University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report

Transcription

1 University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Reporting Period: July 1, 2012 June 30, 2013 Plan for Commercial Development of Research The Office of Technology Management (OTM), along with its affiliate Office of Enterprise Development, Health Sciences (OED), serves as the hub of all innovation commercialization activities at the University of Pittsburgh. Together, OTM and OED assist in the fulfillment of the University s missions of education, research, and public service by facilitating the development of products and processes from University technology for the benefit of the University; its faculty, staff, and students; and the community. At the same time, OTM/OED work to foster long-term relationships with industry and the community in sponsored research, new innovation development, technology licensing, and the formation of start-up companies. To manage the University s ongoing commercialization activities, OTM/OED employ intellectual property protection experts, specialized licensing managers, business development and technology marketing professionals, marketing communication professionals, education and outreach teams, and reporting and compliance personnel. OTM/OED services to Pitt innovators include: Assistance with preparing and submitting invention disclosure forms for commercial consideration Facilitation of the protection of intellectual property at the University via patents and copyrights Strategic planning for the successful transfer of innovations to the marketplace Negotiation of licenses and options for Pitt innovations to commercial interests Management of post-licensing reporting, revenue collection, and royalty distribution Educational opportunities in technology commercialization and academic entrepreneurship Unique opportunities for targeted interaction between Pitt innovators and industry, investors, and the community for the development of new partnerships that encourage and enhance Pitt s commercialization efforts Facilitated brainstorming to assist Pitt innovators in developing marketable commercial applications Annual recognition and awards for faculty, staff, and students who participate in the commercialization process University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 1

2 Pitt s total research expenditures (both direct and indirect costs) were an estimated $759 million in fiscal year 2013 (FY 2013). In FY 2013, this research activity generated 254 invention disclosures, which are evaluated by OTM in conjunction with the University Technology Transfer Committee for technical merit, patentability, and market potential. Also, OTM executed 155 technology licenses and options to industry, including nine new Pitt-originated start-up companies; and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued 51 patents to the University of Pittsburgh. Since 2001, the University and its innovators have been issued 433 U.S. patents. OTM actively develops commercialization strategies for these and other Pitt-developed technologies. Research Licensing Agreements Employing best-business practices in licensing requires the University to standardize license terms to the extent possible. Standardizing license terms levels the playing field for licensees and creates a common understanding of the balance of risks acceptable to a university (which may differ markedly from the for-profit sector). For example, the University s policies limit the amount of equity in a start-up company that can be owned collectively by participating faculty innovators and the aggregate University to no more than 49 percent. OTM, in collaboration with Pitt s Office of General Counsel, has developed standard template agreements for exclusive and nonexclusive licenses. In the arena of nonexclusive licenses, specific templates have been developed for patented and non-patented technologies. In each case, license agreements have been designed to recognize the unique role of universities and the need of faculty members to continue to conduct research in their chosen fields, even as commercial entities begin to move their technologies into the marketplace. Thus, the University s license agreements always retain for the University and its faculty the nonexclusive right to continue to use licensed technology for noncommercial educational and research purposes. Publication of research results is another key requirement for universities, although this need must be balanced against the legitimate interests of a licensee. As part of OTM s mission to assist in the retention of entrepreneurially minded faculty, in 2014 it will continue to work closely with faculty who are interested in starting companies around University technology, helping to facilitate an entrepreneurial leave of absence. However, faculty still must abide by University policy related to commercialization of innovations through independent companies (available upon request). Engaging the Innovators OTM and the University depend on the dedication of the University s multidisciplinary community of researchers to succeed in commercializing innovations for the benefit of humankind. Therefore, OTM s ongoing challenges for 2014 are to: (1) engage/educate more faculty, staff, and student innovators in the commercialization process while also promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship; (2) improve the commercial viability of innovations submitted via invention disclosures to OTM for commercial consideration; (3) continue its University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 2

