“With policy, you have to think long-game. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

The policy landscape is continuously evolving; every day there is a new government action taking place that influences technology transfer on university campuses. As a technology transfer professional, staying on top of those changes will help you facilitate far-reaching impact. 

Today’s guest, Kate Hudson, is the Associate Vice President and Counsel for Policy and Federal Relations at the Association of American Universities. Her experience in intellectual property, technology transfer, open and public access, data privacy, and copyright issues make her a powerhouse in the policy advocacy arena. 

In this episode, Kate shares the importance of understanding that policy advocacy is a long game, why traditional technology transfer metrics don’t paint the full picture of the impact of the innovation ecosystem, her advice for building strong relationships with policy-makers, her worries about the US IP system, and how to “get visible” in the policy space! 

In This Episode:

[00:55] Introducing Kate Hudson, Associate Vice President and Counsel for Policy and Federal Relations at the Association of American Universities.

[02:31] Examples of the many ways that policy decisions influence technology transfer on university campuses. 

[04:20] How Kate stays on top of the daily changes that are taking place at a policy level.   

[05:38] The mindset that is required for technology transfer offices to collaborate effectively with research and government relations departments. 

[06:36] Advice for building strong relationships with policy-makers. 

[09:15] The importance of looking beyond traditional technology transfer metrics at the broader impact on the economy as a whole. 

[12:47] How (and why) to combat the decentralization culture on American university campuses as a technology transfer professional. 

[17:29] An overview of the current political landscape and how it affects the technology transfer space. 

[22:12] The benefits of being a generalist, like Kate, working in the technology transfer field. 

[25:08] Kate’s involvement in educating congresspeople about the Bayh-Dole Act and march-in rights. 

[30:54] The concerning state of the US IP system. 

[36:09] How to stay up to date on ever-evolving policy developments.

[39:30] The three pillars of the innovation ecosystem and the importance of policy advocacy in ensuring these pillars maintain their strengths.

[43:20] Why you should be loud about your work in the policy space! 

Resources:

Kate Hudson on LinkedIn

Association of American Universities

National Academy of Inventors