Strategies to Close the Gender Gap in Invention and Technology Commercialization

The commercialization of innovations created at universities is a key driver of economic growth in the U.S., contributing $1.3 trillion to the U.S. economy and creating as many as 4.2 million jobs from 1996 to 2015 (1). Protection of the intellectual property (IP) created at universities through patenting is key to enabling this commercialization. As stewards of the IP generated largely through taxpayer funding, university technology transfer offices (TTOs) must create processes and foster a culture that fully engages the university's entire talent pool. Current data indicate that female faculty are less engaged in every area of technology commercialization than male faculty. This paper proposes practical approaches that university TTOs can implement to address the gender gap in invention and technology commercialization.