Department of Defense (DoD) Technology Transfer, Transition and Commercial Partnerships

Background

Technology transfer and transition (T3) is vital to the Department's mission of developing new technologies and promoting technology commercialization as the U.S. military seeks to maintain its technological advantage. DoD T3 efforts help ensure the Nation's investment supporting innovative research is transferred from defense laboratories to the American people.

Policy for and oversight over T3 is managed through the Science & Technology Futures Office, which also convenes the Laboratory Quality Enhancement Program panel on Technology Transfer (LQEP-T2). The cooperative partnership between S&T Foundations and Futures and the LQEP-T2 panel members help to shape the future of T3 for the Department.

 

Call for Nominations for the

2025 George F. Linsteadt Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer

Monday, June 23, 2025!

2025 Nominations

Call for Nominations for the 2025 Department of Defense George F. Linsteadt Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer Now Open through 5:00pm EDT on Monday, June 26, 2025! The award will be announced at the annual DoD Technology Transfer and Transition Workshop (T3W) in November 2025.

 

Read here about our 2024 Winner.

The George F. Linsteadt Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer is named after Mr. George F. Linsteadt, a pioneer and champion of the Department of Defense Technology Transfer and Transition (DoD T3) program for laboratories in over 240 labs and research facilities worldwide to include, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Defense Health Agency (DHA), and specialized agencies such as the National Security Agency.

 

The recipient of the award embodies the vision and spirit of Linsteadt and other forward-thinking DoD T3 professionals who pioneered technology transfer and strive to find innovative ways to use T3 in support of the DoD and its warfighting missions. The Linsteadt Award honors those individuals and teams who continue to move the field forward.

 

Technology transfer is the intentional sharing of knowledge, expertise, facilities, equipment, and other resources that benefit the DoD and private sector. Technology transfer is thus vital to the Department’s mission of developing new technologies and promoting technology commercialization as the U.S. military seeks to maintain its technological advantage. DoD T2 efforts also help ensure the Nation’s investment in innovative research is transferred from defense laboratories to the American people. Whereas technology transition is the use of technology in military systems which can occur in multiple ways: a) integrating technology into a DoD capability by starting a new program or program improvement plan, implementing new software on an existing system, or implementing a follow-on technology maturation program; b) fielding a new capability; c) transferring a technology from DoD into use in industry; or d) transferring a technology from DoD into use at another government agency

 

Through this annual award, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science & Technology (OAST(S&T)) recognizes DoD technology transfer and transition (T3) professionals who embody the vision and spirit of Mr. Linsteadt and his proactive legacy in the shaping of the DoD’s T3 community, and highlights initiatives that have had a significant impact on the DoD T3 program. OASD(S&T) continues their tradition of championing research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military’s technological advantage, and this award is part of that tradition. The award recipients have performed extraordinary work to transfer technology developed in the defense laboratories in collaboration with partners in the public and private sectors.

Contact

For more information about DoD T3, visit https://rt.cto.mil/rtl-labs/tech-transfer

For more information and to apply, please email: osd.pentagon.ousd-r-e.mbx.dod-dlo-t2@mail.mil.

Purpose

The purpose of this award is to recognize technology transfer professionals—individuals or teams—and their specific achievements in the T3 community within the last six (6) fiscal years. The award is not intended to be a career award but is meant to recognize and celebrate a T3 success or innovation. Appreciation of these successes and innovations advances recognition of individuals’ service in the technology transfer community, increases understanding and appreciation of technology transfer, and helps to increase the activities and impact of technology transfer.

In DoD, technology transfer is defined as the intentional sharing of knowledge, expertise, facilities, equipment, and other resources that benefit the DOD and/or non-DOD entities (DODI 5535.08). It includes:

  • Spin-off activities demonstrating the commercial viability of DoD-developed technologies including those that result in spin-on back to DoD as part of a contractor-delivered DoD system
  • Spin-in activities demonstrating the national security utility of technologies developed outside DoD
  • Dual-use science and technology that develops technologies having both defense and non-defense applications

Eligibility Criteria

  1. Nominees must be Military or DoD employees directly responsible for technology transfer or technology transfer process improvements, working as a technology transfer professional, technologist, legal expert, etc. Nominees may be T3 professionals, managers, technologists, principal investigators, legal counsel, and others whose primary function is to promote and perform duties related to DoD technology transfer. Contractor(s) may be a part of the nominees’ team.
  2. The nominated achievement activity must have taken place within the previous six (6) fiscal years (FY).
  3. The award-winning individual or team is not eligible for consecutive year awards.
  4. The award-winning individual or team must be eligible to attend the upcoming DoD Technology Transfer and Transition (T3W) Workshop.

Award Criteria

  1. The nominated individual or team was responsible for the technology transfer activity, or played a significant role in supporting the activity, or improving processes associated with said activity. T3 activities feature application of one or more of the tools of T3, such as Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA), Partnership Intermediary Agreements (PIA), Education Partnership Agreements (EPA), Patent and License Agreements (PLA), Software License Agreements, or other T3 mechanisms.

2. The activity was a cooperative effort with participants in at least two (2) of the following categories:

a. Laboratory where the invention originated

b. Any DoD Component

c. Other Federal Agencies or Departments

d. State or local government entities

e. Colleges or universities

f. Non-profit entities

g. Commercial entities

h. Individual inventors

3. As a result of the effort/initiative, the T3 activity has or will bring significant tangible benefits to:

a. The originating laboratory or Component

b. The DoD

c. Other Federal, State, or local government organizations

d. The private sector

4. The nominee or nominated team demonstrated exceptional forethought, creativity and initiative with regard to possible innovative applications during the technology transfer process.

5. The nominated individual or team demonstrated outstanding teamwork and interpersonal skills with all members involved in the process (i.e., technical persons, lab management, partners and legal staff).

For questions and for more information, contact the DoD T3 Program Office.

Previous Winners

2024 Award, Barry Datlof, Defense Health Agency (DHA)
2023 Award, Antisa Webb, Army Corp of Engineers Research and Development Center
2022 Award, Alan Jaeger and Mark B. Thompson, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD)
2021 Award, James Kearns, Air Force Research Laboratory
2020 Award, Linda Burger, Karen Pressley and Kiana Williams, National Security Agency
2019 Award, Bob Charles, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command
2018 Award, Jenna Dix, Annie Bullock, Brook Pyne and Kelly Stephens, NSWC Crane
2017 Award, Dottie Vincent, Office of Naval Research

Contact Us:

Feel free to email the DoD T2 program office at osd.pentagon.ousd-r-e.mbx.dod-dlo-t2@mail.mil with any questions.