Cultivating Tomorrow's Technology Today

The National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) views technology transfer as a unique opportunity to expedite the transfer of its research results to academia, other government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector in keeping with the NIH mission of improving public health around the world. Federal legislation, including the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 and the subsequent National Technology Transfer Advancement Act of 1996, empowers the Institute to interact directly with the above entities by offering its leading-edge technology for further development and commercialization.

Basic research conducted by the Institute's tenured doctoral level scientists and postdoctoral fellows has resulted in the development of many innovative technologies related to heart, lung, and blood scientific areas of expertise, including: molecular immunology, genetic therapy, biochemical genetics, cell biology and metabolism, magnetic resonance imaging, medical devices, and clinical research (e.g. aplastic anemia, sickle cell disease, leukemia, and cardiovascular disease). The NHLBI Office of Technology Transfer and Development (OTTAD) is responsible for the negotiation of legal agreements to facilitate collaborative efforts with outside parties. Such legal agreements include, for example, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs), Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), and Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs). For more information on establishing these types of collaborative research agreements or pursuing licensing opportunities on NHLBI technologies, please contact OTTAD.