Department of Defense (DoD) Technology Transfer (T2)

Background

Technology transfer (T2) 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 T2 efforts help ensure the Nation’s investment supporting innovative research is transferred from defense laboratories to the American people.

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

2024 George F. Linsteadt Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer

 

George F. Linsteadt Award Background

The George F. Linsteadt Award recognizes DoD professionals for extraordinary accomplishments in transferring technology developed in the 350 defense laboratories and research facilities operated by the Air Force, Army, Navy, Defense Health Agency, and specialized agencies such as the National Security Agency, in collaboration with partners in the public and private sectors. The recipient of this award embodies the vision and spirit of Mr. George F. Linsteadt, a pioneer and champion of the DoD Technology Transfer (T2) program, and other forward-thinking DoD T2 professionals who find innovative ways to use T2 in support of the Department and its warfighting missions.

 

T2 is the intentional sharing of knowledge, expertise, facilities, equipment, and other resources to the benefit of DoD and the private sector. It 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 that the nation’s investment in innovative research is transferred from defense laboratories to the American people.

 

Through this annual award, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OASD(R&E)) highlights initiatives that have had a significant impact on the DoD T2 program and honors individuals and teams who have proactively shaped the DoD T2 community, continuing Mr. Linsteadt’s legacy. The award is an important element of OASD(R&E)’s tradition of championing research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation.

 

For more information about DoD T2, visit: https://rt.cto.mil/rtl-labs/tech-transfer

2024 Nominations

Call for Nominations for the 2024 Department of Defense George F. Linsteadt Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer is open from Monday, April 8, 2023, through 5:00pm EDT on Tuesday, May 28, 2024! The award will be announced in October 2024.

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 T2 professionals—individuals or teams—and their specific achievements 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 T2 success or innovation. Highlighting these successes and innovations raises awareness of individuals’ service in the T2 community, increases understanding and appreciation of T2, and extends its reach and impact by inspiring more T2 activities.

 

In DoD, T2 is the intentional sharing of knowledge, expertise, facilities, equipment, and other resources to the benefit of DoD and/or non-DoD entities (per Department of Defense Instruction 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 T2 or T2 process improvements. Nominees may be T2 professionals, managers, technologists, principal investigators, legal counsels, and others whose primary function is to promote and perform duties related to DoD T2. Contractor(s) may be part of a nominee’s team.
  2. The nominated achievement activity must have taken place within the previous six (6) fiscal years.
  3. The award-winning individual or team is not eligible for consecutive annual awards.
  4. The award-winning individual or team must be eligible to attend the upcoming DoD Technology Transfer Training Workshop

Award Criteria:

1. The nominated individual or team must have been responsible for the T2 activity or played a significant role in supporting the activity or improving processes associated with said activity. T2 activities feature application of one or more of the tools of T2, such as cooperative research and development agreements, partnership intermediary agreements, education partnership agreements, patent and license agreements, software license agreements, or other T2 mechanisms.

2. The activity must have been 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 T2 activity must have brought, or will bring, significant tangible benefits to:

a. The originating laboratory or Component

b. DoD

c. Other Federal, State, or local government organizations

d. The private sector

4. The nominee or nominated team must have demonstrated exceptional forethought, creativity, and initiative with regard to possible innovative applications during the T2 process.

5. The nominated individual or team must have 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 T2CP Program Office.

2023 Award Winner: Ms. Antisa Webb, Chief, Office of Research and Technology Transfer, Engineer Research and Development Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Previous Winners

2022 Award: Alan Jaeger, Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme, and Mark Thompson, Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme

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, Naval Surface Warfare Center 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.