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Frequently Asked Questions
Acronym
List
- What
does ORNL do?
- Does ORNL work with industry and other groups?
- How is
doing business with ORNL different from doing business with the
private sector?
- Who can
assist me if the success of my partnership with ORNL is affected by
unresolved misunderstanding, disagreement or a dispute of any kind?
- How
does ORNL transfer technology?
- What is
Technology Transfer?
- Who
takes care of technology transfer at ORNL?
- Is this
a new effort?
- Is this
a large effort?
- How
can I find out what inventions ORNL has available for technology
transfer?
- Is
there a form I need to submit to gain access to this technology?
- I am
interested in pursuing a technology transfer project. What do I do?
- Are
ORNL's technologies ready for immediate licensing?
- Are
there any constraints on the kinds of projects?
- What
does "benefit to DOE" mean?
- How
much will it cost?
- Does
ORNL have funding sources for my project?
- How long
before work can begin?
- Why is
the preparation time so long on some of the agreements?
- How do
I protect my proprietary information when I work with ORNL?
- How do
I apply for a license?
- How
does ORNL decide who should get a license?
- How
much will a license cost?
- How
long does it take ORNL's CM to negotiate a license?
- Can I
get an exclusive license from ORNL?
- What
other important requirements are in ORNL licenses?
- Do I
have to manufacture in the U.S.?
- How
can I take advantage of the resources the user facilities have to
offer?
- How
can I get on the list of companies eligible for technology transfer?
What
does ORNL do?
ORNL is a multiprogram lab, primarily doing national defense R&D,
energy, and environmental projects. The Lab's original mission of providing
engineering design for all non-nuclear components in the nation's nuclear
weapons continues today, but ORNL now also performs a wide variety of the
national security R&D work. For more information, see History, Reports, and Facts about ORNL.
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Does
ORNL work with industry and other groups?
Yes, ORNL works cooperatively with selected private industries, academic
institutions, state and federal organizations, and other laboratories on
projects of mutual interest.
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How
is doing business with ORNL different from doing business with the private
sector?
First, any agreement with industry must be approved by DOE. These
partnering agreements carefully follow the government's imposed terms and
conditions. Even if you are totally funding the project, you must use
similar government agreements. Second, DOE requires you to supply a portion
of your agreed-upon funding before ORNL can begin work.
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Who
can assist me if the success of my partnership with ORNL is affected by
unresolved misunderstanding, disagreement or a dispute of any kind?
An ombudsman is available through ORNL that provides a way for anyone in a
business relationship with ORNL to voice concerns and resolve issues. Mike Frietze can assist with these
unique attributes, it is one resource to facilitate ORNL's commitment to
maintain effective, hospitable, and mutually beneficial business
partnerships with members of the supplier, contractor, and technical
partnership communities. Issues ranging from intellectual property disputes
to dealing with the differences between ORNL and the private sector can be
addressed through his office. He can also guide business partners to the
appropriate formal and official resources for problem reporting and
resolution.
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How
does ORNL transfer technology?
By doing research with the private sector and by licensing ORNL technology
to private companies. Sometimes research costs are shared, usually under a
CRADA, and sometimes other organizations pay ORNL to conduct the research,
usually under what is called a "Work for Others" agreement. Many
companies and universities utilize the User Facilities for cost-effective
technology transfer. See a list of agreements.
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What
is Technology Transfer?
It's a process for providing companies and other organizations access to
inventions and scientific experts and facilities at federal laboratories so
that those organizations can use them to provide economic, environmental,
and other benefits to the country.
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Who
takes care of technology transfer at ORNL?
TTED is the focal point for such activities. TTED works closely with the
Office of General Counsel and with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge
Operations Office, as well as the scientists and engineers and their
divisions. Each division at ORNL has a CM in TTED who serves as a point of
contact for all technology transfer activities. See ORNL's areas of expertise.
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Is
this a new effort?
TTED has been actively transferring the National Laboratory's technology to
industry since the early 80s.
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Is
this a large effort?
Since 1984, technology initiatives at ORNL include 400 CRADAs--totaling $85
million in co-operative research, more than 1,000 patent applications, and
more than 130 licensing agreements with hundreds of U.S. companies.
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How
can I find out what inventions ORNL has available for technology transfer?
Please contact Casey Porto for
further information
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Is
there a form I need to submit to gain access to this technology?
An executed nondisclosure agreement will allow private companies and ORNL
staff to exchange proprietary information for the purpose of evaluating
technologies. Contact our office
to initiate this agreement.
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I
am interested in pursuing a technology transfer project. What do I do?
Please contact us at Contact. We
will respond to your request in a timely fashion.