3 Executive in Residence program to work with Pitt Innovators; and (4) start more companies based on Pitt technologies. Among the key initiatives created to reach those goals is OTM s Pitt Innovator Initiative, which continues to support the office s core mission by building and nurturing a growing community of Pitt Innovators. Pitt Innovators represent those individuals who have submitted invention disclosures and, therefore, are participating in the innovation commercialization process at Pitt. As a result of such efforts, the volume of invention disclosures remains robust. Pitt Innovators submitted 254 invention disclosures to OTM in FY 2013 up more than 243 percent from 2003, when the initiative was launched. In FY 2014, OTM/OED will continue to work on improving the commercial potential of the innovations in the commercialization process and enhancing their business development efforts. Among OTM s/oed s most recent commercial development efforts, implemented initially in FY2011 and to be carried into FY 2014 and beyond, are the following five initiatives: Life Science Start-Up Accelerator Program OTM, in partnership with the nonprofit Idea Foundry and the City of Pittsburgh s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), launched this program to help early-stage life sciences companies based on Pitt technologies bridge the gap between the initial research and commercialization. The initiative, housed in the Idea Foundry s Oakland offices at the edge of the Pitt campus, is being funded with a $200,000 grant from the Greater Oakland Keystone Innovation Zone and the URA. Executive-in-Residence (EIR) Program This program leverages the business expertise of veteran technology-based entrepreneurs who are hired to proactively identify start-up-worthy technologies at Pitt and, ultimately, take one of those opportunities to market. To date, OTM has hired three EIRs one focused on information science and information technology and the other two cultivating medical device, regenerative medicine, and other health care-related opportunities. Coulter Translational Partnership II OTM has been working for two years with the Swanson School of Engineering and the Schools of the Health Sciences to implement this extensive commercialization-driven partnership with the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation. In 2011, the University was awarded a $3.54 million, five-year grant from the foundation to support collaborative translational research projects between engineers at the Swanson School of Engineering and clinicians in the Schools of the Health Sciences. The program has awarded its second round of grants to collaborative projects, and OTM and OED will continue to facilitate the commercialization of those innovations, as well as assist in educating those participants in innovation development and entrepreneurship. Mentoring and Other Start-up Initiatives OED established this program to provide more formal support to Pitt Innovators who want to take their innovations out of the lab and into the marketplace. The initiative, funded in part by a Pennsylvania Innovation Partnership grant, began with nearly a dozen veteran technology entrepreneurs and investors who agreed to work with Pitt University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 3

4 innovators to nurture their start-up opportunities. The mentoring program is designed to support the ongoing efforts of OTM s and OED s own Commercialization Advisory Committee, which reviews the value propositions of innovations with start-up potential and counsels Pitt innovators on how to improve those propositions. The committee is made up of entrepreneurs, investors, Pitt alumni, and local economic development leaders. This program has garnered additional support via a Keystone Innovation Network grant, which will fund the development of mentoring teams aimed at innovators from both Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University. Pitt Ventures This initiative has been in the planning stage over the past year and was implemented in The goal of this program, which is being overseen by the OED, is to promote and foster more start-up activity with Pitt innovations, using a more formalized process. This initiative also will include an effort to promote Pitt s start-up activities in the community. Wells Student Health Care Entrepreneurship Competition Launched in July 2011 with funds from the Michael G. Wells Entrepreneurial Scholars Fund, this initiative promotes innovation development and entrepreneurship among health sciences students at Pitt. The competition s finalists are paired with business mentors to prepare for their participation in the University s annual Science conference and its First Look Technology Showcase. The third annual competition is in the works, with the winner to be announced at the 2013 Showcase in October The winner received a $10,000 Michael G. Wells Entrepreneurial Scholars Award, to be used for commercialization efforts. OTM/OED s Innovative Tradition These five new initiatives add to a growing portfolio of innovative programs from OTM and OED designed to foster greater faculty participation in innovation commercialization, promote entrepreneurship, and develop relationships with potential commercial partners. Those programs will continue through FY 2014 as well. Some of OTM s/oed s most successful and innovative initiatives include the following: Educational Courses In 2001, OED introduced its 10-week Benchtop to Bedside: What Every Scientist Needs to Know course, which helps health sciences-oriented faculty, staff, and students understand technology commercialization, including starting a company and navigating the regulatory approval process. This past fiscal year, the program was revised and now is 14 weeks long, with academic credits available to students. Moreover, the OED added a second section to the course exclusively for participating innovators in the engineering school s Coulter Translational Partnership II program (see details above). Both sections will be offered again in the spring of Meanwhile, the OTM, in partnership with the Office of the Provost, launched a seven-week course in 2002, titled Academic Entrepreneurship: The Business of Innovation Commercialization, which focuses on the earliest stages of innovation development, including application development tools, businessopportunity development, market research, and communicating the right message to potential commercial partners. This course, which was conducted once again in fall 2013, will run again in fall University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 4

