Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Announces Entrepreneur in Residence Program
October 29, 2007
Moving technology out of the laboratory and into the marketplace is one of EERE's major hurdles, and one of its biggest priorities. Assistant Secretary Alexander Karsner created a Commercialization Team in 2006 to work on accelerating this process. Now this effort is moving to the next level.
The Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) Program will bring venture capital-sponsored entrepreneurs into three of DOE's National Laboratories to help commercialize new clean energy technologies. The EIRs will identify technologies that will contribute to DOE's mission to promote America's energy security through reliable, clean, and affordable energy, then work to bring them to the market.
Once promising candidates for commercialization are identified, entrepreneurs will assess the technologies, evaluate market opportunities, formulate preliminary business cases, and propose business structures for start-up enterprises. They will also recommend policy and business practice modifications to the National Laboratories, helping refine their approaches to moving technology into the commercial sector.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will be the first DOE laboratories to host one entrepreneur in residence. DOE will provide up to $300,000 in funding to support this initiative.
How to Apply
See the Funding Opportunity Announcement on Grants.gov. Applications are due December 21, 2007.
EIRs are expected to sign a non-disclosure agreement to facilitate full access to lab personnel, inventions, and data. After a technology is identified, the EIR would then be granted a 180-day first right of refusal to license the identified technologies. To streamline the intellectual property negotiation, the solicitation includes a standard equity-share license agreement.
For more information, see the Entrepreneur in Residence listing on the EERE Financial Opportunities Web site.
