Science, Technology and Policy Fellow US Department of Energy
Abstract Information: The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) is to expand the commercial impact of research investments and focus on commercializing technologies that support the DOE missions. To accomplish its mission, OTT provides specialized tools, training, analysis, and programs as well as support policy, coordination, and partnerships to improve the successful transition of technology and commercialization impacts. There are several metrics for intramural technology transfer reported to Congress by Federal agencies—including (i) the number of patent applications filed; (ii) the number of patents received; and (iii) the number of licenses. Agencies may also report other measures, including those that provide insights on return on investment and the economic impacts from commercialized technologies in the marketplace. However, these measures and metrics do little to tell the story of the processes by which successful technology transfer and commercialization occur. OTT plans to develop a strategic evidence-building framework and learning agenda with associated measures and metrics that will guide evidence-building practices across OTT and inform leadership of progress towards its mission, in alignment with the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act. This presentation will describe the progress and implementation of OTT’s strategic evidence-building framework and how case studies will be used as part of a broader mixed-method approach to telling the story of progress and successes from technology transfer and commercialization activities at DOE.
Relevance Statement: The story of technology transfer and commercialization impacts and the role of Federal agencies in these processes is a difficult one to tell. The use of the typical suite of traditional metrics is inadequate because these metrics are incomplete, describing fragments of the process. The use of case studies is a complementary approach to traditional quantitative approaches, for instance economic impact and ROI studies. Case studies provide context on the people, institutions, and relationships that support the commercialization process. However, the integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches and linking information about relationships across different data to tell the story of commercialization can be a labor and time intensive process. As part of a holistic approach, DOE's Office of Technology Transitions is developing an evidence-building framework and learning agenda to guide its evaluation effort and culture. This framework will aim to identify how both qualitative and quantitative approaches can be used to provide insights on the critical relationships necessary to achieve commercialization outcomes. This effort reflects relevant standards across the Federal Government supported under the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act. It also will add knowledge to the field in terms of how US Government agencies are aligning efforts to change culture and processes in support of continuous improvement through data-based decision-making.
