The Secretary shall appoint a Technology Transfer Coordinator to be the principal advisor to the Secretary on all matters relating to technology transfer and commercialization.
The Coordinator shall be an individual who, by reason of professional background and experience, is specially qualified to advise the Secretary on matters pertaining to technology transfer at the Department.
The Coordinator shall oversee—
(1) the activities of the Technology Transfer Working Group established under subsection (d);
(2) the expenditure of funds allocated for technology transfer within the Department;
(3) the activities of each technology partnership ombudsman appointed under section 7261c of this title; and
(4) efforts to engage private sector entities, including venture capital companies.
The Secretary shall establish a Technology Transfer Working Group, which shall consist of representatives of the National Laboratories and single-purpose research facilities, to—
(1) coordinate technology transfer activities occurring at National Laboratories and single-purpose research facilities;
(2) exchange information about technology transfer practices, including alternative approaches to resolution of disputes involving intellectual property rights and other technology transfer matters; and
(3) develop and disseminate to the public and prospective technology partners information about opportunities and procedures for technology transfer with the Department, including opportunities and procedures related to alternative approaches to resolution of disputes involving intellectual property rights and other technology transfer matters.
The Secretary shall establish an Energy Technology Commercialization Fund, using 0.9 percent of the amount made available to the Department for applied energy research, development, demonstration, and commercial application for each fiscal year based on future planned activities and the amount of the appropriations for the fiscal year, to be used to provide matching funds with private partners to promote promising energy technologies for commercial purposes.
Nothing in this section affects the technology transfer responsibilities of Federal employees under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).
The Secretary shall permit the directors of the National Laboratories to use funds authorized to support technology transfer within the Department to carry out early stage and precommercial technology demonstration activities to remove technology barriers that limit private sector interest and demonstrate potential commercial applications of any research and technologies arising from National Laboratory activities.
Not later than 180 days after August 8, 2005, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a technology transfer execution plan.
(1) In general Not later than 180 days after August 8, 2005, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a technology transfer execution plan.
(2) Updates Each year after the submission of the plan under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit to Congress an updated execution plan and reports that describe progress toward meeting goals set forth in the execution plan and the funds expended under subsection (e).
(Pub. L. 109–58, title X, § 1001, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 926; Pub. L. 113–291, div. C, title XXXI, § 3144, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3902; Pub. L. 115–246, title I, § 102, Sept. 28, 2018, 132 Stat. 3131.)
