Release date: October 14, 2025
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Behind every chart and statistic about federal technology transfer is a story about people turning ideas into progress. Economist Michael Hall, from the Technology Partnerships Office at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), joins us to talk about how numbers reveal the real-world value of science. He traces his path from an early fascination with how innovation drives economies to his current role helping agencies make sense of the data that shape national policy and investment.
Michael describes how federal technology transfer links research to real-world applications across agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Enerygy, creating jobs, building industries, and fueling measurable growth. It’s the kind of behind-the-scenes work that shows how science quietly powers everyday life.
We also discuss the challenges of collecting and standardizing data across diverse organizations and how his team improved NIST’s reporting system, moving from years of backlog to an efficient, parallel process that keeps federal tech transfer reporting current.
With energy and candor, Michael offers a rare look at how economists support innovation from within the federal system. His reflections remind us that behind every dataset are the scientists, entrepreneurs, and policy leaders whose work fuels America’s innovation economy.
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This interview was recorded in May 2024, so some details may be outdated.
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In This Episode:
[01:08] How technological advancement helps federal agencies address national challenges.
[02:51] Michael’s path from academia to NIST and how economic development connects to tech transfer.
[03:47] Overview of the federal government’s $200 billion annual R&D investment and its link to innovation.
[04:20] What technology transfer means and why reporting to Congress and the White House matters.
[05:07] Examples of interagency collaboration and data-driven questions NIST helps answer.
[06:09] The goal of facilitating understanding across agencies to strengthen their own processes.
[07:00] How surveys and comparative data inform decision-making at federal laboratories.
[08:20] Using NIST’s internal datasets to assess licensing success rates and patent activity.
[09:11] Challenges of managing large, diverse, and often incomplete datasets.
[10:32] Why data-sharing limits exist in government and how relationships help bridge those gaps.
[11:49] The analogy of analyzing team results without individual player stats—useful but imperfect.
[12:59] Developing proof-of-concept analyses to guide other agencies despite limited visibility.
[13:54] How Michael streamlined years of backlogged reports through process redesign.
[15:33] Implementing data timestamping and parallel workflows to prevent future delays.
[16:19] Coordinating agency review through OMB and overcoming logistical bottlenecks.
[17:27] The long, coffee-fueled effort to modernize NIST’s annual reporting system.
[18:20] The balance between routine reporting and the more engaging, problem-solving side of the job.
[18:42] Encouraging agencies to reach out with data and questions for collaborative insight.
[20:02] Curiosity, service, and the shared goal of advancing federal innovation.