About Medical Technology Transfer


What We Do

We provide Assistive Technology Transfer (AT2) to industrial and academic partners to speed the development and commercialization of DOD-relevant biomedical inventions. AT2 mechanisms include: assisting in the identification, contracting, and execution of R&D, Funding, Prototyping, Test & Evaluation, Clinical/Regulatory Affairs, Licensing, and Fielding.


10 Things to Know for a Collaboration

Our primary mission is to license new and improved biomedical technologies for the benefit of the warfighter.

Have a smart idea about how to advance any of our discoveries?

Here are 10 things you need to know to develop a collaboration:

  1. Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) – Used for the sharing of “Proprietary Information” between MRDC and an outside party.
  2. Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) – Used for MRDC to perform collaborative R&D with academic, industrial, not for profit, and nonfederal government parties. MRDC can provide materials, equipment, access to facilities, expertise, but not money to the CRADA partner (CRADA partner can provide the same plus funding to MRDC). CRADA partners receive a time-limited option to take an exclusive license to Government rights in CRADA-subject inventions within the field of the CRADA.
  3. License Agreements – Used for the transfer of Intellectual Property from MRDC to a commercial partner. Noncommercial CRADA and IIA partners may also be granted licenses by MRDC, as long as they then sublicense to a commercial partner. Commercial Evaluation Licenses are given for short term evaluation of the commercial potential of an MRDC invention.
    What is Licensed: Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks (directly licensed by Army Trademark Licensing Program), and Other Intellectual Property
    Types of Exclusivity: Exclusive*, Partially Exclusive*, or Nonexclusive (*requires Federal Register announcement)
    Fields of Use: May be topical (e.g. therapeutic vs. diagnostic), geographical (e.g. US vs. worldwide), or how the invention is used (production vs. testing vs. sales/distribution)
    Rights to Sublicense: May be granted with written approval of MRDC
  4. Commercial Test Agreements (CTA) – Used for MRDC to test materials, equipment, models, computer software, and other technologies on behalf of an outside party. Partner owns the technical data and any intellectual property that may arise from the testing.
  5. Interinstitutional Agreements (IIA) – Used for R&D collaborations or licensing among 2 or more Federal agencies. Stipulates which agency does what and with which funds and how deployment and commercialization will be done.
  6. Partnership Intermediary Agreements (PIA) – Used for promoting cooperative activities between MRDC and a State or local government (or a nonprofit operating on behalf of a State or local government). It facilitates the transfer of technology for the benefit or economic development of a State or local government, small business, or educational institutions; and supports the mission of MRDC.
  7. Contracts – Used for MRDC funding of R&D by outside parties; Government retains Government use rights for federally funded inventions, but Contractor may retain ownership and commercialize inventions created under the contract.
  8. Grants – Used for MRDC funding of R&D in academia, industry, and not for profits (does not use MRDC Resources). Grant recipient may elect title to and commercialize new inventions create under the grant.
  9. Cooperative Agreements – Used for MRDC funding of R&D in academia, industry, and not for profits (that also uses MRDC Resources).
  10. Other Transaction Agreements (OTA) – Use for MRDC participation in prototyping collaborations with industry.
 

Last Modified Date: 17 May 2019

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