The Transfer Files: Inside the World of Federal Innovation

The work being done at our federal laboratories is extremely important. These are the sites where new ideas emerge, where scientists solve problems long before technology is ready for market, and where innovation frequently begins quietly behind the scenes.  In this episode, I'm joined by Congressman Bill Foster, the only PhD physicist sitting in the United States House of Representatives. Bil...

Most people have never heard of tech transfer recruiting—but it’s one of the most specialized and impactful niches in the world of innovation. Behind every great lab-to-market success story, there’s often a recruiter who knows how to spot talent with just the right mix of scientific know-how, business savvy, and the X-factor that doesn’t show up on paper. In this episode, I talk with Glen Gardner,...

The next world-changing innovation could be sitting in a university lab right now. How can it be brought to market? The answer is tech transfer bridging the gap between groundbreaking research and real-world impact. No one understands this process better than Katharine Ku. For nearly three decades, she led Stanford University’s Office of Technology Licensing, helping bring hundreds of technologies...

This is the final episode of our first season. Thank you for joining us on this journey, whether you've been here from the start or joined us along the way. We appreciate you tuning in and sharing your time with us.  Throughout this season, we've welcomed guests from a wide range of fields, including government, startups, incubators, venture capital firms, and more. Today, we're revisi...

I’m speaking with two incredible guests, Ami Gadhia and Balki Balakrishnan, from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Together, they explore the groundbreaking work NCATS is doing to tackle one of the biggest challenges in healthcare: making drug discovery and development faster, more efficient, and accessible for rare diseases. Ami and Balki share how NCATS is breakin...

I’m so excited to welcome today’s guest, Dr. Michael Salgaller. He leads the Invention Development and Marketing Unit at the National Cancer Institute’s Technology Transfer Center, where he draws on more than 20 years of experience in science, business, and investment to help develop and commercialize cutting-edge technologies. His work helps build connections between the NCI, NIH, and industry pa...

What does it take to bring groundbreaking, high-risk technologies from the lab to the market? Today we dive into the world of deep tech commercialization, where the journey from invention to impact is as complex as the technologies themselves. Joining me are two experts with years of experience in this field.  Richard Amato, Executive Director of the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) at the Univer...

Have you ever wondered how cutting-edge federal technology may help minority entrepreneurs in the technology sector? Today, we dive into that subject with our guest, Dr. Paul Campbell. According to Paul, his music background enabled him to see a mashup opportunity to drive innovation from a tech transfer perspective. Paul is a co-founder and managing partner of Brown Venture Group, a venture capit...

Consider combining roughly 13 million records from nine different databases into a single uniform system. That is precisely what the National Institutes of Health accomplished with their breakthrough Enterprise Technology Transfer System (ETT). This achievement even won a 2024 FLC award for technology transfer innovation. In this episode, Tara Kirby, director of the National Institutes of Health&#...

The idea of tech transfer could change the world, according to today's guest Tyrome Smith. This conversation took place in April during the FLC National Meeting, an annual conference for federal tech transfer that focuses on education, training, and networking. Tyrome was there partly to lead the annual FLC awards ceremony as the master of ceremonies for the second year in a row. Tyrome is a s...

If you want to take an invention from the lab where it was created and turn it into a product on store shelves, you need many people to come together, align their goals, and overcome the unexpected hurdles along the way. Each of these players may have different priorities, concerns, and perspectives, but if you’ve sat in the other person’s seat—if you’re an entrepreneur who’s been the inventor on...

The U.S. Army is a powerhouse of medical research with products ending up as dual-use and on the civilian market. Today, we explore the intersection of military medical innovation and civilian healthcare. I'm thrilled to welcome our distinguished guest, Edward Diehl, PhD. Edward serves as a commercialization officer in the Office of Medical Technology Transfer for the U.S. Army Medical Researc...

What if you could combine the rigorous realm of cancer research with the vibrant environment of corporate innovation? Today, we'll look into that fascinating intersection with our special guest, Vladimir Popov, Chief Innovation Officer of Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. Vladimir, a self-proclaimed "recovering scientist," shifted his attention from cancer biology to t...

Imagine a world where innovation thrives not just in Silicon Valley, but in every corner of the country. A world where brilliant ideas can take root and flourish, regardless of zip code. That's the vision Robert Heard has been working towards for decades. Today, we'll dive deep into the world of entrepreneurial ecosystems and how they can empower local economies and unleash a wave of creat...

In any organization, there's a crucial distinction between those who handle day-to-day operations and those who guide the overall direction. While some team members focus on immediate tasks and their managers work to optimize efficiency, true leaders must step back to see the bigger picture. They're responsible for ensuring the team is moving towards its goals, charting the course, and kee...

When someone tells you about their job, it often reveals much more about them than just their daily tasks. Paige George is one of those individuals whose career story is as fascinating as her work itself.  Starting as a high school intern for the Navy, Paige's journey took her from being a mechanical engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NAVSEA) in Panama City, Florida—where cutting-ed...

In the realm of tech transfer—and, indeed, in the broader world—relationships are paramount. Establishing new connections unlocks opportunities for collaboration with individuals and their organizations, while also granting access to their extensive network of relationships. This rapidly evolving web of connections forms a robust ecosystem of support, which is vital for startups and tech transfer...

In a few weeks, San Diego will host the biotech industry's biggest global event of the year: the Biotechnology Innovation Organization's International Convention, or BIO. This annual conference draws more than 20,000 people from across the biotech ecosystem, including representatives from startups, big pharma companies, government and research organizations, academia and nonprofits. In 202...

In the 1970s, the US was falling behind other countries in terms of innovation. However, an accidental discovery coupled with smart regulation put the US back on track to becoming a leading innovator and technology leader. This turnaround is largely attributed to the Bayh-Dole Act, also known as the Patent and Trademark Law Amendments Act. Passed in 1980, this law enables businesses, universities,...

Welcome to The Transfer Files. This is your insider's look at how federal laboratories bring groundbreaking technologies to market. I'm your host, Andrea Nelson. In every episode, we'll bring you insights and expertise from the expansive world of tech transfer. My guest today is Paul Zielinski, the Executive Director of the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC), a nationwide network of f...