5 Educational Materials In an ongoing effort to provide educational tools to Pitt innovators, OTM and OED have developed a number of materials that have been well received internally and among our academic peers. In 2010, OTM/OED published the first-ever Pitt Innovator s Guide to Technology Commercialization, which provides a comprehensive introduction to commercialization at Pitt, as well as other important considerations. OTM/OED is in the process of updating the guide and will continue to distribute copies at faculty orientation sessions and educational events. The guide also is available electronically on the OTM s Web site, Among OTM s/oed s new materials have been Pitt Innovator s Commercialization Coaching Cards, which offer 10 things to remember when attracting industry or investors to your innovation. The three-panel, business card-sized tools have been distributed by the hundreds on campus and beyond. Web site The OTM/OED has a Web site that focuses more on the function of innovation commercialization and entrepreneurship than on the OTM/OED offices. The site provides information for potential commercial partners as well as information for Pitt Innovators. It includes a Pitt Innovator Library with articles, videos and other educational resources about innovation and entrepreneurship. Technology showcases OTM/OED take every opportunity available to showcase Pitt innovations at poster receptions, both internally and around the country. Annually, OED hosts its First Look Technology Showcase reception at Pitt s annual two-day campus-wide science conference, attracting an estimated 250 attendees to the events. OTM/OED will continue to seek opportunities both locally and nationally to showcase Pitt technologies. Celebration of Innovation To celebrate the accomplishments of Pitt innovators, OTM and the Office of the Provost continue to host an annual Celebration of Innovation. Invitations to the event are limited to those who filed invention disclosures during the previous fiscal year, those whose innovations were licensed to industry or startups in the past year, senior administrators from across campus, and the local economic development community. Those whose innovations were licensed are awarded Pitt Innovator Awards for their achievement. The ninth annual event will be held in November Training Students and Health Professionals The School of Medicine s Summer Premedical Academic Enrichment Program-Level I (SPAEP- I) is a seven-week program designed to be a preliminary education program for 12 minority and/or disadvantaged students who are graduating high school seniors or college freshmen or sophomores. The program reinforces science coursework, broadens competency in written and oral communication skills, and introduces health disparities issues. Participants for this institutionally funded program are selected from a national pool. However, preference is given to students from the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh residents, and students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The Summer Premedical Academic Enrichment and Research Program (SPAEP) Level II curriculum places six to eight underrepresented or disadvantaged upper level college students in laboratories for seven weeks to participate in research mentored by School of Medicine faculty. University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 5

6 The program is supported by the School of Medicine, the participating research sites, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Each Friday afternoon, the students are engaged in medical school application skills seminars taught by the Office of Admissions, as well as study skills strategy sessions. They attend Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and application preparation workshops on Saturday mornings during the program. Program participants spend one or two afternoons shadowing clinicians and attending weekly brown bag lunch seminars given by School of Medicine faculty, residents, fellows, and community physicians. They also participate in mentoring and networking activities held in conjunction with other summer programs. Each student has a mock interview with a School of Medicine faculty member and receives feedback on his/her performance. They also develop a personal statement. In addition participants also complete an application timeline based on when they are planning to apply to medical school. The program s capstone experience is a presentation of the student s research with mentors and peers in attendance. Participants for this research program are selected from a national pool; however, preference is given to students from Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh residents, and students from HBCUs. The Center for Public Health Practice (CPHP), established in 1995 with an appropriation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a catalyst for engaged scholarship in public health through applied research, practice-based teaching, and professional service. Numerous activities interface with all departments at the Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), the Office of the GSPH Dean, and the Multidisciplinary Master of Public Health (MMPH) program, utilizing and sharing expertise throughout the school. CPHP s goals are to: Develop innovative resources and practical solutions for public health problems at the local, state, and national levels Provide education and training for students, practitioners, and leaders in public health and other professions Create partnerships for mutual learning between academic institutions and public health agencies Apply principles of quality assurance and quality improvement to continuously improve performance in scholarship, professionalism, and management CPHP houses several subsidiaries, including the Pennsylvania Public Health Training Center (PAPHTC). PAPHTC is one of 38 public health training centers across the United States funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). It is based at GSPH and operated in partnership with Drexel University School of Public Health and the public health workforce across the Commonwealth. PAPHTC helps prepare and equip today s public health professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to meet tomorrow s challenges by offering a wide variety of professional development opportunities to the Commonwealth s public health workforce. Eighty-two different training events reached more than 2,700 public health professionals during the most recent reporting period. Example training titles show the variety of programs offered: Grant Writing Basics Farm to Community University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 6

