The Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) negotiates Material Transfer Agreements, Cooperative Research Development Agreements, Confidential Disclosure Agreements, Clinical Trial Agreements, etc. We also provide guidance and assistance to NIMH researchers, evaluate employee inventions for their patentability and commercial potential, coordinate royalty distributions arising out of NIMH inventions, and inform NIMH personnel and researchers about the latest and relevant developments in the technology transfer area. In addition, the OTT serves as a conduit for interactions between NIMH researchers and private and/or public entities, represents NIMH interests in intramural and extramural technology transfer activities, assists NIMH management in formulating policies and procedures affecting technology transfer issues, and interacts regularly with OTT professionals and outside counsel to secure the right protections for the inventions. In the first 11 months of this fiscal year 97 Material Transfer Agreements, 16 Confidential Disclosure Agreements, 2 Collaborative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), and 2 Collaboration Agreements were completed. There were 2 invention reports received and analyzed for patentability and the ongoing communications with the patent offices in the US and other countries of previous inventions monitored. We also communicated with publishers on behalf of NIMH scientists with respect to the publishers' copyright agreements and reviewed incoming grant agreements for the budget office. We have been complementing the NIH OTT's marketing efforts and designed and sent marketing materials to several meetings, including the Federal Lab Consortium National Meeting and BIO. NIMH technology transfer personnel have also participated in NIH-wide technology transfer committees and initiatives to help streamline and modernize some of the processes involved in technology transfer. These initiatives include restructuring of technology transfer at NIH, and updates to CRADA terms and processes. We have been working with NIH management to bring the licensing and patenting activities into NIMH from the NIH Office of Technology Transfer. A person has been recruited from NIH OTT to join NIMH as of October 4, 2015.
