Updates With Materials Genome Initiative, $25M Grants Announced; Complex IP Issues?

02 December 2012

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently announced updates with the Materials Genonme Initiative (MGI). $25M in grants are noted, and the awardees include universities, national laboratories, and private sector companies (e.g., GM). Collaboration continues to be a strong theme.

Collaboration usually sounds good and makes sense in many contexts, particularly for purely basic research with long-term visions. However, collaborations can also generate complicated intellectual property and patent issues. For shorter term research with commercial applications as a goal, this can become a problem if not managed well. Hopefully, the MGI is considering this aspect of this new, exciting commercialization program. The MGI is now about 1 1/2 years old. The MGI has many close links to nanotechnology and the NNI (National Nanotechnology Initiative) including a program for predicting the properties of nanomaterials. Hopefully, the MGI is well and efficiently integrated with the NNI.

Also, hopefully 2013 budget issues do not slow down the MGI. Stay tuned.

Sectors

Practice Areas

Green Energy Technologies
Patent Litigation

Related Insights

View All Posts

24 January 2025 Foley Viewpoints

Incoming Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Personnel and Impact on Enforcement

To nobody’s surprise, it is already evident that President Trump’s second term will mark a significant shift in environmental regulation and policy from the Biden Administration.

24 February 2025 Events

Corporate Integrity Agreements: Independent Review of Organizations and the Office of the Inspector General

Foley partner Judy Waltz, chair of the firm’s Health Care Practice Group, is speaking in the Health Care Compliance Board & Compliance Committee Conference in the panel “Corporate Integrity Agreements: Independent Review of Organizations and the Office of the Inspector General.”

24 January 2025 Foley Viewpoints

Corporate Transparency Act Enforcement Remains Paused

On January 23, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay of the nationwide preliminary injunction issued by a federal district court in Texas in December 2024 in the Texas Top Cop Shop litigation.