Traditional academic tenured professorship and research laboratory industry positions are scarce. As a result, an increasing number of science PhDs are seeking alternative career paths including positions in the technology transfer field. While freshly graduated PhDs may find positions as technical advisers in a technology transfer office, most job opportunities require some level of experience.
UNeMed, the technology transfer leader of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has offered an internship program since 2007 in which interns work closely with staff and experience a wide range of interdisciplinary activities related to technology transfer at UNMC. This past year UNeMed has received numerous inquiries and applications for its internship program. Unfortunately, the availability of intern positions is restricted and UNeMed is not able to hire everyone who seeks such a position. In response to this increased demand, UNeMed has decided to facilitate a comprehensive learning experience for campus students that are unable to obtain an internship yet still desire to pursue a career in technology transfer.
UNeMed has designed a week-long, interactive training camp to provide immediately usable instruction across a range of technology transfer relevant areas including: evaluation of invention disclosures, intellectual property law, technology marketing and commercialization, and contract negotiation.
Combining classroom instruction and interactive team-based activities, students will experience the multidisciplinary issues that are part of technology evaluation and commercialization. Students will develop an awareness of the innovation process as it relates to the scientific, legal, and business activities needed to commercialize a new technology that resulted from academic research. Rather than simply sitting through a series of lectures, course participants will explore case studies and receive hands on practice by evaluating actual inventions, developing and implementing an applicable marketing strategy, and negotiating a mock licensing deal with a potential licensee. Participants will be using their own laptop, tablet or other internet-enabled device to complete in-class activities including prior art searches and assembling marketing analyses and campaigns. The UNeMed bootcamp will provide participants with a good overview of the technology transfer process and the skills needed to succeed in this career path.
