Despite significant federal funding for research, patent filing and prosecution costs are not treated as allowable direct costs on many federal research awards, creating a barrier for academic inventors, institutions, and ultimately the translation of federally funded research into products and companies. The Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200.448) draws a line between allowable and unallowable patent-related costs. In theory, certain patent costs tied to filing and prosecuting a United States patent can be allowable where the Federal award requires that title or a royalty-free license be conveyed to the Federal Government, while all other patent-related costs are unallowable. In practice, few federal awards include this requirement; thus, many academic inventors rely on institutional funds, indirect cost recoveries, or licensing revenue, which can delay or prevent timely patent filings. To open up and accelerate academic innovation, we propose allowing patenting costs as optional direct expenses in federal grant budgets, similar to funds applied to publication fees. This would empower researchers as they must consider patenting during the planning stage as an avenue to protect their research-derived IP. It would benefit institutional reputation by advancing commercialization and licensing, which in turn enhances local economies. Lastly, it can strengthen the ability of U.S. institutions to secure and manage patent rights in federally supported inventions and to license those rights in ways consistent with Bayh-Dole's public-interest structure. Additionally, enabling patenting as a direct cost can protect U.S. innovation and invention from third-party control and strengthen its global standing in science and technology.
Investigate the efficacy of clinical interventions with an adolescent athlete presenting with chondromalacia caused by overuse injury and a medical history of bipartite patella with focus on a phased physical therapy protocol. After diagnosis, the subject was advised to undergo therapeutic rest with an orthosis. After this 2-week period, the subject began a 7.5-week physical therapy protocol. This protocol included equipment such as resistance bands, balance boards, and agility ladders, targeting specific muscle groups, including the quadriceps femoris and hamstring muscles. Patient outcomes included manual muscle testing (MMT), range of motion (ROM), the 11-item numeric rating scale for pain (NRS-11), and additional clinical assessments were also conducted to determine treatment efficacy, including NSAID medication cessation. Return to sport was the primary goal and outcome. Following treatment, the patient's median MMT scores were 5/5 bilaterally. This was increased (p < 0.05) compared to the 4/5 involved-side MMT scores. Further, involved-side knee flexion improved from 136 degrees to 157 degrees, and was able to reach terminal knee extension. Initially, the subjects' NRS-11 pain score was a 9/10 and concluded with 0 to 2/10. Notably, the subject's right-sided antalgic gait was dispelled, and he returned to play. The use of appropriate interventions and physical therapy in an adolescent baseball player diagnosed with chondromalacia and bipartite patella produced notable positive outcomes and successful return to play.
It is important to note that the panel summarized in this article took place in 2023, at a time when the academic and scientific research enterprise still operated under conditions that now seem notably distant. The discussions captured a moment of stability and optimism preceding the disruptions and uncertainties that emerged in 2025. In light of the profound and ongoing impacts of those events, the panel's insights serve as both a record of pre-2025 assumptions and priorities and a point of comparison for understanding how deeply the research landscape has since been transformed. A coherent national innovation policy that leverages the strategic role of universities is critical in today's competitive global landscape. Universities are central players in the innovation ecosystem, contributing significantly to basic research and forming the bedrock of many groundbreaking discoveries. They provide essential infrastructure, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and produce a highly skilled workforce that drives scientific advancement and regional economic development. Recent shifts in federal funding have emphasized high-risk, high-reward research designed to accelerate breakthrough innovations. Initiatives such as the Build Back Better Regional Challenge and emerging regional innovation engines promote a more dynamic model that supports speculative research and deeper collaboration among universities, industry, and government. At the same time, the global R&D landscape has shifted, with the United States facing growing competition from countries such as China. This pressure underscores the importance of sustaining a pipeline of domestic and global talent. Addressing immigration barriers and falling foreign student enrollment remains essential to sustaining innovation nationwide.
