The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Enterprise Technology Transfer (ETT) system has been selected as a GOVTECH CONNECTS’s Digital Health Transformation Award Recipient.

The Digital Health Transformation Award recognizes Federal and Military Health IT programs that are harnessing the power of emerging technologies to advance their missions and spotlight the dedicated teams behind this groundbreaking work.

NIH partnered with Publicis Sapient to create the ETT system, a Herculean effort that involved migrating nine unique technology transfer systems into one unified platform. This ambitious project required exceptional leadership to align the 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs), each of which had grown comfortable with their legacy systems. The project team led extensive data mapping, ensuring the functionality of each IC's customized processes within the new system. 

The ETT system revolutionized technology transfer at NIH by automating processes and centralizing data, eliminating duplicative work, and enhancing transparency across the ICs. Unlike most cloud-based systems, ETT operates securely behind the NIH firewall, ensuring robust data protection while maintaining compliance with security and policy guidelines—a strategic decision that required significant upfront effort but provides long-term security benefits.

ETT’s cloud-based architecture offers scalability and agility, streamlining tasks like filing patents, marketing technologies, and managing agreements. This infrastructure ensures the system's resilience and adaptability, enabling seamless operations even during high demand or technological changes. By simplifying workflows and reducing administrative burdens, ETT enhances engagement with NIH's licensees and collaborators, allowing the TTOs to focus on fostering innovation.

ETT also provides a comprehensive database, offering detailed history and performance for each organization that has previously done business with NIH Tech Transfer. This transparency and accountability empower NIH to manage research, patents, and financial resources more effectively, promoting innovation in biomedical research. Through its forward-thinking design and strategic use of emerging technologies, ETT has transformed how NIH manages technology transfer, overcoming challenges and setting a new standard for efficiency and security.

By engaging with stakeholders at every level, the project team built trust, convinced skeptics, and ultimately delivered a system that revolutionized how NIH manages technology transfer, setting a new benchmark for efficiency, transparency, and security in biomedical research.

Honorees will be formally recognized at the Digital Health Summit ‘24 taking place on Wednesday, October 30, 2024. This event brings together leaders and innovators from across government and industry to celebrate transformative achievements in health IT.