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Joseph P. Allen, Executive Director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition, will present the 2021 Birch Bayh Virtual Lecture October 19. The event will begin at 4 p.m.

Allen will discuss how the Bayh-Dole Act was created, the incredible story of its enactment in 1980, and its impact here and throughout the world. Before Bayh-Dole, federal funding was the kiss of death to commercializing break through inventions. Government policy was to take inventions which received even a small percentage of their support, making them available to any and all. While well meaning, this policy removed any incentives for creators to undertake the extensive time and money needed to turn early-stage discoveries into useful products. As a result, more than 28,000 government-supported inventions were gathering dust on the shelves before Bayh-Dole.

Because of the efforts of Senators Birch Bayh and Robert Dole, this practice came to an end, renewing America’s leadership in innovation. Even though they were from opposite ends of the political spectrum, Bayh and Dole overcame incredible odds to get their legislation enacted and changed the course of history.  

Allen served on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for Senator Bayh securing passage of the Bayh-Dole Act, which fostered research and development partnerships between universities and U.S. industry. After that, he became Executive Director of Intellectual Property Owners, Inc., where he worked to create the Court of the Federal Circuit before going to the U.S. Department of Commerce where he became the Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization. He was instrumental in the passage of major laws allowing U.S. industry to perform joint research and development with federal laboratories. Allen’s office oversaw Executive branch implementation of the Bayh-Dole and Federal Technology Transfer Acts and related presidential policy directives. He also served as President of the National Technology Transfer Center established by Congress to promote industry/federal laboratory research and development partnerships. In 2008 he founded Allen and Associates a consulting firm specializing in technology management/IP issues.

The lecture carries with it 1.0 hour of Indiana distance education, pending approval. To learn more and register, visit the IU McKinney website.