Category Archives: Sponsored Research

Was Bayh-Dole based on a misconception?

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Gerald Barnett

In an article published in 2013, Sean O’Connor argues that Bayh-Dole is the descendant of what he calls “the Biddle Report,” produced in 1947 by Assistant Attorney General John F. Sonnett (with final editing done by David Lloyd Kreeger) in … Continue reading →

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The new university zombie IP policies

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Gerald Barnett

Migitating Private Business Use In a recent on-line article, Peter H. Serreze at Ropes & Gray, discusses private business use. The article offers strategies to mitigate the effect of the 5% limit on private business use (PBU) for the proceeds … Continue reading →

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The Dag Wagging the Dog, Part 1

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Gerald Barnett

I have previously discussed Rev Proc 2007-47 and its forerunner Rev Proc 97-14. These “revenue procedures” set out an explanation by the Internal Revenue Service of how the research use of facilities financed with tax-free bonds could result in a determination … Continue reading →

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You Make the Call–NIH Version

Posted on October 19, 2014 by Gerald Barnett

It’s time for you to test your reading ability with that of the aces at the NIH. Let’s see how well you can do! Here is NIH guidance on Bayh-Dole compliance for awardees of NIH grants: The Bayh-Dole Act includes … Continue reading →

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Time for Research Policy–and Rhetoric–to Change

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Gerald Barnett

Over at Remaking the University, Christopher Newfield has a new essay about higher education policy. It is well worth the read. Newfield’s primary focus is the lack of policy movement in university administrations, despite chronic lack of funding–“permausterity,” as he calls … Continue reading →

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The basic researcher as poet-maker

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Gerald Barnett

In 1953, the NSF in its third annual report publishes a discussion of basic research. In its opening paragraph, the NSF associates scientific creativity with that of “poet or painter”: A worker in basic scientific research is motivated by a … Continue reading →

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Is more and more research spending the answer?

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Gerald Barnett

Battelle is out with a new study forecasting “Global R&D Funding” for 2014.  The report covers countries and various areas of research such as biotech and energy.  The findings are rather bland–the US will spend $465 billion next year on … Continue reading →

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Federal Sweep and Swamp Policy

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Gerald Barnett

The US government proposes spending $1b on innovation in manufacturing. If one likes government spending on such things, this sounds like a really good thing. Here is a link to the NNMI homepage overview.  The preliminary design document for the … Continue reading →

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The loneliness of the tail gunner

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Gerald Barnett

A while back I wrote about Vannever Bush’s distinction between institutions based on confidence and ones based on fear and related this distinction to institutional patent policies. In a rather different context, Richard Lindzen of MIT takes up other problems … Continue reading →

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Unpacking the Code of Silence

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Gerald Barnett

Inside Higher Education has run a story on the AAUP Freedom to Innovate initiative, quoting a number of people who think it’s a good idea.  And it is!  But there is one person who thinks compulsory university ownership of faculty … Continue reading →

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