Prosthesis utilization after lower extremity amputations may supplement functionality and users' health. The interface between the residual limb and the prosthetic socket can lead to skin problems due to heat, moisture, friction, and pressure. U.S. veterans, prone to amputation and skin disorders due to service-related injury or other comorbidities, represent a high-risk group. This study sought to characterize skin conditions in U.S. military veterans with lower-extremity amputations. A retrospective cohort study analyzed records from the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital. Inclusion criteria for this study included a lower-extremity amputation and prior prosthesis-related therapy. Exclusion criteria included an inability to use prostheses. Statistical analyses, including Chi-Square Goodness of Fit and point-biserial correlations, were used to examine associations and trends. Of the 488 participants and 2406 records, 27.4% and 17.6%, respectively, reported skin problems during clinic visits, which was significantly lower than previously reported results. Participants with unilateral foot amputations demonstrated a statistically higher frequency of skin problems compared to those with more proximal amputations. Veterans' skin issue rates were lower than hypothesized, possibly attributed to multidisciplinary care. Unilateral foot amputations experienced more skin problems, likely due to diabetes and vascular disease. The study emphasizes the value of multidisciplinary care in reducing skin complications and underscores the need for proactive skin management after amputation. Future research should examine factors associated with prosthesis utilization and the outcomes of multidisciplinary, integrated care models.
Difficult or insufficient upper limb pre-prosthetic training has been identified as a primary reason underlying low user acceptance and prosthesis abandonment; however, training for myoelectric prostheses is limited. A novel, game-based training paradigm was recently reported, and included a wireless wearable electromyography band, a series of mobile prosthetic training games, and a provider web portal. Mobile games were designed to target various aspects of prosthesis control, including: basic dual-site muscle activation; sequencing; proportional control and isolation; 3-D movement control; along with myoelectric signals and visualizations to users. The current study aims to compare game-based training to conventional training using functional metrics such as prosthesis use, return to work, and quality of life in upper limb amputees. Seven subjects consented and participated in the study. Game scores, which correlate directly with successful completion of muscle activations, co-contractions, isolations, and 3D movement controls, increased over the course of the training, with the greatest increases associated with basic muscle activations and 3-D movement control. Additional secondary outcomes are discussed including measures of dexterity, activity, device satisfaction, quality of life, training satisfaction, and device metrics. The study indicates the utility of novel training paradigms in myoelectric prosthetic users.
Following lower limb amputation (LLA), prosthesis users' ability to maintain skin health is critical to optimal function. Problematic scars and fibrosis of the skin often lead to decreased prosthesis use and may require surgery, resulting in recurrence of sensitive skin areas and problematic scars. Non-surgical approaches and interventional procedures, such as massage, injections, prosthesis modifications, and activity-based therapies, are also used, though outcomes vary depending on clinician expertise, treatment type, and patient adherence. Overall, existing scar management strategies lack consistent effectiveness. Fractionated ablative CO2 laser therapy, a proven treatment for burn survivors and limb-salvage patients, has been shown to reduce pain and improve scar pliability, appearance, and overall function. We present the methodology for a pilot study to evaluate laser therapy for prosthesis users following LLA complicated by scarring to evaluate the impact on comfort, mobility, and quality of life. Findings will help shape the design and execution of future clinical trials. We hypothesize that laser therapy will lead to meaningful improvements in pain, comfort, mobility, and quality of life, while demonstrating feasibility in both recruitment and data collection. Furthermore, we anticipate that this high-impact, rapidly translatable intervention may restore function and expand the role of dermatologic care in the interdisciplinary management of lower limb prosthesis users. Study objectives include: 1) assessing the feasibility of recruiting lower limb prosthesis users; 2) delivering standardized laser therapy; 3) collecting patient-reported, performance-based, and dermatologic outcomes; 4) and ensuring robust coordination and data fidelity across study sites.
The initiative Cap-And-Trade (CAT) aims to set limits on the maximum amount of emission for each entity and annually reduce the capped amount by some margin. Under CAT, emitters must hold carbon credit allowances for every ton of greenhouse gas they emit. Once allowances expended, they must purchase or trade, at a market-established price, carbon credits from those entities that have a surplus credit. As the most widely accepted international program in support of the environment, CAT exhibits several inherent limitations stemming from the lack of standardized global adaptation. Fortuitously, many of the impending limitations can be mitigated by using blockchain technology, which, as a Peer-to-Peer system, incorporates decentralization, increased privacy, consensus mechanisms instead of mutual trust, and smart contracts. We propose a blockchain-based carbon credit trading architecture that formalizes the role of producers, regulators, and market participants, and outlines the lifecycle of credits, from its inception to trading and eventual burning. Without a centralized authority that may be prone to regional bias, a global peer-to-peer exchange system will facilitate universal participation. With the earth battling a historical rate of adverse climate conditions and certain industries like transportation and animal farming, bearing some responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions, our system enables the emitters to become proactive participants in the mitigation of climate change. The proposed design improves transparency, reduces the risk of double counting, and lowers transaction and compliance frictions, thereby enabling standardized cross-border transactions on a tamper-resistant and auditable infrastructure.
