You might skim read this blog post and assume that KE doesn't have a problem with diversity. We know that RTTPs are not necessarily reflective of the whole sector, but we do see many female practitioners achieving the RTTP accreditation, which is a positive indicator of the opportunity that women see in this profession.
RTTP diversity doesn't stop there. We are also starting to see some of our international delegates from our Chinese Training Programmes (delivered through our partners Jusirui) apply and be awarded the RTTP accreditation. We also have practitioners coming from outside universities: from consultancies, subsidiaries and commercial arms of research organisations.
It is always an immensely proud moment to introduce the new RTTP accredited PraxisAuril members. We hope you will join us in welcoming and celebrating this new cohort of RTTPs for the diverse backgrounds and experience they bring.
New to RTTP?
RTTP gives international recognition and validates 5 core competencies:
- Strategy and business insight – strategic thinking; market-led, entrepreneurial approach; business and commercial skills.
- Entrepreneurial leadership – active engagement in securing funding; leading negotiations; developing new ventures
- Effective engagement – communication, collaboration and influencing skills
- Legal and technical knowhow – understanding the key legal, technical and domain-related issues required to effectively transfer knowledge
- Governance and project management – managing projects, knowledge and information flow; developing and managing systems and processes for knowledge exchange
The criteria to become RTTP accredited is to have 3+ years relevant role experience, evidence of skills/knowledge to lead KE/TT projects and/or 60 RTTP CE points (or other qualifications).
We're pleased to introduce to you 8 new RTTPs from @PraxisAuril. RTTP #diversity continues to increase, with 6/8 being female, 3/8 being from our #Chinese Training Programmes & more practitioners coming from outside #universities. READ MORE > https://t.co/ONLSD6lxsS @ATTPmedia pic.twitter.com/Emcui8RLaZ
— PraxisAuril (@PraxisAuril) April 8, 2020
Tweet to @PraxisAuril Tweet #KEMatters
We are very pleased to introduce to you the 8 new PraxisAuril members who achieved RTTP accreditation in the last round of submissions
Ms Xiao Rong RTTP
Deputy director and associate professor of Technology Transfer Center, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS)
Ms Xiao Rong has been engaged in technology transfer since 2013 with accumulated experience in transfer negotiation and contract drafting. Her responsibilities include JAAS technology maturity, integration, industrialization and transfer, as well as the implementation of JAAS brand strategy, brand building, brand product cultivation and industrialization. She is also devoted to the services of JAAS Industrial Research Institute. With her efforts, the technology transfer income of JAAS has exceeded 400 million in the past 6 years. She has undertaken multiple relevant research programs at provincial or municipal levels with a total funding of more than 5 million yuan. She has been awarded 1 invention patent, 2 utility model patents, and 1 software copyright. In 2015, she was honoured the title of “Advanced Individual of Sannong Science and Technology Service Golden Bridge Award” by China Technology Market Association. Ms Xiao has particular interests in working with global partners in the development of technology transfer.
Robert Goodfellow RTTP
Director and Principal Consultant, Five Eleven Innovation
Following a collaborative project with the University, Robert moved from the Printing & Packaging sector to develop his career with Heriot-Watt (Scotland). An Alumni of the University, Robert worked as a Technology Broker, a Business Developer, as Knowledge Exchange Manager and finally as Head of Enterprise and Business Development, leading cross-campus activity on KE, TT and Company creation before setting up 511 Innovation ltd in May 2019. As a consultancy capitalising on fifteen years’ experience in University-Business working, professional recognition such as RTTP, quality of work and ability to deliver an Impact for the client is paramount in supporting start-up/spinout growth, building collaborative R&D programmes and in translating research to Industry.
Dr Qi Wang RTTP
Director of TTO, Tianjin Research Institute of Advanced Energy
Vice Executive Director, TJU-Baoshun Joint Research Center for Graphene Technology
Dr Qi Wang is an experienced technology transfer manager with a demonstrated history of working in the research. She is skilled in Business Strategy and development, contracts negotiation, technology transfer and intellectual property. Dr Qi Wang has led and closed over 10 technology transfer deals which have received fund support of nearly 20 million RMB. She worked on a range of projects across Chemistry, Engineering and Materials and holds patents and awards. Dr Qi Wang is also the engineering supervisor of Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School and Tianjin University.
"Many years of work experience let me deeply feel, technology transfer is the combination of science and art, I am fascinated by it. I am very lucky that I can be engaged in this business and contribute to the development of scientific and technological innovation in the world. I will always strive to be the best."
Dr Catherine Breslin RTTP
Head of IP & Commercialisation (Acting), University of Strathclyde
Catherine leads the team at Strathclyde that has responsibility for identifying and protecting University-owned IP; supporting individuals and teams through the University’s stage-gated process for supporting commercialisation and delivering a pipeline of high-impact companies and revenue-generating licences. Catherine joined the University in 2005 as a Business Development Manager and is now part of the new Innovation & Industry Engagement Directorate which aims to deliver a step-change in Strathclyde’s already intensive programme of innovation. Catherine has a PhD in Neuroscience and worked in a pharmaceutical start-up company before moving into technology transfer.
