Industry & Tech Deployment
In support of U.S. industrial competitiveness, INL works to deploy and transfer the discoveries and inventions created at the Lab. INL has hundreds of technologies and many unique capabilities that can be made available to benefit our customers and the public. View a matrix that shows the many ways to do business with INL.
Rapid Technology Deployment Program
To address the current national emergency, U.S. entities may be eligible to license select INL intellectual property at no cost for a limited time.
Program overview
On March 13, 2020, President Trump officially declared the coronavirus pandemic a national emergency. To support the national efforts, many innovations at INL can and should be transitioned to practice as expeditiously as possible, without unnecessary delay or burden on our partners in industry. So INL is opening most of its unencumbered patent portfolio to any United States company that can use its inventions to help solve this crisis and keep the U.S. economy strong. Following Sandia National Laboratories’ Rapid Technology Deployment Program, INL is taking this action to move its technologies to industry as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
Key features
Any U.S. company will be able to obtain a term-limited, nonnegotiable, royalty-free, nonexclusive license under any available INL-owned United States patent that is not otherwise subject to a contractual obligation.
- Licensees: Any U.S. entity, company, university
- Term: Now until Dec. 31, 2020
- Royalties: Zero
- Negotiations: Zero
- Rights: Nonexclusive
This program will accelerate the transition of premier national lab technologies into the private sector, where they can be leveraged to create innovative and necessary solutions to the current crisis. This program will reduce or eliminate contractual and financial barriers to mobilizing INL technologies, while providing the necessary rights to evaluate a technology and establish a longer-term agreement. The wavier of royalties also may permit licensees to invest in their employees, facilities, and much-needed solutions to combat the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic shock. INL looks forward to partnering in support of the national effort to mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on our health-care system and greater economy.
More technologies will be added in the future. Please check back for updates!
How to participate
Search for patents in the Rapid Technology Deployment Program. Once you have identified a patent of interest, email td@inl.gov. An INL representative will be in touch to discuss your licensing interest.
Some of INL’s most recent tech deployment accomplishments are found in the Tech Deployment Annual Report.
If you would like to license an INL technology, share in R&D, start or expand a business with INL technologies, or require business support, INL has the following contractual mechanisms:
Licensing
Licenses offers the opportunity to commercialize INL-developed technology by transferring intellectual property to industry.
- INL technologies available for licensing
- Licensing process
- Learn more about licensing
- License modeling and simulation software
Cradas
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) allow INL and one or more non-federal partners to develop an INL technology or apply INL expertise to a non-federal party’s technology.
Strategic Partnership Projects
Formerly called Work For Others, Strategic Partnership Project agreements allow the use of INL’s technologies, personnel, expertise and facilities.
Guides
The following guides have been organized to help INL employees answer common questions and to provide basic information.
- A Guide for Idaho National Laboratory Authors of Software
- A Guide for Idaho National Laboratory Inventors
Technology-Based Economic Development grants
Battelle Energy Alliance corporate funds provide grants for projects aimed at spurring technology-based economic development, entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. Priority is given to projects that focus on connecting industry partners, universities, start-ups and economic development organizations that drive job growth.
INL works through existing groups to establish a strong climate for tech-based economic development. Available funds are leveraged by challenging other groups to match contributions for the start of tech-based projects. Examples of INL’s efforts include:
• Helping start-up companies develop business plans, providing strategic planning training, and offering highly-specialized technical assistance.
• Working with economic and technology development organizations to identify opportunities and resources.
• Providing services to tech-based incubators and science & technology parks.
• Supporting seed/venture capital activities.
Donation Request: INL’s Technology Based Economic Development donation process is conducted on an annual basis. Donation requests for fiscal year 2017 closed on October 15, 2016. You can now request a Technology Based Economic Development donation for fiscal year 2018 (Oct 1, 2017 – Sept. 30, 2018). Submission deadline is Oct. 15, 2017.
- 2018 INL Techbased Economic Development Donation Request Form (PDF)
- 2018 INL Techbased Economic Development Donation Request Form (Download and Fill Out)
Technical Assistance Program
This is a technical support program for small business and state and local governments where INL scientists and engineers provide, without fees, assistance which is not normally available to a community or small business. It helps in areas where organizations may find their problems too complex or technical to solve on their own.
This program is authorized by federal law, and DOE has allocated limited funding for this support activity and provides policy guidance directing the screening and selection of projects.
• Requested services cannot substantially compete with services available from the private sector.
• The requested assistance must fall within INL areas of expertise.
• The requested assistance must not interfere with ongoing INL programs.
• No more than 40 hours of assistance are allowed per request.
To submit your request for consideration, complete the Request for Technical Assistance form.
To submit your project report, complete the Project Report – Technical Assistance Program form.
Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR)
These programs allow federal agencies to set aside a fraction of their R&D funds specifically for small businesses. These funds can be used to do R&D work with Idaho National Laboratory scientific and engineering staff. INL, however, does not provide SBIR/STTR funding. Contact: Stephanie Cook, Program Manager stephanie.cook@inl.gov for further information.
Technology Transfer OMBUDS
Technology Transfer Ombuds offers an informal process to help resolve issues and concerns regarding the laboratory’s technology partnership, patent, and licensing activities. As a designated neutral party, our Ombuds provides confidential, resolution-focused services. More information on the Technlogy Transfer Ombudsman Program can be found here: http://energy.gov/oha/services/applications-exceptions/alternative-dispute-resolution/technology-transfer-ombudsman
Through the ombuds process, we encourage collaborative techniques such as mediation to facilitate the speedy and low-cost resolution of complaints and disputes, when appropriate.
The INL Ombuds does not:
- Handle contract negotiation or other legal issues
- Act as a decision maker or draw conclusions
- Investigate or make formal recommendations on findings of fact.
The Ombuds also does not replace, override, or influence formal review or appeal mechanisms, or serve as an intermediary when legal action is involved or when legal counsel represents a party.
At INL, the role of the Technology Transfer Ombuds is maintained within the Internal Audit and Employee Concerns directorate. If you wish to contact this office, please call 208-526-0720 or email Devon.Jackson@inl.gov.