7 Digging into Trauma Informed Care The Flu: Know What to Do Emergency Operations Planning PAPHTC provides resources and organizational development services to public health agencies in order to increase capacity and enhance the delivery of effective public health services. Additionally, PAPHTC offers experiential training opportunities to graduate students in the field of public health through partnerships with local health departments and community-based organizations that deliver public health services. Commercial Research Development Training In addition to technology development and licensing, a number of other services are needed by faculty, staff, and students who develop innovations with commercial potential. Some of these services include competitive and other market research; business plan development; innovation marketing; coaching and mentoring, financing strategy development; networking opportunities and strategic partnering; start-up assistance; and educational initiatives designed to stimulate an innovative, more entrepreneurial campus culture. The University of Pittsburgh Office of Technology Management (OTM), along with its affiliate Office of Enterprise Development, Health Sciences (OED) continues to provide a diversity of commercialization services all aimed at facilitating the development of products and processes from University technology for the benefit of the University; its faculty, staff, and students; and the community. OTM/OED staff spend a significant amount of time conveying that information to Pitt faculty, staff, and students in a variety of forums, including introductory commercialization seminars, innovation showcases, entrepreneurial forums, intensive educational courses on innovation commercialization and entrepreneurship, and in an array of educational materials. All of these efforts are designed to encourage more faculty, staff, and students to participate in the commercialization process and give them the knowledge to more effectively and proactively navigate the process. For example, OTM, in conjunction with the Office of the Provost, offers Academic Entrepreneurship: The Business of Innovation Commercialization, a seven-week course for faculty and their research students that focuses on the early stages of commercial innovation development and teaches participants how to transform their ideas and research into commercially viable business opportunities. OTM offered its annual course in fall 2012, educating 28 faculty, staff, and students. The course will be offered again in fall OTM s partner, the OED, is again planning to host its now-14-week commercialization course, From Benchtop to Bedside: What Every Scientist Needs to Know, in February In 2013, the OED ran two sections of the course and attracted more than 70 faculty, staff, and student participants. This course, likewise, focuses on the innovation development/commercialization process, but with particular emphasis on life sciences-related technologies, regulatory issues, and topics such as business models based on insurance reimbursement. University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 7

8 OTM staff members also take the commercialization message regularly to numerous faculty department meetings, human resources seminars, and programs aimed at encouraging local industry to collaborate with the University in the development of innovations. In fall 2013, OTM plans to offer workshops, for instance, in the School of Dental Medicine and via Human Resources Faculty and Staff Development program. To greatly enhance commercialization training efforts at the University, OTM and OED completed a major redesign of its Web site in The key component of the site is an educational library of content that brings how-tos and other helpful information to faculty, staff, and students via video, podcasts, PDF-formatted files, PowerPoint, and other formats. It also was designed to create greater interaction between OTM/OED and Pitt innovators, and between Pitt Innovators and potential outside partners. In fall 2005, OTM and the Office of the Provost initiated a new program to recognize Pitt innovators who had taken the time to submit invention disclosures for commercial consideration during the previous year. The first Celebration of Innovation attracted nearly 100 innovators, administrators, and other internal supporters of technology transfer at Pitt. As part of the event, innovators whose ideas had been licensed to industry or start-up companies in the previous year were awarded the new Pitt Innovator Award for their achievements. In October 2012, OTM hosted its eighth annual Celebration of Innovation before an audience of more than 150 innovators, as well as University and external supporters, and it plans to continue this program in the fall of In 2013/14, OTM and OED also plan to continue to collaborate with the following resource partners: Katz Center for Executive Education This center in the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business has been administering the Academic Entrepreneurship: The Business of Commercial Innovation course for OTM/Office of the Provost since The center helps to coordinate the instructors, most of whom are Katz faculty, and houses the course in its Alumni Hall classroom facility. Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence (IEE) This Pitt-based organization, housed in the Katz School, is a regional provider of educational and consulting services to start-up companies and small businesses at every step of the business life cycle. Created in 1999, IEE draws upon internal and external resources, including educators, investors, business service providers, mentors, and others, to evaluate and help turn ideas into viable enterprises. IEE s mission is to be the region s preeminent local source of business knowledge, supporting entrepreneurs from the first seed of an idea until the company becomes a legacy for the future. IEE comprises at least eight specialized programs, including the following five: o PantherlabWorks Providing a non-commercial, educational, and focused business incubator to cultivate promising business ideas by guiding inventors and entrepreneurs through a systematic and detailed process that enables them to identify University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 8

