“Why should I care?” is a question most often asked by mentors in order to push a mentee to communicate the bigger picture of science. With scientists in the lab striving to understand a small part of life, the overall goals of research are sometimes lost in translation. Part of the confounding issue of science communication is that writing and presenting skills tend to fall to the wayside in graduate training; yet, the ability to clearly communicate ideas is a critical component of securing funding, publishing good quality articles, and winning the occasional best presentation award. While these are all familiar goals for scientists, the importance of disseminating science extends past the academic audience.
Communicating new technologies and their marketability is a critical component in the office. Whereas many academic scientists promote their impact on the scientific field, the focus of technology transfer is to promote potential commercial value. These are vastly different goals that can be hard to consolidate for a graduate student. I first found myself stumped at the prospect of switching gears to business mode. After retraining some neurons with the help of the staff, I realized that many of the skills I gained through graduate school are transferable. Equipped with a science background to understand the invention and an ability to write concisely, I was ready to put some ideas down on paper. The power of OTT interns is their ability to speak with the principle investigator at a detailed scientific level, condense that information, and present it to potential licensees clearly and concisely.
Gaining expertise in writing requires practice and revision. One of the biggest hurdles encountered by a scientist moving away from technical writing is omitting painful jargon. The people reading technical briefs are not necessarily holding a PhD in shark IgNAR variable domains. It’s important not to leave them confused and dismissive of a potentially exciting invention. Beyond writing, talking with potential licensees requires a short elevator pitch. An effective elevator pitch consists of a clear, yet brief description of the invention and an answer to “why should I care” by explaining the unique benefits.
The disconnect between what happens at the bench and in a room full of business professionals is addressed in the office of technology transfer and interns acquire communication skills to assist in bridging the gap.
– Sharon Soucek