The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wants to make it easier for grantees and contractors to report on Federally-funded technological inventions through updating the Interagency Edison System (iEdison).
In a Jan. 13 press release, the agency explained that updating tools like iEdison should accelerate the lab to market transition for new tech. The 25-year-old platform is used by 35 Federal agencies to receive Bayh-Dole Act reports from outside organizations.
“A modern iEdison system is critically important to efficiency in research administration and reporting of inventions that ultimately create value for society and the economy,” Walter G. Copan, director of NIST, explained.
In 2016, the US. National Academies recommended that the Department of Commerce take over the modernization of iEdison from the National Institutes of Health. NIST is taking a three-pronged approach to updating the iEdison: modernize the system to improve user experience; improve functionality; and increase security to protect sensitive business information.
“Effectively modernizing the system to create a secure, interoperable platform that is easy to access, analyze and use should reduce administrative burdens for awardees, facilitate compliance and protect the public investment in [research and development],” the press release states.
The agency is accepting comments on improving iEdison through Jan. 27.