9 and validate markets, scrutinize technology scaling issues, and define the best business model for financial success o Small Business Development Center Part of a state-wide assistance program that develops and strengthens businesses through timely information, expertise, professional consulting, education, and training programs o Entrepreneurial Fellows Center Providing innovative, action-oriented management education programs coupled with mentoring by experienced entrepreneurs to help established businesses achieve their full potential o Family Enterprise Center Protecting, preserving, and promoting closely held, family-owned businesses by providing insights into pivotal issues, innovative education programs, and peer advisory opportunities o Agricultural Entrepreneurship Swanson School of Engineering OTM/OED work closely with the Swanson School of Engineering to implement a number of initiatives driven by technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. Among them: The Coulter Translational Partnership II program, a fiveyear grant to fund collaborative translational research projects between engineers at the Swanson School and clinicians in the schools of the health sciences, and implementation of the Center formedical Innovation, which works hand-in-hand with the Coulter program to develop innovation/commercialization teams and educational programs to support those teams. MIT Enterprise Forum of Pittsburgh OTM/OED continues to partner with this regional entrepreneurial education organization to educate Pitt faculty, staff, and students about technology-based entrepreneurship. OTM/OED remains a sponsor and board member of the nonprofit program, which adds breadth to OTM/OED s own educational efforts. OTM/OED continues to send Pitt innovators to MIT Forum programs, either to participate or to observe. 3 Rivers Venture Fair This past spring, Pitt once again sponsored this regional gathering of innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors and helped facilitate a technology showcase luncheon and elevator-pitch competition that featured innovations from Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University. The program included an educational component to teach participants (faculty and students) the importance of elevator pitches and other means of selling their ideas to potential commercial partners. Also, each participant was assigned a business mentor to help with the business instruction. Pitt will remain committed to this program in the future and will actively participate in the planning process for the Rivers Venture Fair. Improved Communication As part of its comprehensive approach, OTM continues to foster improved communication between and among its internal entrepreneurial constituencies and potential outside partners, whether industry, entrepreneurs, investors, or the economic development community. To that end, OTM/OED continues to use and enhance its Partner with Pitt marketing campaign to promote potential partnerships. The campaign includes a marketing brochure highlighting Pitt research capabilities, more specific capabilities documents to educate outsiders and others, and an exhibit booth that is used at conferences to share additional educational information. Current University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 9

10 capabilities brochures include medical imaging research, energy research, cancer research, drug discovery research, vaccine research. OED, meanwhile, continues to publish a biweekly newsletter, distributed to more than 1,000 subscribers (50 percent of whom are University-based), aimed at keeping the entrepreneurial community up to date through news and educational items, with an emphasis on biotechnology development, how-to articles, and a calendar of upcoming local entrepreneurial events. OED also continues to host one large-scale entrepreneurial education/networking event each term and will maintain those activities in The events are designed to bring in high-profile entrepreneurs/innovators to educate and motivate Pitt innovators. Other Educational Initiatives OTM is in the process of updating its Pitt Innovator s Guide to Technology Commercialization. This comprehensive guide aims to educate Pitt faculty, staff, and students about technology commercialization. It is distributed during introductory presentations, faculty receptions, and an annual faculty orientation program hosted by the Office of the Provost. OTM also continues to distribute its Pitt Innovator s Commercialization Coaching Cards, which remind innovators about points to consider when presenting their innovation ideas in public forums such as conferences. OTM has distributed hundreds during the past year and plans for similar distribution in 2013/14. One OTM staff member maintains board of director ties with the MIT Enterprise Forum of Pittsburgh, a regional entrepreneurial education and networking organization that emphasizes technology-based entrepreneurship. As part of OTM s affiliation, which also includes sponsorship, staff members proactively encourage faculty, staff, and students to attend those forums for both the educational and entrepreneurial networking benefits. Another OTM staff member serves on the board of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) organization, which promotes entrepreneurship. Outreach to Businesses Regarding Recent Research Developments Fostering regional economic growth requires committed partnerships with industry, local civic leaders, economic development agencies, the philanthropic community, investors, and entrepreneurs, among others. Innovative products resulting from academic research must rely on the business expertise of such partners for the next stage of development, which requires as much entrepreneurial savvy as scientific acumen. Pittsburgh continues to offer a rather mature infrastructure of resources for start-up companies and existing biotechnology companies, including several economic development agencies, individual investors, and venture capitalists. Still, with cuts in Commonwealth funding to local economic development programs and continued directives from federal research funding agencies to bring technologies to the marketplace, university-community collaboration remains crucial to promote more effective technology commercialization, company formation, and economic development based on biotechnology. University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 10

