NIST Updates Platform Managing Government-Funded Inventions

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has redesigned the Interagency Edison system as part of efforts to improve technology transfer from inventions to the marketplace. The upgrade went live on Aug. 9.

The updated iEdison system includes an upgraded user interface, new messaging features, an expanded application programming interface and new functionalities. It is designed to help government contractors and grantees notify agencies about the inventions they are developing using government funding.

Entities also use iEdison to request extensions and waivers and inform the government of the limited use rights to patents on taxpayer-funded offerings, Nextgov reported.

Mojdeh Bahar, the associate director for innovation and industry services at NIST, said the upgrades will help government agencies and awardees manage resources more effectively and transparently.

NIST took responsibility for iEdison following recommendations from the U.S. National Academies. The system was originally developed in 1995 and was under the National Institutes of Health before being handed over to NIST.

The agency started working on the upgrade in December 2019. NIST shut down the original NIH system on Aug. 2.

According to the Department of Commerce component, over 8,500 inventions and 21,000 patents were added to iEdison in 2021. The federal government offers over $150 billion per year to support American universities and non-government organizations in their research and development efforts, NIST added.