Technology Transfer Research Liaisons
Successful technology commercialization programs depend on close collaborations with researchers. To increase researcher engagement in technology transfer, ORNL led a team of 11 DOE national laboratories in launching the Technology Transfer Research Liaison program. The program was initially supported by DOE’s Practices to Accelerate the Commercialization of Technologies Laboratory Call.
Over a two-year period, participating laboratories saw an 8% average increase in the number of invention disclosures and a 12% increase in first-time inventors reporting inventions. In 2024, ORNL’s team was recognized with a Technology Transfer Innovation Award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium for this project.
Liaisons are recruited and trained to be embedded technology scouts, subject matter experts, and ambassadors to their technology transfer offices. They assist their peers in identifying and disclosing new inventions, as well as how to work effectively with prospective licensees.
ORNL’s current liaison cohort includes:
- Paul Abraham, Biological and Environmental Systems Science
- Jack Cahill, Biological and Environmental Systems Science
- John Caughman, Fusion and Fission Energy and Science
- Yacouba Diawara, Neutron Sciences
- Amy Elliott, Energy Science and Technology
- Connor Gannon, National Security Sciences
- Mike Henkel, Isotope Science and Engineering
- Ilia Ivanov, Physical Sciences
- James Nutaro, Computing and Computational Sciences
- Omer Onar, Energy Science and Technology
- Thomas Potok, Computing and Computational Sciences
- Stacy Prowell, National Security Sciences
- Nate See, Fusion and Fission Energy and Science
- Ying Yang, Physical Sciences