Partnering with NETL

NETL’s Research Partnerships & Technology Transfer Directorate’s mission is to assist NETL in pursuing its technology development goals by engaging partners in Federal agencies and laboratories, the private sector, state and local government, and universities.

It's all about Access

Partnering Graphic

The TOOLBOX

How to Work with NETL

Toolbox Graphic
  • Geological & Environmental Systems
  • Materials Engineering & Manufacturing
  • Energy Conversion Engineering
  • Systems Engineering & Analysis
  • Computational Science & Engineering

Functions & Roles

Functions: Explore, Identify, Incubate, & Exercise partnerships between NETL and external organizations offering the potential to meet the Lab’s goals

Explore

  • Provide customized attention for health of collaborations
  • Ensure Lab is responsive to obligations 

Identify

  • Identify opportunities where objectives align
  • Creatively envision new collaborations

Incubate

  • Identify Lab resources to develop new opportunities
  • Resolve conflicting priorities

Implement

  • Provide customized attention for health of collaborations
  • Ensure Lab is responsive to obligations 

 

What We Do

Research Partnerships and Tech Transfer supports NETL and NETL staff in identifying, exploring, and securing opportunities to leverage NETL’s core capabilities and competencies through strategic engagement, collaboration, and partnership with domestic and international government organizations, national laboratories, academia, industry, and other private and public stakeholders. These efforts directly align with the Lab’s mission to enhance the nation’s energy foundation and protect the environment for future generations.  Research Partnerships and Tech Transfer is also responsible for the Lab’s strategic partnerships projects (also known as “work-for-others”) and technology transfer and intellectual property activities.  Research Partnerships and Tech Transfer organizes and manages its engagement with partners through four areas of focus:

  • Industrial Partnerships – Focused on partnerships opportunities with business and industry as well as intellectual property management, technology promotion, and technology transfer agreement management
  • University and National Lab Partnerships – Focused on partnership opportunities with academia, Federal agencies, and other DOE National Laboratories
  • Global Partnerships – Focused on collaboration with foreign governments, industries, and research organizations
  • State and Local Partnerships – Focused on partnerships with government and private- and public-sector entities in geographic proximity of NETL’s five sites.

NETL’s Core Mission & Partnering

NETL strives to serve as a “bridge” spanning the early stage of science and discovery to the final stage of commercial deployment by the private sector

  • Targeted – Focused research that overcomes barriers and enables technology breakthroughs
  • Vetted - Convene broad stakeholder groups to create public-private partnerships
    • Partnering reduces financial risk and shortens time to commercialization
    • Partners change over the course of development as R&D needs evolve
  • Market-driven - Provide techno-economic analysis to inform technology pathway and policy decisions
  • Impactful – Investments enhance U.S. technology leadership and global competitiveness

Purpose:

  • Find funds-in collaboration opportunities
  • Find partners for Research & Innovation Center (RIC) Principal Investigator projects
  • Establish formal partnering agreements
  • Secure and License Intellectual Property (IP)
  • External networking and brand awareness

Mechanisms:

  • Business intelligence
  • Collaborations
  • Agreements
  • Licenses
  • Intellectual Property

Work in Progress Approach:

  • Partnerships Portfolio Manager (PPM) is the primary contact for client organizations to connect with NETL and pursue acquiring lab’s services/expertise, or collaborating with the lab in areas of ongoing research
  • Outreach & Business Development Specialist (OBDS) is responsible for bulk of general outreach and exploration activities (conferences, exhibit booths, etc.) and works to identify tangible leads for PPM; instrumental in lead generation and initiation

Partnerships Portfolio Managers:

  • University & National Laboratory Partnerships: Mike Nowak
  • State & Local Partnerships: Tom Feeley, James Ferguson
  • Industrial Partnerships: Tom Sarkus
  • Global Partnerships: Anthony Armaly, Chuck Taylor

Who We Are

Michael Knaggs
Associate Director
Strategic Partnerships
(304) 285-4926

Anthony Armaly
Global Partnerships Manager
Regional Workforce Initiative
(412) 386-6040

Thomas Feeley
State & Local
Partnerships Manager
(412) 386-6134

James Ferguson
State & Local
Partnerships Manager
(412) 386-6043

Holli Heiskell
Administrative
Specialist
(304) 285-0227

Michael Nowak
University & National Lab
Partnerships Manager
(412) 386-6020

Thomas Sarkus
Industrial
Partnerships Manager
(412) 386-5981

Charles Taylor
Global
Partnerships Manager
(412) 386-6058