"OTD's mission is to enable the development, transfer and adoption of innovations originating at Harvard for the benefit of society. OTD's experienced, dedicated team excels at technology transfer, providing the bridge between the Harvard community and industry that is essential for the translation of research discoveries into services and products that meet critical social needs. The OTD team, an effective and valued partner to faculty and industry alike, combines a unique entrepreneurial spirit with specialized expertise. The Office is an invaluable asset to Harvard and the greater research community."

- Alan M. Garber, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard University Provost

MEET OUR TEAM

OTD’s high performance team provides a solid foundation in science, business development, intellectual property and contract law that enables it to design creative solutions that translate into enduring, fruitful relationships. When industry turns to OTD, it will find an agile, fast-paced group of professionals fully equipped to find creative solutions and make the deal-making process as efficient and effective as possible.

For Harvard Faculty and Inventors

OTD protects faculty interests while advancing discoveries toward commercial development. A high-performance team with a broad range of expertise provides a full suite of support services to ensure your invention reaches its fullest potential. We stand ready to assist you to:

  • effectively transfer discoveries and inventions from the laboratory into commercial development
  • generate collaborations with industrial partners for new sources of research sponsorship
  • protect intellectual property while protecting academic priorities, interests and values
  • evaluate whether your research results are patentable and navigate it through the patenting process
  • monitor research and license agreements to ensure the development and commercialization of your technologies

Material Transfers

With respect to incoming materials, the Office of Technology Development has implemented procedural improvements to expedite the material transfer agreement review and approval process. In order to benefit from this expedited process, please submit any incoming material transfer agreements through the following link:

With respect to outgoing materials, the Office of Technology Development has implemented procedural improvements to protect the use of materials being sent out of Harvard to other institutions. In order to benefit from this expedited process, please submit any outgoing material transfer requests through the following link:


Reporting An Invention

The Office of Technology Development has created a secure and easy-to-use on-line submittal form for reporting inventions. The form can be accessed through the following link:


Sponsored Research

Our team provides the commitment, expertise and professionalism necessary to produce effective collaborations between faculty and industry.


The Biomedical Accelerator Fund

Harvard has created an innovative seed Accelerator Fund designed to advance early stage research with commercial potential.


Recent News

Please visit our Media Center for press releases and other recent news.