The Bayh-Dole Bulletin | Edition 19
Welcome to theBayh-Dole Bulletin, a monthly newsletter from the Bayh-Dole Coalition. The Bayh-Dole Coalition is a 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.
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About the Bayh-Dole Coalition
A Word From Our Executive Director
These are certainly stressful times and, unfortunately, we will face renewed threats to the Bayh-Dole system from those who question whether there is sufficient benefit in funding billions of dollars in federal R&D. That’s why we’ll be launching our “ROI Initiative” in January to showcase new facts and figures from an important study we will release demonstrating that public-private sector partnerships are essential for our well-being, economic growth, and national security. You’ll be hearing more about this shortly, but I thought the end-of-year column should focus on something we rarely discuss — why we should be grateful to be working in such an important field. Here are just a few thoughts which come to mind:
- Our success in tech transfer is directly tied to improving lives both here and around the world.
- The profession has high standards of ethical conduct.
- Our partnerships only work if both parties are successful. Many years ago, Niels Reimers (who developed the “Stanford licensing model“) told me that he always tries to ensure the other party gets at least 51% of the benefits so they want to work with him again.
- The vast majority of the time, we get to deal with people we truly like, not just tolerate.
- We get to work in an area that is truly important, though little understood.
While we’re facing many challenges, we’ve been here before. For 45 years we’ve been able to protect the Bayh-Dole system handed down to us by those in our Hall of Fame. If you’ve never done so, take a minute to read about the remarkable people whose vision established a technology transfer revolution that changed the world. I know they would be proud of the work we’re doing. They handed us the baton, which at some point we’ll pass along to the next in line. When we do so, let’s be able to say, as written in a once well-known book: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”Finally, I’m most grateful to be able to work with the great people of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. We’ve accomplished a lot already — and the nation is better off as a result. That’s not a bad way to end the year.
November Coalition Highlights
- Article: TG Daily, “The Innovation Engine Under Threat: Why the Bayh-Dole Coalition Is Fighting for America’s Future” (11/19)
- Op-Ed: Dr. Mark Rohrbaugh, Health Affairs, “I Watched Science Change The World. Here’s What Could Stop It.” (11/4)
- Op-Ed Pickup : Dan Powers, “Department of Energy Policy Threatens Intellectual Property Rights in Colorado” (11/1)
- Backgrounder: Technical Summary of the-Bayh-Dole Act (10/30)
Upcoming Events & Coalition Priorities
As we countdown to the 45th anniversary of the Bayh-Dole Act on December 12, 2025, we’ll be highlighting key stories that remind us why this landmark policy still matters.
Our first #BayhDole45 video features Stephen Ezell, vice president for global innovation policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF)! He explains how the Bayh-Dole Act transformed universities into U.S. innovation powerhouses — in just the first two decades after the law passed, academic patenting increased tenfold.
Join us in celebrating the 45th anniversary of Bayh-Dole by sharing your success stories on social media with #BayhDole45!
And don’t forget — submissions for the 2026 American Innovator Award are now open. We encourage you to nominate individuals or small teams who have played a pivotal role in moving federally funded inventions from the lab to the marketplace, including inventors, licensing professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, and others who help make the Bayh-Dole system work.
Member Corner
- Brian Quinn, Professor of Law at Boston College Law School
- On December 9, 2025, from 4 PM to 5 PM ET, the American Bar Association with host a panel discussion on the government’s new approach to exercising march-in rights under the Bayh Dole Act — featuring Brian O’Shaughnessy, Bayh-Dole Coalition Board Chair, and Kate Hudson, Bayh-Dole Coalition member and Associate Vice President and Counsel for Government Relations and Public Policy for the Association of American Universities.
- From January 29-30, 2026, IPWatchdog will host its Sixth Annual Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB) program, a high-level, interactive program will feature discussions on all aspects of the PTAB practice led by highly experienced PTAB practitioners and top thought leaders in the industry.
- From February 8-11, 2026, AUTM will host its 2026 Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA! With more than 80 educational workshops and roundtable discussions, global technology transfer professionals will meet and gain insights from world-class speakers, be inspired, and reinvigorate their own professional development.
- From October 18-21, 2026, 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 interested in becoming a member, please apply here! 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.
Member Spotlight
Our November member spotlight is TechPipeline! TechPipeline is a market research and consulting firm dedicated to supporting the technology transfer and corporate engagement community. Through data-driven analyses, surveys, publications, and more than 30 educational webinars each year, TechPipeline equips innovation professionals with resources to enhance productivity, streamline processes, and inform key decisions. Last month, TechPipeline acquired Fuentek, a leading consulting firm with two decades of experience in the industry. The combined company offers the full range of resources for TTOs, including strategic advisory, outsourced staffing, recruiting services, marketing support, and more.
“Throughout my career in higher education and tech transfer operations, I’ve seen how the Bayh-Dole Act helps ideas to move from small-scale discoveries to commercialized products with meaningful societal impact. The law established a transformative framework that empowers universities and federal labs to collaborate with industry, launch startups, and build the partnerships that turn research into real solutions.As a lifelong learner and someone who thrives on helping teams navigate complex challenges, I recognize how deeply tech transfer relies on this system to work effectively. Protecting Bayh-Dole means safeguarding the engine that drives innovation forward — and supporting the professionals who make that progress possible.” — Jodie Richardson, Director of Customer Success, TechPipeline
Get Involved
If you’re interested in formally joining the Bayh-Dole Coalition or donating to our organization, please do so below!