Ms Zhilei Hua RTTP
Chief of Technology Transfer Center, North China Electric Power University
Zhilei is the Chief of the Technology Transfer Center at NCEPU, established a 21-person management team responsible for patent navigation and layout, patent application and maintenance, patent conversion and application for the university. Through the establishment of a comprehensive intellectual property management system, pre-patent evaluation system and the disclosure system for job inventions have been established. Meanwhile, optimize the policy system to ensure and encourage all parties involved in technology transfer to obtain reasonable returns. Zhilei obtained Beijing Technical Broker Qualification by the year 2015; in 2018, she was elected Beijing Top Ten Technology Brokers successfully, and also got her first book published at the same year, A New Discussion on the Transformation Strategy of University Science and Technology Achievements in the Era of Big Data. The second book was published the following year, Research on the Transformation of University Science and Technology Achievements from the Perspective of Patent Operation Theory.
Michelle Spillar RTTP
Head of Corporate Partnerships, University of Exeter
Michelle is Head of Corporate Partnerships at the University of Exeter. She is responsible for the corporate partnership strategy at Exeter and within the University of Exeter Business School. She leads a team working on corporate engagement with research, education and impact within our Innovation Impact and Business (IIB) directorate. She has particular interests in industry and government engagement and long term relationships. Michelle has previously managed corporate partnerships, industry and government income and impact in the Defence sector from whom she has attracted significant new contracts. Michelle joined the University in 2015 after a long career at the Met Office, starting in meteorology and then progressing into the Commercial Business Team where she was responsible for the London 2012 Olympics contract. She then moved on to Head up the Utilities and then the Renewables Business Teams for a number of years before making the move to the University of Exeter.
Julie Little RTTP
Strategic Alliance Executive, Commercial Partnerships Team of Cancer Research UK
Julie is a Strategic Alliance Executive in the Commercial Partnerships Team of Cancer Research UK (CRUK) with responsibility for a portfolio of drug discovery strategic partnerships with Pharma and Biotech. In particular, she has played a major role in negotiating and establishing the CRUK-AstraZeneca Antibody Alliance Laboratory, a very innovative alliance model, whose mission is to collaborate closely with academic scientists to help translate their novel science into antibodies for cancer patient benefit. She joined CRUK in 2012 as a business development manager gaining significant experience negotiating collaboration and licence agreements, managing and prosecuting patent portfolios, and post signature management. Prior to transitioning into technology transfer and taking up this new challenge, Julie worked for many years at both Unilever and Genzyme primarily in antibody discovery research.
Sandeep Singh RTTP
Senior Licensing and Ventures Manager, Oxford University Innovation
Sandeep is Senior Licensing and Ventures Manager at Oxford University Innovation. With a background of working in academia and industry in Engineering and Physical Sciences, he helps bring Oxford ideas to life and create impact. Alumni of the London School of Economics (LSE), Sandeep completed his degree in Chemical Engineering and has an MBA in finance concentration. He has a particular interest in industrial chemistry, cleantech and energy, and artificial intelligence applications. Prior to joining Oxford University Innovation, he worked in the chemical industry as a process engineer and energy researcher. He had stints in Civil Services as Climate Change and Energy Programme Manager with FCO and Senior Manager with Department for International Trade in London.
Candidate RTTP
Candidate RTTP is a new designation that allows entrants to the profession to signal that they have committed to a pathway of training and development leading to the award of full RTTP status. It indicates to employers that they are serious about their career and aspire to meet the highest standards. They may use the designation ‘Candidate RTTP’ after their name.
It is normally expected that Candidate RTTP designation will be sought approximately 6 months into their post (typically at the halfway point of a probation period) by which time the Candidate and their manager will be able to judge their suitability and commitment to the Pathway.
The next deadline for RTTP and Candidate RTTP submissions is the 16th July 2020. For more information or questions regarding the application process contact Craig Smith on craig.smith@praxisauril.org.uk
THE RTTP SURVEY
In February 2020, I called upon the experience of PraxisAuril's global RTTPs to help me generate a clear guide to the accreditation: why to apply, when to apply, and resources to help you apply. This 'call' for support took the form of an online survey, sent to over 100 RTTPs.
The short survey generated a wealth of data and, having processed this along with views from the PraxisAuril RTTPs, I emerged with a changed perception of the RTTP accreditation. Perhaps more importantly, I gained a broader understanding of the various ways people tailor their RTTP application to achieve the accreditation.
Here are the four big take-homes:
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Knowing when to apply is based on 'time' and 'activity'. It could be one massive financial deal in the first two years of your role, or 20 smaller deals over 20 years. Essentially view your development, not in time or by the number of activities performed, but by the skills and experience you have obtained. To find out which skills and experience, view the RTTP Core Competencies here.
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Having 60 CE RTTP points is not a guarantee of RTTP application success. RTTP points are a straightforward way of demonstrating you have had formal training in the activities you will perform, and skills you need to develop to be successful in these activities. However, the application is about how you deployed those skills, not what they are. So, if you are very experienced in KE, but don't have 60 RTTP points, don't let it be a barrier to application. Remember your application is about demonstrating that your skills and experience are of an RTTP level, and this is possible with or without the points.
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Seek mentorship, be it formal or informal. Seek advice from senior colleagues, use the new PraxisAuril Online Forum (coming soon!) to seek mentor figures, or simply volunteer for PraxisAuril. Knowing more about what others have done can help you cultivate certain opportunities and environments to become a well-rounded KE professional with all the skills required. What you need is already out there, you just need to get involved with it.
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RTTP indicates a high standard of KE activity. Whether you apply for yourself and your own development, or for the reputation of the profession itself, the RTTP accreditation is a benchmark and its value is demonstrated by those who have it. So, going for RTTP is a commitment to the profession and you are setting the bar by what you've done and continue to do.
Read the full blog post