About Us
Description
Purpose
Activities
Accomplishments
Current Financial Support & Resource Needs
Description
Technology Managers for Global Health (TMGH)—formed in 2003 as a Special Interest Group within the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)—serves as an educational forum to promote professional development and networking for technology transfer professionals interested in advancing global health causes.
Purpose
- To enhance academic research translation and technology transfer practices, professional development, and networking in a way that advances global health causes (e.g., inventions management, patent licensing practices, negotiation and partnering approaches, business development strategies); and,
- To gather and feature case studies and inspiring “human interest” stories around the work of everyday professionals and everyday scientists engaged in research translation and technology transfer – all of whom are working in their own unique ways to promote global health causes.
Activities
- Discuss public policy perspectives, IP management challenges and other relevant emerging topics in the context of global public health and equity.
- Propose dialogues to effectively (i) Heighten awareness and understanding of, and sensitization to global health issues, (ii) Feature ongoing global health efforts and initiatives; (iii) Examine new mechanisms for universities to engage in and promote global health partnerships, and (iv) Understand potential roles for university professionals in capacity-building in developing countries.
- Build new linkages and interact with other organizations; and gather case studies and “human interest” stories to feature, and thereby, enhance understanding and visibility of the work of technology managers.
Accomplishments
TMGH annual meetings are held in conjunction with the AUTM annual conference. Each TMGH annual meeting has garnered over 40 attendees and enthusiastic responses. The inaugural meeting was held at AUTM 2004 (San Antonio); and subsequent meetings were at AUTM 2005 (Phoenix); AUTM 2006 (Orlando); and AUTM 2007 (San Francisco).
The first phase of TMGH activities was undertaken in partnership with MIHR, a nonprofit headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom. The TMGH-MIHR collaboration was supported with grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and focused on early awareness-raising and curriculum development for academic technology managers in the US and Canada to more effectively:
- Manage inventions and technologies that address treatments for "neglected diseases" and other afflictions widely prevalent among the poorer populations in low and middle income countries, and
- Compile, discuss and develop standard language in license agreements between universities and companies in higher-income countries which may ensure more widespread development of, or access to, inventions that have both a developing world and "first world" market.
TMGH has also reached out to a number of other diverse constituencies to raise awareness for academic technology transfer-related efforts in the global health arena.
- Organized 12 workshops/panels at major conferences including those of AUTM, Licensing Executive Society, BIO (BIOVentures for Global Health), CDC-BioSouth Tech Forum, Global Health Council, and ACCT (Alliance for Commercialization of Canadian Technology).
- Participated in AUTM’s efforts with the Better World Project
- Designed, produced, and distributed 2 booklets (May 2005; August 2006) to AUTM members and others.
- Conducted global health-tech transfer survey and reported results in an article in the AUTM Journal.
- Speaking engagements at numerous venues: technology transfer offices, public forums, law schools, other professional networking meetings of the IEEE, and Rotary Club.
Current Financial Support & Resource Needs
To provide continued support to TMGH, its founder Usha Balakrishnan adopted TMGH as an ongoing program of CARTHA, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization she founded in September 2006. To support these efforts or to provide feedback, please contact Usha.
The information provided on this site is still a work-in-progress and is undertaken mostly by TMGH volunteers. So, it is not meant to be comprehensive by any means. We realize that this informational resource will need to be added to, and updated frequently. We welcome suggestions for additional inclusions and edits.
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