Interns as Force Multipliers and Difference Makers for TTOs

Topics discussed include:

• How to develop a training program that benefits trainees and simultaneously increases work productivity for your office
• Unique components of each program that can be adapted in your office
• Compensation and oversight of interns
• Appropriate roles – and some not-so-appropriate
• Metrics for success with intern programs
• How to measure the organization-wide impact of a successful program
• Internship programs as a training ground for future staff
• Criteria for students/postdocs to apply, and how to determine a good fit

If you view your interns as just a set of extra hands to help handle a busy workload, you’re selling yourself, your interns, and your TTO short.

A well-oiled intern program is more than just extra help — it can actually have a huge impact on your TTO’s productivity and overall performance. Whether they’re assisting with disclosure screenings, IP searches, or market research, interns have the potential to save the TTO time and money while providing the intern with valuable work experience. But to make internship programs work best, it takes a lot more than just getting warm bodies behind a desk.

When internship programs are properly structured and managed, they can free up the professionals in your office to handle the really critical work and boost team productivity – ultimately allowing more deals to get done. On the flip side, poorly constructed and managed programs can simply get in the way and waste time for your staff and the intern – leaving everyone dissatisfied.

We’ve teamed up with panel of experts from Stanford, Columbia, NCI/NIH, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to share the details of their standout internship programs, and help you ensure your own program – and your interns – are getting maximum benefit. We’ll review each organization’s unique structure, management practices, and tech transfer intern training programs, including innovative approaches to training that emerged from the pandemic.

Our diverse group of panelists are ready to share their knowledge and their real-world experience and lessons learned — so you can put their best practices into play right away, while avoiding key mistakes and problems.

Program Leaders