11 One of the University s most visible outreach activities is its Science conference, an annual, two-day, campus-wide celebration of science and technology. A major goal of this event is to provide a forum for scientists working in both academia and industry to come together around common themes and issues and for organizations providing services for emerging biotech operations to align with potential service users. A very successful component of the Science conference is its First Look Technology Showcase, which is hosted by the Office of Technology Management (OTM) and Office of Enterprise Development (OED). The showcase puts together Pitt Innovators and business mentors from the region and beyond to develop their business cases for innovations developed at Pitt. They then display their presentations at a reception, which draws several hundred attendees from both inside the University and beyond its walls. The Science conference and its technology showcase will continue to be supported by OTM and OED in 2013/14. In addition, OTM/OED continue to participate actively in large national conferences that bring together members of the biotechnology and medical technology industries, along with entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators. OTM/OED staff members aggressively seek biopartnering meetings with industry during those conferences to generate interest in University research and innovations. They also maintain exhibit booths at those events. At the annual BIO conference, in particular, Pitt participates as part of a Pennsylvania-wide contingency to promote biotech and innovation development across the Commonwealth to the rest of the world. The next conference will be in San Diego in June In early 2011, OTM/OED launched a new outreach initiative called the Executive-in-Residence program, to identify potential start-up opportunities within Pitt and then facilitate partnerships with the commercial sector to launch those start-ups. So far, OTM/OED have hired executivesin-residence for computer software/it opportunities and medical devices. Full implementation occurred in FY 2012, and they now are working on sustainability plans for the program beyond In addition, OTM/OED, which serve as the hub of technology commercialization activities at Pitt, will continue to: Participate in the i-bridge Network, a nationwide project developed in 2007 that helps universities more effectively market their available technologies via a searchable online database. The network was developed by an affiliate of the non-profit Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, Missouri. Continue OTM s Technology Commercialization Internship program for training Pitt students in commercialization (the students conduct market research and develop industry contact lists for OTM). Last year, OTM worked with both the graduate and undergraduate programs of the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, as well as the School of Law, to identify and recruit students. Maintain the Commercialization Advisory Committee, which is made up of business leaders and successful Pitt alumni, to provide ongoing counsel regarding start-up opportunities based on Pitt technologies. University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 11

12 Work with the Swanson School of Engineering to facilitate commercialization for the school s Coulter Foundation grant program to promote innovation development and commercialization. Visit potential commercial partners, along with faculty innovators whose innovations are being considered and participate in several bio-partnering conferences, accompanied by faculty innovators. Further develop and/or update the Partner with Pitt marketing campaign and related materials. Develop an annual report and other materials to keep commercial partners informed throughout the year. Continue to build a Pitt Innovator Library on their Web site, The University of Pittsburgh, via OTM, OED, GO KIZ, and the Katz School, has created a variety of mechanisms to routinely inform external partners and other entities, particularly in the technology-based entrepreneurial community, about technologies emerging from the University. Off-campus partners in entrepreneurship include organizations such as: Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG) Pitt, with Carnegie Mellon University, led the convening of regional partners, including small and large bioscience companies, for the western Pennsylvania region s plan for this innovative state-funded enterprise. Pitt s chancellor and Carnegie Mellon s president were the founding co-chairs of the PLSG board of directors. Innovation Works The University participates actively with the state-funded Innovation Works in its efforts to provide seed funding to local start-up companies. Innovation Works has provided funding to numerous University spinoffs over the years, and OTM maintains a good working relationship with Innovation Works personnel. Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA) The University routinely collaborates with the PRA in its business development activities by participating actively in business location and relocation efforts via appointments with key faculty and campus leaders, involvement in regional public relations promotional activities, and participation in trade missions both nationally and internationally. MIT Enterprise Forum of Pittsburgh This entrepreneurial education/networking organization has been serving the Pittsburgh region since 1985; the University has been in partnership with the forum for the past 12 years. Currently, one member of OTM serves on the forum s board; and OTM remains an active program sponsor, with the goal of directing more Pitt faculty, staff, and students to the program as an effective venue for entrepreneurship training and invaluable networking with other academic peers, local entrepreneurs, and investors. 3 Rivers Venture Fair This regional event, which takes place every two years, brings together all of the above regional economic development partners, as well as investors from the mid-atlantic region and a host of technology-based start-up companies in need of funding. As part of the fair, the University has partnered with Carnegie Mellon University to co-host a special technology showcase luncheon at the fair to showcase innovations with commercial potential from both universities. Meanwhile, the University has served as an University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 12

