Beyond SBIRs: The NIH as a Technology Development and Commercialization Partner

Steven M Ferguson currently serves as Special Advisor at the NIH Office of Technology Transfer where he has worked since 1990.  The biomedical technology transfer program at NIH is one of the world’s largest with a portfolio that includes over 2,000 active licenses with aggregate sales greater than $10B per year that is based upon research that has also generated 48 FDA-approved drugs & vaccines.  A former chemist at the National Cancer Institute and biotech industry product manager, Mr Ferguson holds Master's Degrees in Business Administration (George Washington University) and Chemistry (University of Cincinnati) as well as Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry (Case Western Reserve University).    A registered Patent Agent and a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP), Mr Ferguson has served as faculty and Technology Transfer Department Chair at the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES) Graduate School at NIH and the Biotechnology Industry Organization “BIO Boot Camp”.  He also serves as a business reviewer or advisory board member for the US-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund, Maryland Industrial Partnerships, Maryland Innovation Initiative, Virginia Bio-Life Science Gap Fund, US Department of Education Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program, the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology and the DOD Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. He has published extensively in the field of technology transfer and has also received the AUTM President’s Award (AUTM Band), the AUTM Volunteer Service Award, the NIH Director’s Award, the FAES Instruction Award, five “Deal of Distinction” awards and the Frank Barnes Mentoring Award from the Licensing Executive Society, six Federal Laboratory Consortium Awards, and twenty NIH Merit Awards in recognition of his service and activities in technology transfer.

Dr. Michael Salgaller leads the Technology Analysis and Marketing Unit (TAMU) within the NIH’s Technology Transfer Office, where he leverages over 20 years of business, scientific, and investment experience in various life science sectors to support technology development and commercialization. The TAMU serves in a business development role to foster licensing and collaborative activity between buy-side stakeholders and the NIH. Immediately prior to returning to NIH, Dr. Salgaller was a Vice President at The Conafay Group, a healthcare-focused government affairs firm in downtown DC, where he led alliance development activities centered on civilian health. He served as President of Biologics Consulting Group, a boutique firm providing professional services focused on regulatory affairs. Dr. Salgaller spent several years on the investment team of an early-stage venture capital firm dedicated to the life sciences. He began his buy-side career as Vice President of R&D for Northwest Biotherapeutics, where he led the development of cancer cell therapies that achieved clinical benefit. He began his career as a Senior Scientist at the NIH. Despite many interesting positions, his favorite job was working a summer at the Pittsburgh Zoo feeding hot dogs to polar bears. He is the author of “Biotechnology Entrepreneurship,” and teaches an entrepreneurship class at NIH. He has written over 70 scientific/business articles and book chapters. Dr. Salgaller received his PhD in Pathology from The Ohio State University.