Policy & Practice

Policy & Practice

Legislation, regulations, and agency policies govern the availability of mechanisms and practice that enable and support technology transfer, transition, and commercialization. OTC’s Policy & Practice Team works to ensure that these policies facilitate rather than hinder partnerships that boost America’s economic competitiveness and national security and provide an enabling environment to accelerate the secure movement of technologies from the laboratory to the private sector. 

Aligning the DOE Innovation Ecosystem

OTC engages and collaborates with key stakeholders—including DOE’s National Laboratories, plants, and sites, Site Offices, Program Offices, and Federal agencies—to identify opportunities for streamlined handoffs to the private sector, as well as to inform and develop initiatives that address barriers to advancing the Department’s technology transfer mission in a secure and strategic way.

Activating Innovative Partnership Mechanisms 

Developing and utilizing innovative funding mechanisms are critical for simplifying engagement with DOE, including its programs and DOE Laboratories. OTC supports coordination, analyses, and engagement activities to identify innovative ways energy innovation communities, such as industry and small businesses; and end users of energy technologies can engage across the DOE enterprise. Feedback from advancements in policy to address technology transfer and commercialization barriers informs new program design and implementation.

OTC, in partnership with the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), introduced the inaugural Innovator of the Year Award – aimed at recognizing and highlighting the achievements and invaluable contributions of lab researchers in advancing technology transfer and commercialization missions across DOE National Laboratories, plants, and sites. The award provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the groundbreaking work that showcases the vital role labs, and their researchers play in translating research into tangible solutions in the marketplace to benefit society at large.  

Performing Analysis and Evidence-Based Policymaking

Evidence-based policymaking ensures that activities aimed at addressing barriers to DOE technology transfer and commercialization are informed by systematic collection and analysis of evidence. OTC supports efforts that track outcomes as well as share best practices and success stories from DOE’s commercialization and partnering activities.

DOE-wide technology transfer data and metrics collection, management, analysis, reporting, and evaluation are a core function of understanding performance and outcomes. In accordance with DOE Policy 482.2, OTC manages DOE’s Annual Data Call, which provides information on three non-classified technology transfer partnership agreement mechanisms—strategic partnership projects (SPPs), collaborative research and development agreements (CRADAs), and agreements for commercializing technology (ACTs). Analysis of the data on agreements enables leadership within DOE and across DOE Laboratories to explore the nature and extent of the work and the types of partners that engage in technology transfer and commercialization activities.