Technology Development and Transfer

Prospective licensees must complete the application for a patent or copyright license. Information provided by Y‑12 and the prospective licensee in this document is used for discussion purposes only; it does not constitute an offer or proposal by either party. Portions of the information provided in the application are protected by Y‑12 as business sensitive in accordance with legend printed on those pages.

From this information, the Office of Technology Transfer will propose a set of terms and conditions for licensing. Upon agreement on the basic terms and conditions of the license, the Office of Technology Transfer drafts the formal license agreement.

Upon approval of that document by the licensee, both parties execute the agreement.

All of Pantex's patent and copyright licenses require four types of payments:

1. An up-front fee payable at the time of execution of the license.
2. Reimbursement of patent costs.
3. A “running royalty” payable periodically based upon product sales.
4. A “minimum annual” royalty, which is offset by running royalties if the running royalties meet or exceed the stipulated annual minimum.

The actual amounts of these fees are negotiable based primarily upon the fair market value of the technology, the degree of exclusivity granted, and commitments to commercialization made by the applicant.

After the license agreement is in place, Pantex makes every effort to support the licensee's commercialization of the technology. Developmental support can be provided on a cost recovery basis under Strategic Partnership Project agreements or Cooperative Research and Development Agreements.

In addition, subject to the same constraints, employee researchers are permitted to consult with the licensee on their own time. All such arrangements are of course subject to any conflict of interest restrictions, the availability of the necessary resources, and the preemptive needs of DOE.

CRADAs allow for collaborative R&D on problems of mutual interest. Under a CRADA, PXD and the partner may share scope responsibilities and cost (in-kind funds) or the partner may pay PXD for PXD expertise and execution (funds-in). The partner may negotiate exclusive commercial rights (or share in the rights if mutually developed) to license intellectual property covered under the CRADA. Click here to learn more about CRADAs.

SPPs allow PXD to conduct paid work for partners, such as solving problems, making prototypes, conducting product evaluations, or developing and implementing solutions.

University partnerships allow university faculty and students to collaborate with PXD researchers, enhancing PXD's ability to solve complex problems. PXD values these long-term, mutually beneficial alliances with university institutions whose existing research capabilities directly align with our mission.

University partnerships provide research and development opportunities for university faculty, students, and recent graduates, including Joint Assignment Agreements, internships/co-ops, graduate assistantships, and postdoctoral fellowships. These positions promote vibrant research efforts within unique scopes of work, strengthening and accelerating PXD technology development.

Texas Tech University, and Texas A&M University have received the distinction of Key University Partners, demonstrating expertise in aligned research interests, strength in academic and research disciplines, successful working relationships with university faculty and administration, and extensive programmatic and research interactions supporting key PXD initiatives.

Contact us to learn more about PXD University Partnerships.

JAAs allow for the formal exchange of personnel, helping both organizations to accomplish long-term technology, business, and research goals.

The commercial rights to PXD-developed technologies may be licensed to private sector partners for sale, use, and/or other benefit to the licensee.

A bailment agreement is a formal technology transfer mechanism that allows for the temporary transfer of government property to support collaborative R&D opportunities.

An MOU is a nonbinding agreement between PXD and the partner that summarizes areas of mutual interest and potential cooperative efforts.