Released: August 28, 2020
(WASHINGTON, DC) Government-led projects focused on a broad range of technologies—from viral vaccines to planet-friendly fuel solutions— will be honored with Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) National Awards on Aug. 31 at 2:40 p.m. at the FLC’s National Meeting, which will be virtual. Reporters are welcome to attend.
The FLC’s members represent 300 research labs, agencies, and research centers nationwide, creating partnerships to shepherd technologies out of government labs and into the marketplace, where they improve the economy, society, and national security—a collaborative process called technology transfer (T2).
The FLC’s annual National Awards recognize laboratories and their employees who have excelled in this mission.
“These award winners are the best of the best, both in terms of developing new technologies and in terms of forging the partnerships—with universities, businesses, or state and local governments—that are needed to bring those technologies to the public, where they can have a life-changing impact,” said Paul Zielinski, Executive Director of the FLC.
The winners represent six federal agencies. See the full list of winners below, with links to descriptions of the winning projects. The full awards collection can be viewed here.
EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AWARD: Honors outstanding work by federal labs in collaborating with industry, academia, or other labs to bring technologies from the lab to the marketplace.
Department of Agriculture
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Agricultural Research Service
“Treating wastewater gets cleaner and cheaper”
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Agricultural Research Service
“ARS irrigation system could pay off in billions”
Department of Defense
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US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center
“T2 broadens use of Army decontaminant powder” -
Air Force Research Laboratory 711th Human Performance Wing
“Emergency system cuts communications chaos”
Department of Energy
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Argonne National Laboratory
“Pressure control enhances hydrogen refueling”
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
“LLNL foam plug reinvents vascular intervention”
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory
“Recycling expands access to rare earth metals”
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory
“ORNL’s ultrasonic technology redefines drying”
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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
“DOE labs pack Suitcase with energy solutions”
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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
“Sensors track impact of power plants on wildlife”
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Sandia National Laboratories
“T2 deal aims to solve medical isotope shortage”
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Sandia National Laboratories
“Sandia science fuels first zero-emission ferry”
Department of Health and Human Services
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
“Assay for global surveillance of drug-resistant HIV-1”
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National Cancer Institute
“NCI’s personalized cancer therapy offers hope”
INTERAGENCY PARTNERSHIP AWARD: Recognizes agency and/or laboratory employees from at least two different agencies who have collaboratively accomplished outstanding work in transferring a technology from lab to market. There is typically only one award per year in this category.
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Food and Drug Administration
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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National Institutes of Health
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US Department of Agriculture
“Genomic Network helps fight foodborne illnesses”
STATE AND LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD: Celebrates technology-focused partnerships between federal labs and state or local economic development groups that have had a positive impact.
Department of Defense
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US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center
“DefTech T2 center targets Maryland businesses”
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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NASA Johnson Space Center
“NASA technology boosts Brownsville economy”
IMPACT AWARD: Honors federal labs whose technology commercialization efforts have made a tangible and lasting impact on society or the marketplace. This award category is new for 2020.
Department of Commerce
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NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research/Earth System Research Laboratory/Global Systems Division
“NOAA expands reach of Science On a Sphere”
Department of Defense
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Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
“USU work helps control Hendra, Nipah viruses”
Department of Energy
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory
“Catalyst swaps CO2 for ethanol and cleaner air”
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Sandia National Laboratories
“Home test helps keep male infertility private”
Department of Health and Human Services
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Food and Drug Administration
“FDA mobile app promotes focus on patients”
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER INNOVATION AWARD: Recognizes the successful use of innovative or unconventional approaches, such as in-house competitions, to significantly increase the lab’s technology transfer partnerships and results. This was another new category for 2020.
Department of Agriculture
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Agricultural Research Service
“ARS Innovation Fund awards millions for T2”
Department of Defense
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Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport
“Navy event champions two-way tech transfer”
Department of Energy
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Oak Ridge National Laboratory
“ORNL scientists compete for T2 opportunities”
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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
“Exploratory license allows industry test drives”
Department of Health and Human Services
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National Cancer Institute
“NCI’s T2 training benefits lab and postdocs”
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS AWARD: Given to a lab that has successfully commercialized a technology associated with that year’s featured initiative. This year’s Technology Focus is on autonomous systems, such as robots or drones, that can function on their own with minimal human interaction.
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Agricultural Research Service
“CRADAs drive sensor-based irrigation solution”
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD: Honors one federal laboratory employee who has demonstrated outstanding work in the past year despite being relatively new to the technology transfer profession.
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Jack L. Owsley III: One ORTA, many successes
Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate
OUTSTANDING TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROFESSIONAL AWARD: Recognizes outstanding work by one seasoned technology transfer professional.
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Jason Martinez: Getting creative with CRADAs
Sandia National Laboratories
LABORATORY DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD: Given to a federal laboratory director, who is typically not a technology transfer professional, for his or her notable support of the lab’s technology commercialization efforts.
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Dr. Paul Kearns: Prepared for impact
Argonne National Laboratory
HAROLD METCALF AWARD FOR FLC SERVICE: Celebrates one federal laboratory employee who has provided significant service over time to the FLC as an organization.
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Dr. Robert Griesbach: A career of connections
USDA Agricultural Research Service
About the FLC
The Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) is a formally chartered, nationwide network of more than 300 federal laboratories, agencies, and research centers that foster commercialization best practice strategies and opportunities for accelerating federal technologies from out of the labs and into the marketplace. To learn more, visit www.federallabs.org.
Reporters interested in attending the awards should contact the FLC’s media team for access instruction. The full schedule of the meeting can be found here.
Media contact:
Jordana Bieze Foster
FLC Marketing Manager
Phone: (617) 501-4597
email: [email protected]
Originally published at https://federallabs.org/about/media/flc-press-releases/flc-awards-recognize-federal-laboratories-for-success-in-bringing-technologies-to-the-public
