Five associations, including the Association of American Universities (AAU), have submitted detailed comments to the White House on ways to address challenges and barriers to the commercialization of university-based research. The comments came in response to a request for information issued March 25 by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Economic Council. The comment letter — signed by AAU, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the American Council on Education, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Council on Governmental Relations — stresses the importance of balancing knowledge creation with increased commercialization and described the ways universities contribute to economic development beyond technology licensing.
The letter focuses on the importance of maintaining the Bayh-Dole Act as the legal framework for university technology commercialization. The associations also suggested that policymakers reconsider government restrictions on the reimbursement of university research administrative costs, provide supplemental grants to support the translation of research with a high potential for commercialization, and expand federal tax credits to better promote research commercialization. The letter also called for university and industry representatives to “engage in a robust dialogue” to identify key factors in successful university-industry collaborations.
Source: AAU Weekly Wrap-Up