The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Technology Transfer Program (TTP) conducts audits of at least one affiliate university per region each fiscal year, working with the Office of Business Oversight to perform the reviews. The goal of the audit is a reconciliation of records for both the VA and the university to ensure all inventions, patent activities, and license activities are accounted for. Often, the working relationship between VA TTP and the university tech transfer office improves following an audit, which has allowed for increased invention disclosures and agreement processing.
For example, an audit of the University of Miami uncovered 15 previously unreported invention disclosures and 2 intellectual property agreements. Following this review, they have developed a stronger understanding of their relationship with the VA and have been extremely prompt in providing their annual report to VA TTP. As audits continue in FY24, VA TTP anticipates further strengthening of its relationship with affiliate universities, allowing for more streamlined handling of jointly owned intellectual property.
Promoting Partnerships To Improve Veterans’ Health