Kilmer Innovation Bill Passes Out of Committee
Yesterday, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee passed the TRANSFER Act, a bi-partisan piece of legislation co-sponsored by Representative Derek Kilmer that would help spur America’s competitiveness and create new jobs by helping innovators and entrepreneurs commercialize their ideas.
Representative Kilmer, along with Representative Chris Collins (R-NY) championed this legislation through the Science, Space, and Technology Committee with the support of Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) for a final, unanimous passage.
The TRANSFER Act builds on an existing grant program for institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and Federal laboratories to help identify commercially-viable federally-funded research and to facilitate and accelerate their transfer into the marketplace.
“To remain competitive in the 21st century, we need to step up our game and look for ways to facilitate innovation by giving our universities, entrepreneurs, and small businesses the tools to grow ideas into commercial products,” said Representative Derek Kilmer. “Passing the TRANSFER Act will help stimulate the growth of new ideas, new investments, and new small businesses.”
"We are pleased to see Representatives Kilmer and Collins come together on this important issue and introduce the TRANSFER Act," said Linden Rhoads, Vice Provost for the Center for Commercialization at the University of Washington. "The funding provided through this bill will help universities like UW address major challenges presented by the funding gap - or ‘valley of death' - as our researchers attempt to move early stage technologies and discoveries from the lab to the marketplace."
Anson Fatland, Associate Vice President of Economic Development and External Affairs, WSU said, “We, at Washington State University, are very appreciative of the efforts of Congressman Kilmer to support the commercialization of innovative research and development done at WSU, which ultimately translates into economic benefit when done right. The proof-of-concept and technology maturation funding programs proposed by the TRANSFER Act are just what institutions of higher education, federal laboratories, and other non-profit entities, as well as the small business community, need for partnering and leveraging their limited resources to bring innovations into market place.”
The bill has received letters of support of the American Council on Education, the American Energy Innovation Council, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Association of American Universities, the Association of Independent Research Institutes, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Association of University Technology Managers, Battelle, SRI International, SSTI, the University City Science Center, and Ben Franklin Technology Partners.