FLC | Kearns wins Linsteadt Award for tech transfer contributions at AFRL 711HPW

Kearns wins Linsteadt Award for tech transfer contributions at AFRL 711HPW

October 20, 2021

Dr. James D. Kearns, who has helped commercialize numerous life-saving technologies as the longtime technology transfer manager for the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing (711HPW), is the winner of the 2021 George F. Linsteadt Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer. The news was announced on October 20 by Barbara McQuiston from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

The Linsteadt Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of technology transfer (T2) professionals, managers, researchers, principal investigators, patent attorneys, and others who perform duties that enable and advance Department of Defense (DoD) technology transfer. Recognition of these individuals highlights the important contributions of technology transfer activities both inside and outside DoD, by increasing awareness, understanding and impacts of technology transfer on the warfighter.

Linsteadt was a pioneer and a champion of T2 for laboratories in 17 federal departments and agencies. The recipient of the award embodies the vision and spirit of Linsteadt and other forward-thinking DoD T2 professionals who pioneered technology transfer and strive to find innovative ways to use T2 in support of the DoD and its warfighting missions. The Linsteadt Award honors individuals and teams who continue to move the field forward.

Among his many contributions, Kearns was key to the execution of nine commercial licenses since 2018 for The Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Observation Kit (BATDOK™) platform. A software tool kit developed by scientists in the 711th Human Performance Wing, Airman Systems Directorate, BATDOK enables medics in the field to monitor vital signs of patients and capture the complete picture of patient care, from the point of injury, through evacuation and onto the next level of care. Eight of the licenses are for human-centered applications, and one is for use of the platform for veterinary care.

Kearns was also part of the AFRL team that won a 2020 FLC National Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer, for partnering with GlobalFlyte to commercialize an AFRL-developed communications technology for emergency responders. Now available as Aware by GlobalFlyte, the system allows users to clearly monitor and assess messages from multiple communications channels that are all being sent simultaneously - a challenge often encountered during a large-scale emergency.