Assessing the Impact of Organizational Practices on the Productivity of University Technology Transfer Offices: An Exploratory Study

We present quantitative and qualitative evidence (field research) on university technology transfer offices (TTOs). These offices negotiate licensing agreements with firms to commercialize university-based technologies. A stochastic frontier production function framework is used to assess the relative productivity of 113 university TTOs. Our field research provided a useful reality check on the specification of the econometric model. The empirical findings imply that licensing activity is characterized by constant returns to scale. Environmental and institutional factors appear to explain some of the variation in TTO efficiency. Relative productivity may also depend on organizational practices in university management of intellectual property, which potentially attenuate palpable differences in the motives, incentives, and organizational cultures of the parties to licensing agreements. Unfortunately, there are no existing data on such practices, so we rely on inductive, qualitative methods to identify them. We present detailed information on our use of these methods. This information may be useful to economists who are contemplating fieldwork. Based on 55 interviews of managers/entrepreneurs and administrators at five research universities, we conclude that the most critical organizational factors are likely to be reward systems for faculty, TTO staffing and compensation practices, and actions taken by administrators to extirpate informational and cultural barriers between universities and firms.

Annual Report: Notre Dame Law School: Academic Year 1986–1987

Dean David Link provides a brief summary of important developments, strengths, and needs at Notre Dame Law School as it closes the 1986–1987 academic year

Hoynes Code, The

This code governs legal education at the University of Notre Dame in all programs and in all locations

Optimisation algorithms for the charge dispatch of plug-in vehicles based on variable tariffs

Plug-in vehicles powered by renewable energies are a viable way to reduce local and total emissions and could also support a highly efficient grid operation. Indirect control by variable tariffs is one option to link charging or even discharging time with the grid load and the renewable energy production. Algorithms are required to develop tariffs and evaluate grid impacts of variable tariffs for electric vehicles (BEV) as well as to schedule the charging process optimisation. Therefore a combinatorial optimisation algorithm is developed and an algorithm based on graph search is used and customised. Both algorithms are explained and compared by performance and adequate applications. The developing approach and the correctness of the quick combinatorial algorithm are proved within this paper. For vehicle to grid (V2G) concepts, battery degradation costs have to be considered. Therefore, common life cycle assumptions based on the battery state of charge (SoC) have been used to include degradation costs for different Li-Ion batteries into the graph search algorithm. An application of these optimisation algorithms, like the onboard dispatcher, which is used in the German fleet test "Flottenversuch Elektromobiliät". Grid impact calculations based on the optimisation algorithm are shown. --BEV,V2G,Plug-In-Vehicles (PHEV),optimisation,mobile dispatcher,demand side management,charging,combinatorial algorithm,graph search algorithm,indirect control by variable tariffs

Report of the Dean 1978–1979

Dean David Link provides a comprehensive and detailed description of the state of Notre Dame Law School as it closes the 1978–1979 academic year. The nine elements covered in his report include: goals, students, faculty, administration, curriculum, physical facility, national law programs, alumni support, and resources

Report of the Dean 1977–1978

Dean David Link provides a comprehensive and detailed description of the state of Notre Dame Law School as it closes the 1977–1978 academic year. The nine elements covered in his report include: goals, students, faculty, administration, curriculum, physical facility, national law programs, alumni support, and resources

Annual Report: Notre Dame Law School: Academic Year 1986–1987

Dean David Link provides a brief summary of important developments, strengths, and needs at Notre Dame Law School as it closes the 1986–1987 academic year