13 active partner and sponsor for the past six fairs, participating on the selection, marketing, and logistics committees, as well as exhibiting. Annual Entrepreneur s Growth Conference This annual all-day conference, hosted by Duquesne University, celebrated its 15-year anniversary in June The University of Pittsburgh has participated with speakers, sponsorships, and exhibits for the past 10 years. The event brings together approximately 500 entrepreneurs, economic development professionals, investors, and others to promote entrepreneurship and to provide numerous educational and networking opportunities throughout the day. Pitt will continue to support all of the above partnering organizations/events in the region in 2013/14. OTM/OED also will do the following: Implement a more formal start-up formation initiative called Pitt Ventures that is expected to lead to an increase in the number of start-ups formed annually based on Pitt technologies. Provide new Web-based resources aimed at connecting potential external partners, including entrepreneurs, investors, economic development organizations, and others, with Pitt innovators and technologies with start-up potential. Develop a more comprehensive mentoring program for Pitt innovators who are hoping to transform their innovations into new start-up companies. Develop a sustainability plan for the Executive in Residence program. Research Development Collaboration The University s principal partner in research development and commercialization is UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), which directly supports selected research and research infrastructure initiatives, as well as investing in promising intellectual property developed by Pitt faculty members. During a previous reporting period, UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh entered into an agreement with the Italian president, the president of the region of Sicily, and Italy s National Research Council to operate a major new research center in Sicily. (This request complements the successful development by UPMC of a tertiary care hospital in Palermo, which specializes in organ transplantation and other complex procedures; the facility was funded by the Italian government and is managed by UPMC.) The $400 million Biomedical Research and Biotechnology Center (BRBC) will house programs that build on Pitt s strengths in computational and structural biology, vaccine development, drug discovery, molecular imaging, tissue engineering/regenerative medicine, and neuroscience. Italy will construct the 300,000- square-foot center in the province of Palermo. Construction of the facility is expected to commence in In addition, a state-of-the-art cell factory in Palermo is one of the country s most innovative research projects. Developed in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the facility processes, stores, and distributes human cells to be used for regenerating damaged organs at transplantation centers throughout Europe. During the current reporting period, the trilateral partnership among UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Italian government has continued a fellowship program established three University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 13

14 years ago. To date, 24 young Italian researchers have received or are currently receiving research training and experience at the University of Pittsburgh in the fields of structural biology, computational biology, neurosciences, pharmaceutical research, vaccine development, tissue engineering/regenerative medicine, biomedical devices/development of nanotechnologies, molecular imaging, and related areas. The progress of these fellows, who will become the vanguard generation of investigators in the BRBC, is reviewed annually by the program s scientific committee, which is headed by Arthur S. Levine, MD, Pitt senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and dean, School of Medicine. The University of Pittsburgh also works closely with UPMC s International and Commercial Services Division (ICSD), which invests in strategic partnerships, commercial ventures, and clinical operations, joining with industry innovators to form and support businesses focused on developing breakthrough technologies and delivering advanced patient care. A number of the technologies ICSD has advanced have emerged from intellectual property created by Pitt faculty members. For example, the ICSD Office of Strategic Business Initiatives (SBI) created a wholly owned subsidiary of UPMC, SimMedical, in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh s Peter M. Winter Institute for Simulation Education and Research (WISER). SimMedical provides expertise in the creation and management of integrated health-care simulation training programs, featuring curricula and a web-based simulation management system developed by leading health-care and simulation experts. Another innovation developed by University faculty/upmc physicians is ImPACT, a user-friendly Windows-based testing program designed for the diagnosis and management of sports-related concussions. ImPACT is currently the most widely used computerized concussion treatment program in the world and is used by athletes from grade school to the professional level. Omnyx, jointly created by GE and UPMC, is a digital pathology company based on University- and UPMC-derived technologies that aim to transform diagnostic processes that traditionally have relied on outdated manual methodologies. Omnyx s first product, a four-slide scanner and associated software, was commercially released in Europe in University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine faculty have worked with Revivicor Inc., a former ICSD investment, in testing and validating xenotransplantation. Revivicor is a regenerative medicine company focused on applying leading-edge animal biotechnology platforms to provide superior quality, high-volume, human-compatible, alternative tissue sources for treatment of human degenerative diseases. Revivicor was formed in 2003 as a spin-out of PPL Therapeutics, the company that produced the first cloned animal Dolly the sheep. ICSD funded the company from its inception until its sale in RheoGene, a gene therapy-related investment of ICSD and a Pennsylvania-based company, established a number of gene- and cell-therapy collaborations with researchers and clinicians at UPMC's McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, and the University of Pittsburgh. It was later successfully merged with Intrexon, where its RheoSwitch Therapeutic System remains an integral piece of Intrexon s portfolio. ICSD and the University of Pittsburgh have also played critical roles in a Pittsburgh-based startup, BodyMedia. UPMC has provided funding since its inception in 2003, and the University of Pittsburgh has published several clinical trials using its technology platform as recently as July UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh remain actively involved in the company, which University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 14