WE-REACH# is an NIH-designated national Research, Evaluation, and Commercialization Hub (REACH) based at the University of Washington. It is a private-public partnership leveraging contributions from community domain experts to create an integrated framework that trains and supports academic inventors in translating their research innovations into impactful commercial health products. In six years, WE-REACH has trained 564 individuals including students, post-docs, staff members, and professors in entrepreneurial strategies focused on identifying market gaps, crafting commercial value propositions, and developing innovative approaches to address challenges in the product development journey. This effort began through curated public training sessions that engaged the broader Pacific Northwest region. Some participants from these sessions went on to assemble project teams that received substantial funding, support, and mentorship from WE-REACH, enabling them to advance product innovations in therapeutics, medical and diagnostic devices, and research tools. WE-REACH fostered a collaborative environment supporting 25 funded projects involving more than 169 participants. To date, WE-REACH support to academic investors has led to 1 FDA-approved product, 10 spinout companies, $1.14 M in SBIR/STTR funding, $41 M in venture capital funding, and $19.8 M in foundation and federal funding. In total, WE-REACH projects led by academic inventors have secured $61.9 M in follow-on funding stemming from $3.8 M project funding, yielding a return on investment of 19.8x. The WE-REACH structure and case studies presented may serve as a model blueprint for other hubs seeking to empower academic inventors in the commercialization of health innovations. The WE-REACH team is pleased to share these outcomes and insights.
Arizona's three public research universities-Arizona State University (1885), the University of Arizona (1885), and Northern Arizona University (1899)-were founded during a similar era of state investment in higher education but have evolved into institutions with distinct and complementary roles within Arizona's innovation ecosystem. Developed through the Bridging Innovation initiative and informed by the author's role as a 2025 Invention Ambassador for the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), this study provides a data-driven, policy-oriented evaluation of how these universities contribute to the state's research commercialization and economic development landscape. Drawing on AUTM-reported data, we present an integrated comparison of research expenditures, invention disclosures, patent output, licensing activity, startup formation, and royalty generation across the three institutions. In the 2024 NAI Top 100 rankings, Arizona State University placed sixth nationally with 180 utility patents, while the University of Arizona ranked twenty-third with 96 patents, underscoring Arizona's growing national presence in innovation metrics. Our analysis reveals differentiated institutional strategies: ASU demonstrates strong momentum in early-stage invention activity and patent generation; UA exhibits strengths in translating research into measurable economic and societal impact; and NAU contributes focused, regionally aligned innovation capacity. Collectively, these complementary models strengthen Arizona's statewide innovation performance. By clarifying institutional roles and benchmarking outcomes, this study provides an evidence-based foundation for coordinated, high-impact policy strategies that enhance technology transfer, entrepreneurship, and long-term economic competitiveness.
Social network analysis offers a unique perspective for research on crowd-empowered open innovation. Despite the abundant literature on crowd-based knowledge collaboration, it remains unclear how and to what extent crowd members' knowledge sharing dynamics are influenced by their other online activities when participating in collective knowledge collaboration. This paper offers an innovative approach to evaluating how crowd-empowered knowledge collaboration can be influenced by crowd members' different types of social network configurations when they respond to open innovation challenges in such areas as healthcare, technological invention, environmental sustainability, and social equity. Analyzing the behavioral networks of 3844 online open innovation participants, we conducted a series of QAP correlation and regression tests that demonstrate significant network-network relationships when participants are involved in visiting, following, and knowledge sharing activities. Our findings suggest that open innovation participants deliberately construct knowledge sharing networks based on their previous communicative actions rather than doing it blindly. Our examination of network-network relations contributes to the scholarship of open innovation and social network analysis by providing insights for the development of theoretical frameworks that incorporate network-level constructs to better explain the complexities of collaborative open innovation.
