He later served as the director of the Office of Technology Commercialization at the Department of Commerce, which oversaw the implementation of Bayh-Dole and chaired the Interagency Committee on Technology Transfer.
Vinit Nijhawan
Vinit is the Managing Director of MassVentures, the Commonwealth’s strategic venture capital organization. He previously headed Boston University’s Office of Technology Development, where he launched multiple venture-backed spinouts and introduced his signature approach to technology transfer, “Maximize Collisions, Minimize Friction.” He is also the only non-UK member of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Committee, which advises the UK government on engineering and technology innovation. Over the course of nearly four decades, Vinit has served as a founder, CEO, investor, and strategic leader — investing in both the global innovation economy and the success of emerging entrepreneurs.
Brian O’Shaughnessy
Brian is board chair of the Bayh-Dole Coalition and chair of the IP Transactions and Licensing Group at Dinsmore, a national, full service law firm with one of the nation’s most prolific IP groups. A past president of the Licensing Executives Society of USA and Canada, he continues to serve LES as senior vice president for public policy. Brian earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Department of Chemistry, Rochester Institute of Technology, and a J.D. from Syracuse University, College of Law.
Laura Peter
Laura is the executive director of the Office of Research Commercialization and Partnerships at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She formerly served as Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. With over 25 years of experience, Laura was recognized by World IP Review as one of the most “Influential Women in IP.” She received her J.D. in intellectual property law from Santa Clara University, a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Law in international business from King’s College in London.