15 has experienced continued success over the past several years and is recognized as the market leader in body monitoring devices. BodyMedia was acquired by Jawbone Corporation in Through its National Institutes of Health-funded Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), Pitt is working with UPMC to bolster participation in clinical research trials by developing an institutional registry of potential clinical trial participants. The Research Participant Registry is a database of individuals who are willing to participate in clinical research at the University of Pittsburgh and/or UPMC plus an ongoing list of current studies being conducted by Pitt/UPMC. The goals of the voluntary registry are to provide community members and patients in the UPMC network opportunities to receive educational materials about clinical research and to get their permission to be contacted for study recruitment. Through the UPMC electronic health record, the registry matches patients who express interest in taking part in clinical studies with a list of current trials being conducted through the University and UPMC. The CTSI registry leverages not only UPMC s reach (more than 4.5 million outpatient visits and more than 220,000 inpatient admissions and observation cases a year) but also its investment of more than $500 million in an interoperable, long-term electronic health record system. The Research Participant Registry is also available to patients who do not receive their care at a UPMC site, although these sites cannot provide the same level of electronic matching as UPMC sites. As of July 1, 2013, the registry had enrolled more than 48,000 people, including nearly 4,000 children. Pitt-Carnegie Mellon University Collaborations The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) collaborate on research and the development of licensable products resulting from that research. The two universities continue to improve and streamline data-sharing capabilities through the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC). Established by Pitt, CMU, and the Westinghouse Electric Company in 1986, PSC houses some of the most powerful resources currently available for highperformance computing, communications, data handling, and data storage. At Pitt, nextgeneration DNA sequencing, proteomics, and other computing-intensive investigations related to congenital heart defects, cancer, infectious agents, and other diseases benefit greatly from this collaboration. Examples of Pitt-CMU collaborations include the Center for Excellence in Autism Research, the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, and the National Science Foundationfunded Quality of Life Technology Center. The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine s clinical partner, UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), also collaborates with CMU. As part of its mission to advance health care information technology, UPMC s new Technology Development Center (TDC) has awarded grants worth $550,000 to five innovative research projects at CMU. The proposals, covering such areas as chronic care management and streaming-data analytics, are part of the TDC s Healthcare Technology Innovation (HTI) grants. The $1 million initiative has already attracted more than 25 proposals from cross-disciplinary research teams at CMU. Several biomedical education programs are jointly administered by Pitt and CMU. In addition to the joint Pitt-CMU programs in computational and systems biology and molecular biophysics University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 15

16 and structural biology, the collaboration includes the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). MSTP was established in 1983 to offer exceptionally talented individuals the opportunity to undertake a physician-scientist training program tailored to their specific research interests. Funded partly by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the MSTP serves as a bridge between the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and several graduate programs in basic sciences or engineering at either the University of Pittsburgh or Carnegie Mellon University. Interdisciplinary endeavors within and between Pitt and CMU have given rise to world-class facilities where MSTP students can pursue their research interests. Another collaborative biomedical training program is the Multimodal Neuroimaging Training Program (MNTP), a short-term program of study within the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition. The NIH-funded, joint Pitt-CMU program was developed so that neuroscience students and investigators can learn about and gain experience in the rapidly advancing in vivo imaging fields. The MNTP teaches underlying principles of current neuroimaging methods, as well as their inherent limitations, applications, and modeling for integrative research. Methodologies include structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, positron emission tomography, magnetoencephalography, and optical imaging. To fulfill these aims, MNTP has developed two programs: The Graduate Training Program in Neuroimaging, administered through the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC) Graduate Program, and the MNTP Summer Workshop. Pitt-RAND Collaboration The RAND-University of Pittsburgh Health Institute (RUPHI) is a formal collaboration between RAND Health, a division of the RAND Corporation, and the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences. RUPHI s primary goal is to build a collaborative, interdisciplinary health services research enterprise focused on addressing important local and national health care problems. The collaboration encompasses shared activities in research, education, and training, with a particular focus on creating and broadening synergies in women s health, behavioral health, patient safety, translation of new knowledge into evidence-based practice, comparative effectiveness research, patient-centered outcomes research and global health. RUPHI staff currently includes 99 faculty from the University of Pittsburgh and 46 health researchers and staff from the RAND Pittsburgh office, including two faculty members with joint appointments at the University of Pittsburgh and RAND. To date, RAND and University of Pittsburgh investigators have conducted more than 50 collaborative research projects, supported by over $126,000,000 in external funding. Beginning in fall 2006, RUPHI instituted a pilot grant program designed to forge productive working relationships among junior and senior investigators at both RAND and the University of Pittsburgh that would lead to more substantial externally funded RUPHI grant applications. To date, RUPHI and its co-sponsors have issued 23 pilot grant awards ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 each in varied areas of research, including: translating research into practice (with Pitt s Clinical and Translational Science Institute [CTSI]), women s health (with Magee- Womens Research Institute), mental health (with Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic), University of Pittsburgh Research Development Report Page 16