How a National Lab Could Help Your Business

Starting a new business or developing a new technology is full of challenges. Lack of funding, resources, lab space, and time can be roadblocks that may sometimes seem insurmountable. However, there are resources out there to help innovative ideas and technologies achieve market impact—and one of those resources is the U.S. national laboratories.

The 18 national labs—17 funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and 1 by the National Cancer Institute—serve as leading institutions for scientific innovation, addressing today’s most urgent challenges from climate change to cancer. Together, the national labs represent one of the largest scientific research systems in the world, and they have a long history of working across the government, academia, industry, and nonprofit research community on scientific research and technology development efforts.

Partnering with a National Lab

Businesses large and small can partner with national labs through a variety of mechanisms. The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), for example, offers a range of contractual agreement options, including contractor Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (cCRADAs), which enable FNLCR researchers to work with partners on research projects and explore new technology development, and Technical Services Agreements, which offer unique services that are not commercially available. These collaborations cover a range of services and solutions, varying in cost and scope to enable million dollar agreements as well as $40 agreements. National labs cannot profit from collaborative work, so collaborations with national labs represent an exceptional value for their partners, especially considering the distinguished researchers at the national labs.

Fostering collaborations is an important part of the national labs’ mission to drive scientific research and innovation. At the FNLCR, there is an entire office, the Partnership Development Office, dedicated to fostering and enabling these collaborations. By working with collaborators, the FNLCR can further accelerate progress against cancer and AIDS.

Technology Transfer Options

In addition, national labs offer options for technology transfer, enabling companies to license the lab’s innovative intellectual property. Through tech transfer, companies gain access to thoroughly researched technologies at reasonable prices. One of the key purposes of the national labs is to turn basic science into innovation that can benefit the country. For this benefit to be realized, these innovations need to be accessible to the public. Hence, the national labs are eager for companies to commercialize their inventions. Collectively, hundreds of patented technologies, ranging from medical diagnostic tools to corrosion-protecting metal coatings, are available from the national labs—meaning your company could be the one to commercialize them!

Other Opportunities

National labs also offer a host of other benefits and resources, including educational and networking workshops; internship, fellowships, and training opportunities; contracting opportunities; and community outreach activities. National labs can also serve as partners for companies applying for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants. There are numerous ways to engage the national labs.

Finding a National Lab

To making sifting through the labs’ many unique capabilities and offerings simpler, the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC) developed FLC Business, an online business resource tool. FLC Business is a comprehensive database specifically designed to facilitate technology transfer and collaboration with the national labs. It lists thousands of ready-to-license technologies, information about each lab’s facilities and programs, funding opportunities, and contact information. It is an easy, one-stop shop of information on all the federal laboratories.

So, find a national lab, and see how it can help you with your business!

Learn more about the U.S. Department of Energy national labs here.

Learn more about the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research here.