Invention Disclosures in the Federal Government: A Discussion of Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Join this discussion of best practices and lessons learned in invention disclosures with panelists from the U.S. Army, National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Defense Health Agency. Topics will include engagement with potential inventors, disclosure intake procedures, determination of rights, and filing decisions. Learn from panelists' experience in growing the number and quality of invention disclosures through internal marketing programs. The panelists will also present their visions for the future of technology transfer within the context of inventions and invention disclosures, inviting your perspectives and feedback. 

Ari Atkinson is the Supervisory Patent Advisor in the Office of Technology Transfer of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the primary research agency of the USDA. In this role, he manages the patent protection program at ARS including the process from the submission of invention disclosures, determinations of whether to protect inventions, and the filing and prosecution of patent applications. He also serves as a subject matter expert on patent and other IP-related matters for the agency. He has taught several classes and conducted trainings on patents and IP in a governmental setting, including co-teaching the IP for Technology Transfer Professionals course at the FLC National Meeting. Prior to government service, he worked as a patent attorney in IP-focused law firms.
 

Steven M. Ferguson currently serves as Special Advisor at the NIH Office of Technology Transfer where he has worked since 1990.  This program at NIH is one of the world’s largest with a portfolio that includes over 2,000 active licenses with aggregate licensee sales greater than $10B per year that is based upon research that has also generated 45 FDA-approved drugs & vaccines.

A former chemist at the National Cancer Institute and biotech industry product manager, Mr. Ferguson holds Master's Degrees in Business Administration (George Washington University) and Chemistry (University of Cincinnati) as well as Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry (Case Western Reserve University).  

A registered Patent Agent and a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP), Mr. Ferguson has served as faculty for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization “BIO Boot Camp”.  He also serves as a business reviewer or advisory board member for Maryland Industrial Partnerships, Maryland Innovation Initiative, Virginia Bio-Life Science Gap Fund, Small Business Innovative Research and the- Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.

Daniel Lockney is the Technology Transfer Program Executive at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, responsible for Agency-level management of NASA intellectual property and the transfer of NASA technology to promote the commercialization and public availability of Federally-owned inventions to benefit the national economy and the U.S. public. Lockney oversees policy, strategy, resources, and direction for the Agency’s technology commercialization efforts.

NASA has had a long history of finding new, innovative uses for its space and aeronautics technologies, and Lockney is the Agency’s leading authority on these technologies and their practical, terrestrial applications.

Lockney studied American Literature at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. He started his NASA career as a contractor in 2004, converting to civil service in 2010.

Ann Martin has over 18 years of federal service and currently serves as the Team Lead in the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Partnerships Support Office, ARL ORTA, the DOD chair for the Laboratory Quality Enhancement Program for Technology Transfer (T2), and as an Army Digital Transformation Innovation Hub member.  She has served as a T2 subject matter expert in the Technology Transfer, Transition and Commercial Partnerships Office at OASD using her vast experience working with industry and academic partners to support a wide array of collaborations.  Her role is critical to enable partners from Army, industry, and academia to engage in collaborations focused on Army-specific challenges of mutual importance to all partners.  Her efforts in T2 collaborations led to her team’s selection as the 2021 Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) recipient of the “Technology Transfer Innovation Award”.  Prior to joining ARL, Ms. Martin lead the international office at DEVCOM and worked as an Electrical Engineer on various Army and Joint programs.

Eddie Diehl is the Commercialization Officer, Office of Research and Technical Applications/Medical Technology Transfer, United States Army Medical Research and Development Command. He has more than 25 years of experience evaluating and developing life science technologies. He has held two faculty positions – Assistant Professor of Natural and Health Sciences at Barry University and Research Assistant Professor at the Northwestern University School of Medicine. He was subsequently hired as a Senior Scientist in the Diagnostic Division of Abbott Laboratories and then moved on to entrepreneurial roles in several startups and university technology transfer, where he participated in R&D, investment, licensing, and business and intellectual property development efforts. He became an I-Corps mentor in 2017 and coached teams in business development and lean start-up methodology. He founded the Diehl Group LLC, a life science consulting firm, which became Pathway Biotechnology LLC in 2018. He earned a B.S. in Biology from the Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Iowa.