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Are
ORNL's technologies ready for immediate licensing?
In general, nothing is available for immediate distribution because of the
DOE requirements that are imposed on all companies that we work with.
Usually, licensable products and technologies are developed under your
CRADA which specifies the product you wish to have developed.
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Are
there any constraints on the kinds of projects?
Yes, there are two primary constraints. ORNL can work only on projects that
are related to DOE's core mission or that show benefit to DOE. Second, ORNL
can work only with U.S. companies in cases where we are not placed in
competition with the private sector.
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What
does "benefit to DOE" mean?
As a contractor to DOE, ORNL performs scientific and engineering research
and technology development in support of the DOE - ORO core
mission in science, energy resources, national security, and environmental
quality.
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How
much will it cost?
The costs vary from project to project. ORNL has no pre-set fee schedule.
The cost of each project is determined individually based on the SOW. The
work done is strictly on a cost recovery basis. Some user facilities have
low or no costs depending on whether your results are published.
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Does
ORNL have funding sources for my project?
ORNL cannot financially assist any company. However, we can provide
assistance in obtaining needed funding.
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How
long before work can begin?
If after reviewing the technology you are interested in, you want to pursue
working with us, we encourage you to have more detailed discussions with
us. Any company wanting to enter into a partnership must receive DOE
approval. Once your company receives approval, then the negotiations,
related paperwork, and approvals become more standardized. Some agreements
can be executed as quickly as a few days, but others take longer, sometimes
up to a few months. In any case, the Lab cannot begin work until the your
funding arrives. Once the funding is in place, work can begin.
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Why
is the preparation time so long on some of the agreements?
The preparation time includes the time to write up a request for approval, including
a Statement of Work, the time to negotiate terms and conditions; the time
to write the agreement; and the time to obtain reviews and approvals. All
of these activities have their own timetables, essentially, the more
complex the agreement, the longer the preparation time. When the partners
are in agreement, the preparation time can be reduced
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How
do I protect my proprietary information when I work with ORNL?
ORNL would prefer not to receive proprietary information; however, if that
knowledge is necessary for the Lab to perform the work, we will enter into
a Nondisclosure Agreement. Contact
us to initiate the process.
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How
do I apply for a license?
In order for serious discussions about CRADAs and licensing to take place,
please contact us.
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A commercial license can be a royalty-bearing, exclusive, or
non-exclusive license.
The royalties usually involve an up-front, non-refundable licensing fee,
and a running royalty based on products sold with a negotiated minimum
annual amount. Royalty terms are negotiable. The amounts depend on the
specific technology and the commercialization plan that is provided by your
company. The government reserves the right to terminate the license if the
licensee is not taking meaningful steps to commercialize the technology.
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How does ORNL decide who should get a license?
ORNL broadly disseminates information about licensing opportunities through
the Internet and other far-reaching announcements. Interested companies
should contact us.
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How much will a license cost?
The cost of a license is negotiated based on the market value of that
technology, the common licensing practice of the relevant industrial
sector, and additional development costs involved in bringing the technology
to market. There's a trade-off between up-front license issue fees, royalty
rates, and/or equity. The financial terms could include these:
- an issue fee, which is
nonrefundable and due upon execution of the agreement,
- a running royalty fee
based on a percentage of product sales,
- a minimum annual royalty
fee, and
- an equity position of
the company.
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How long does it take ORNL's CM to negotiate a
license?
Every license is negotiated individually. The time depends upon the
complexity of the transaction. It generally takes a few months.
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Can I get an exclusive license from ORNL?
Licenses may be exclusive for a particular field of use, or non-exclusive. In
all ORNL agreements, the U.S. government is granted a fully paid-up,
non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use the invention for government
purposes only, as is the case with all federally funded inventions.
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What other important requirements are in ORNL
licenses?
We are committed to ensuring that our licensed technologies are
commercialized so that the public ultimately benefits. We are also
committed to the rules and procedures that DOE has put in place for this
technology. Furthermore, ORNL licenses contain performance requirements for
the licensee that reflects diligent progress in commercialization.
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Do I have to manufacture in the U.S.?
Under the terms of the license, we encourage that the manufacturing be done
in the U.S.
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How can I take advantage of the resources the
user facilities have to offer?
There are 18 DOE designated
User Facilities at ORNL. Some are available at no cost. The remainder
are available at full cost recovery.
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How can I get on the list of companies eligible
for technology transfer?
ORNL maintains no list of companies who are eligible for technology
transfer activities. Instead, the process is driven by you, the interested
company. There is an ongoing list of user facility
partners available on our site (this list is updated quarterly). Contact us for more information.
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