Osteoarthritis is common in the sound limb of persons with a transfemoral amputation (TFA) due to gait abnormalities and increased load on the knee when ambulating with or without a prosthesis. Commonly, a sound-limb total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is required to decrease pain and improve physical function. This case report discusses physical functional outcomes in a person with a TFA following sound limb TKA as measured by the Continuous-Scale Physical Functional Performance Test 10 (CS-PFP 10). A patient with a right TFA underwent a left TKA to improve functional performance. The purpose of this case was to quantify functional changes measured by the CS-PFP 10 at one week pre-TKA and one, three, six, twelve, and eighteen months post-TKA. Skilled standard care physical therapy was immediately implemented post-TKA, which included therapeutic interventions and electrotherapeutic modalities. Additionally, a whole-body high-intensity strengthening program was introduced at eighteen weeks post-operative (post-op) as an adjunct to return the patient to his prior level of function as a CrossFit (R) athlete. All five CS-PFP 10 domains demonstrated continuous improvement, while the rate of perceived exertion decreased. At one week post-op, the patient's CS-PFP 10 score indicated an increased likelihood of functional dependence. However, by eighteen months, the patient achieved a total CS-PFP 10 score in the 75 to 90 range, indicating independent function likely. The CS-PFP 10 is a valid instrument to measure improvement in activities of daily living (ADL) in specified functional domains and overall function. Following this patient post-operatively through rehabilitation, the CS-PFP 10 revealed objective improvements demonstrating that sound limb total joint arthroplasty and physical therapy can greatly improve function. These interventions are a viable course of treatment in the presence of contralateral functional impairment in patients with TFA. The CS-PFP 10 is a valid instrument to accurately measure improvements in ADLs in specified functional domains and overall function in the patient population with a TFA following sound limb TKA.
Academic technology transfer is the process of conveying discoveries made by a university's research enterprise to the marketplace and to wider society for economic and societal benefit and positive social impact. Technology transfer, and the professionals who make it happen, change the world one discovery at a time. Technology transfer professionals nourish the innovation ecosystem by guiding innovation management, facilitating corporate engagement, efficiently protecting and licensing inventions to companies, creating and incubating new companies, and driving economic development. This panel focused on the value, role, and impact of innovation and invention in university culture and the strengths, challenges, and best practices of academic invention and industry engagement, i.e., innovating academic technology transfer for a strong economy and sustainable future.
This descriptive qualitative study aimed to introduce the Foot-Eye Coordination Measurement Device (Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property, Patent No. SA12990), emphasizing its significance in measuring and evaluating foot-eye coordination skills across various occupations. The study involved participants from diverse fields: helicopter piloting, surgery, heavy equipment operation, cycling, and football. Through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, three themes emerged: the importance of foot-eye coordination in different job settings, the benefits of the measurement device, and the expectations surrounding its implementation. There were subthemes as well. The findings underscored the crucial role of foot-eye coordination in the participants' professions and highlighted the potential of the new patent to facilitate its measurement and evaluation. The study also suggested directions for further research, including testing and validating the device, assessing its effectiveness in skill measurement, and developing targeted training programs based on assessment outcomes.
Team diversity-the inclusion of gender and racial minorities-in invention and innovation has been the focus of several studies, suggesting the powerful influence it could have if achieved; however, age can be a forgotten facet of diversity. By relaying the story of Archie A. Silver, this editorial commentary explores the influence age has on invention and innovation. A pediatric psychiatrist with over 50 years of foundational knowledge, Silver was part of a team that patented mecamylamine for clinical use when he was 83 years old. The accumulation of knowledge over decades by the older inventor pairs successfully with the ingenuity of younger inventing team members, as illustrated in the story of Archie A. Silver.
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) held the Twelfth Annual Meeting of the NAI in Washington, DC, in June 2023. The theme of this year's conference was "Diversifying Innovation for a Strong Economy and a Sustainable Future," and attendees enjoyed keynote presentations and panel discussions focused on how we might diversify the invention ecosystem and promote inclusion and sustainability as well as induction ceremonies for Senior Members and new Fellows. President of the NAI, Paul R. Sanberg, used his State of the Academy address to celebrate the academy's achievements during the year, to honor the distinguished body of inventors who make up the academy's members, and to share the vision for the NAI's future efforts to increase invention and innovation; create pathways of participation for underrepresented inventors; and grow, measure, and celebrate the impact of its members.
Academic and individual inventors face many challenges in asserting their patent rights. Not only are patent litigations very costly and not normally affordable by those who are not affiliated with corporations, but the courts in the US and other Western countries are more inclined to side with corporations rather than small businesses or academic inventors. Some of the challenges that the author, who is an academic inventor, had faced in asserting her patent rights were previously described. Those challenges ended in one US patent getting reissued, and the most economically viable embodiment of another US patent was "dedicated to the public" by the US courts. The courts can easily manipulate the outcomes of patent litigations in favor of corporations and against individual inventors. This article shows how court manipulations can affect patent litigations in the UK and the US.
