NIH’s Steven Ferguson will be speaking at the Licensing Executives Society (LES) upcoming virtual seminar titled Industry, Universities, and Government – How to Work Together Through Contracts. This seminar will take place on June 25, 2024 from 10am-1pm EST. 

“The interface between institutions doing this basic research and the industries that turn that research into commercial products can feel like a minefield.  Both parties enter agreement negotiations with constraints that may not be apparent to the other.  In this course we discuss many of those constraints, both legal and cultural. We will discuss types of collaborative agreements, highlighting terms that are difficult to negotiate, and ways to compromise to move the collaboration forward.  The instructors, from research institutions and industry, will share perspectives and examples of how they were able to negotiate agreements that gave both sides a win.” 

One of the instructors is Steven Ferguson, Special advisor at the NIH Office of Technology Transfer. Prior to joining NIH Office of Technology Transfer in 1990, Mr. Ferguson served in marketing and management positions in biomedical firms subsequent to being a scientist at the National Cancer Institute. His healthcare experience has also included work as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for a rural 70-bed hospital. Registered to practice before the USPTO and a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP), Mr. Ferguson also holds Master's Degrees in Business Administration (George Washington University) and Chemistry (University of Cincinnati) as well as Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry (Case Western Reserve University). Mr. Ferguson has been an economic reviewer for Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) as well as the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) grant programs and is an instructor for both the USDA Graduate School and the NIH FAES Graduate School where he is also the department chair for the new Certificate in Technology Transfer Program. Mr. Ferguson was also the Susan T. and Charles E. Harris Visiting Lecturer at the Watson School of Biological Sciences at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and has published articles on licensing and technology transfer issues.

Further information on pricing, registration, and other instructors can be found on the LES website.