The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has been delegated authority by the Secretary of Agriculture to administer the patent program for ARS, the review of CRADAs and the technology licensing program for all intramural research conducted by USDA. Thus, the Annual Reports on Technology Transfer covers technology transfer activities and metrics for the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Forest Service (FS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Wildlife Services (APHIS-WS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Veterinary Services (APHIS-VS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS-PPQ), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Biotechnology Regulatory Services (APHIS-BRS), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s International Services (APHIS-IS), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Economic Research Service (ERS), National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), Rural Development (RD), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Grain inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), Food Safety and Inspection service (FSIS) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The Reports include tabular metrics of inventions, licenses, and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, as well as a section on notable “Downstream Outcomes” and “Outreach, Workshops, Field Days & Forums Activities.” These Outcomes and Activities reflect the breadth of mechanisms used by USDA to effect technology transfer, as well as the breadth of scope in addressing issues for the agriculture sector.

In 2011, the White House issued the Presidential Memorandum – Accelerating Technology Transfer and Commercialization of Federal Research in Support of High-Growth Businesses. Issuance of this Memorandum provided an unprecedented opportunity for unifying technology transfer across USDA S&T agencies as the mechanism to deliver these outcomes for public good. In the USDA’s response to the Presidential Memorandum, several initiatives were identified to promote technology transfer and commercialization. Beginning with the FY2012 Annual Report on Technology Transfer, USDA will begin to report, when possible, on these initiatives. Specifics are provided in agency sections within this report.

* The entire USDA Report includes multiple agencies and is found on the USDA link.

* The ARS section of the Report is found on the ARS link.