WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 14, 2025) — Today, the Bayh-Dole Coalition sent a letter to President Trump calling attention to a series of actions by federal agencies that violate the Bayh-Dole Act and the recent Executive Order: Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s “Department Of Government Efficiency” Deregulatory Initiative.
The Executive Order requires each agency head, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget, to review any regulations that violate federal law and undermine technological innovation.
“Under the previous administration, several federal agencies took actions that blatantly violate the Bayh-Dole Act and consequently undermine the development of critical technologies,” said Joseph P. Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. “Unless reversed, these misguided decisions will squander billions in taxpayer-funded research, block new technologies from reaching the public, and hand a competitive edge to countries like China.”
The letter outlines five agency-level actions that, if left in place, will undermine the Bayh-Dole system and impede the commercialization of early-stage research. The five actions are:
- The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy mandating that any inventions supported by its funding be made publicly available, including to foreign competitors.
- The National Institutes of Health requiring industry licensees to submit continuous and burdensome access planning reports on their commercialization plans.
- The National Science Foundation proposing a mandate on how university inventions made under industry partnerships must be licensed.
- The National Institute of Standards and Technology proposing a march-in framework that asserts federal agencies can impose arbitrary price controls on products that benefit from federal funding in early-stage research under the Bayh-Dole Act.
- The Department of Energy mandating strict manufacturing requirements for all inventions developed with taxpayer funding through its Science and Energy Programs.
“These actions amount to a bureaucratic takeover, replacing the decentralized management of inventions necessary for attracting the significant private sector effort and investment needed to turn these inventions into useful products,” Allen said. “We urge President Trump to reverse these unlawful agency actions and reaffirm the core principles of the Bayh-Dole Act, ensuring that federally funded research leads to tangible products with real-world impact.”
“The Bayh-Dole Act has long been a cornerstone of U.S. technology leadership and economic competitiveness,” Allen continued. “The Trump administration has a clear opportunity to uphold the law and reaffirm America’s innovative edge on the world stage.”
About the Bayh-Dole Coalition: The Bayh-Dole Coalition is a group of innovation-oriented organizations and individuals committed to celebrating and protecting the Bayh-Dole Act, as well as informing policymakers and the public of its many benefits.
Media Contact:
Elaina Gonzalez
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Editor’s note: The Arizona Bioindustry Association is a member of the Bayh-Dole Coalition.