About the Technology Transfer Office

Key points

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Technology Transfer Office (TTO) partners with industry, academia, non-profits, and other government agencies to transfer CDC's research portfolio into products and services to improve public health.

A CDC scientist implements molecular testing to test for different types of polio. CDC PHIL photo: James Gathany.

What we do

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Technology Transfer Office (TTO) partners with industry, academia, non-profits, and other government agencies to transfer CDC’s research portfolio into products and services to improve public health. TTO and our NIH partners evaluate, protect, market, license, monitor, and manage the wide range of CDC’s scientific discoveries. The team provides an array of services to support technology transfer activities: negotiating collaborative agreements in accordance with Federal statutes and regulations, reviewing employee invention reports, making recommendations concerning the filing of domestic and foreign patent applications and working closely with inventors and outside parties to facilitate commercialization efforts for public health benefit.

Definition: Technology transfer‎

Technology transfer involves sharing CDC-developed knowledge and technologies with non-federal organizations, such as businesses and non-profits. This helps turn CDC innovations into practical products that enhance public health. The aim is to partner with those who can develop these inventions into usable solutions.

Goals

Our goal is to support CDC's mission by facilitating the development and transition of CDC innovations into products. These products aim to benefit the health of Americans and people around the world.

Our work

Benefits

  • Advances for public health
  • Opportunity for global impact
  • Permissions to use Federal IP, scientific knowledge, and research materials
  • Partnering with a Federal laboratory and a variety of agreement options
  • Prospects for developing and commercializing new products and services
  • Economic development
  • Return on taxpayer investment
  • Potential to further CDC innovation and scientific research

Services

  • Licensing (both patented and non-patented technologies)
  • Research collaborations
  • Intellectual property (IP) management
  • Material transfers
  • Confidential disclosure agreements

CDC's technologies include diagnostics assays, early therapeutics, vaccine candidates, research tools such as biological materials and isolates, devices, software, and occupational safety and health products. Technologies developed by CDC scientists and engineers have been licensed to commercial partners in many parts of the world.

Contact us for research collaboration and licensing opportunities at TTO@CDC.gov.