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options available for technology commercialization. Reach Out
In every one of these programs, conscientious atten- Most TTOs rely on faculty to recognize that they
tion should be paid to gender-specific perceptions have created an invention with commercial poten-
and motivations. Applying concepts developed for tial. While this passive approach certainly reaches a
encouraging women across the university community certain subset of inventors, in the face of a well-doc-
may also lead to benefits for other under-represented umented tendency for female faculty to undervalue
participants in technology commercialization. their intellectual contributions—and by extension,
A handful of innovative computer science pro- the value of their intellectual property—it is essential
grams have demonstrated that by implementing for university TTOs to set up proactive outreach
curriculum changes, such as offering introductory programs to solicit invention disclosures. These
coding courses for individuals with no prior expo- outreach programs do not have to specifically focus
sure, focusing on team-oriented class projects, and on women; the result should be engagement with a
emphasizing leadership as a desired student trait, more diverse set of faculty who have previously not
they can achieve gender parity for enrollment in involved themselves in technology commercializa-
this typically male-dominated field (13). We propose tion. Some suggestions include:
that similar modifications in the technology transfer
setting can demystify the process of patenting and • Create a system of automatic prompts for a
technology commercialization, unlocking the inno- technology licensing officer to reach out pro-
vative potential of a historically under-represented actively to all faculty who are awarded a
group of university researchers. research grant above a certain dollar thresh-
old who are not actively engaged in technology
Document the Extent of the Gender Gap in commercialization activities. These meetings
Technology Commercialization at Your University can introduce the individual to the services of
TTOs are generally meticulous in collecting data the TTO and discuss how their research prod-
on their invention disclosure, patenting, licensing, ucts may fit with the marketplace
and start-up activities in order to provide reports to • Quantify the number of outreach events ini-
the Association of Technology Managers (AUTM) on tiated by technology licensing officers and
their annual activity. However, AUTM currently does assess the resulting invention disclosures
not require that this data be broken down by gender, from faculty members who have not previously
so most TTOs are simply not tracking it. We were engaged with the TTO, with the target of
surprised by the level of the gender gap in patenting increasing engagement
at our own university, and we anticipate that other
universities may have the same experience. Having • Highlight women innovators who have suc-
this data will allow the TTO leadership to communi- cessfully brought their technologies to market.
cate to their campus community and stakeholders the Invite presentations, networking events, and
need to take action and permit them to benchmark other programs that focus on all stages of the
the impact of programs designed to address this gap. commercialization process. Again, these events
The impact of publication of gender statis- need not be “women only,” but proactive out-
tics by the TTO is likely to have multiple results. reach should encourage attendance by women
Understanding the response to initiatives in addition faculty
to patent application support can help tailor the pre- Demystify the Process
sentation of the initiatives so that they appeal to both
genders. Gender discrepancies may also encourage To address the lack of understanding of the various
the TTOs to be more thoughtful about how they routes for technology commercialization, TTOs can
conduct business, especially in areas like metrics for provide access to expertise and relevant role models.
evaluating commercial potential of an invention or Stories and examples should be presented to faculty
entrepreneurship opportunities. that promote the concept that technology commer-
cialization is not an activity that is inconsistent with