UCLA Tech Transfer Summer Internship Program - 2009   [APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED: 02/01/09 - 04/18/09]

The UCLA Technology Transfer Summer Internship Program was launched in 2005 by the Office of Intellectual Property (OIP) to provide UCLA students an opportunity to learn about technology commercialization in the academic environment.

The Program introduces students to the business-side of transferring UCLA inventions from the lab to the marketplace. Paid, summer internships enable students to combine their science background with training and experience in the field of academic technology transfer - a complex business of technology valuation, patenting, marketing, licensing, and policy.

Working with UCLA's technology licensing managers, summer interns focus on screening and evaluating technology disclosures to help determine the invention's commercialization potential. Interns are mentored through assigned tasks related to:

• technology assessment,
• developing patenting strategies,
• marketing UCLA technologies,
• writing non-confidential summaries,
• introduction to licensing and negotiating practices,
• monitoring technology development, and
• technology transfer policy.

INTERNSHIP AVAILABILITY
Summer, 2009 - up to 3 positions (part/full time) available

STIPEND
Summer positions are paid internships.

QUALIFICATIONS

• UCLA Student actively pursuing a graduate level science degree; MBA; or JD
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• U.S. Citizen or permanent resident

HOW TO APPLY!

Opportunities During the Academic Year (UCLA student volunteers only; non-paid internships)

Marketing UCLA Inventions

• (2) UCLA grad/PhD/MBA students
  Tasks: write non-confidential tech descriptions; analyze technology attributes; market research
  Status:
  Life Sciences—(1 position OPEN - Winter/Spring Quarter '09)
  Engineering/Physical Sciences—(1 position OPEN - Winter/Spring Quarter '09)
  project url: n/a
  
  
• (1) undergrad student (life sciences)
  Task: market research
  Status: (FILLED; more information)
  
  

Patent Prosecution

• (1) Law student
  Status: (not available at this time)
  project url: n/a

Technology Licensing/Case agreements

• (1) undergrad student
  Task: administrative/filing
  Status: (FILLED)
  project url: n/a

UCLA Faculty Expertise Database

• (1) undergrad student
  Task: UCLA web searching and data entry
  Status: (OPEN - volunteer)
  project url: www.research.ucla.edu/faculty

Graphics Design

• (1) undergrad student
  Task: design Brochures/Marketing Collateral/Web
  Status: (not available at this time)
  project url: n/a

Science/Business Reporting and Press Relations

• (1) student
  Task: writer - feature articles
  Status: (not available at this time)
  
  

 

Exploring a Career in Technology Transfer

Technology Transfer is the business of "transferring" inventions from the research lab to the marketplace. An organization's office of technology transfer is typically comprised of professionals who manage inventions, prosecute patents, market new technologies, negotiate and manage several types of agreements, facilitate startups, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and corporate sponsors of research.

Most research universities, federal labs, and mid-to-large sized companies (with r&d budgets) have some sort of tech-transfer or intellectual property management program in place.

At UCLA, technology transfer is handled by the Office of Intellectual Property (OIP).

Tech-transfer is a fascinating nexus where science and business merge within an organization.

Articles/Resources

Below are selected links (not affiliated with UCLA) to articles and resources one may find of interest when considering a career in technology transfer:

• Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) http://www.autm.net/
  AUTM is a nonprofit association with membership of more than 3,200 technology managers and business executives who manage intellectual property-one of the most active growth sectors of the U.S. economy. AUTM's members represent over 300 universities, research institutions, teaching hospitals and a similar number of companies and government organizations.
  
  
• Articles
  [Full Article] Postdoc Opportunities: Transitioning to Tech Transfer
  [Full Article] Technology Transfer: At the Crossroad of Business and Science
  
  [Full Article] At the Interface: Tech Transfer Specialists
  [Full Article] Commercializing Technology in Canada
  [Full Article] Technology Transfer: Licensing Intellectual Property from Universities to Industry
  [Full Article] Chasing the Rainbow: A venture capitalist on the trail of university-based companies

Selected Magazines/Newsletters/Reports

"UCLAInvents - Driving Innovation to Market"
- Current issue (online soon)
- 2007 (inaugural issue) [pdf]

"FLC Newslink" is the Federal Lab Consortium (FLC) newsletter highlighting technology transfer news from US federal labs. Current issue:
http://www.federallabs.org/newslink/

UCSD's technology transfer newsletter: "TechTIPS."

Tech Transfer Tactics (newsletter)

HOW TO APPLY - UCLA TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER INTERNSHIP SUMMER 2009 PROGRAM

Submit:

• Resume or CV,
• Statement explaining why you are interested in a technology transfer internship, and
• Writing sample:  Write a marketing "executive summary" for any technology described recently in a published scientific paper. The goal of the "executive summary" is to highlight - in non-technical terms - the technology's applications and unique problem-solving benefits from a commercialization perspective. You may use UCLA's "executive summary" format as an example, http://www.research.ucla.edu/tech/ucla07-192.htm. Also, please reference (or provide a link to) the original paper used for this writing sample. In the business of technology transfer, the marketing "executive summary" is used primarily to inform potential company licensees about a new technology licensing opportunity; encourage follow-up for additional technical or licensing information; and describe the technology without providing "enabling" details which may impact patent prosecution.

By Email:

Attn: Summer 2009 Technology Transfer Internship Program
Bob Nidever
Marketing Manager
UCLA Office of Intellectual Property
bnidever@research.ucla.edu

Or, by US Mail:

Attn: Summer Internship Program
Bob Nidever
Marketing Manager
UCLA Office of Intellectual Property
11000 Kinross Avenue, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90095

HOW TO APPLY - ACADEMIC YEAR OPPORTUNITIES (UCLA students only)

For more information about current or future non-summer technology transfer internship opportunities at UCLA, please send your statement of interest, and résumé or Bio to:

Bob Nidever
Marketing Manager
UCLA Office of Intellectual Property
11000 Kinross Avenue, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90095
email:  bnidever@research.ucla.edu
fax:  310-794-0638