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Veterans Affairs Research: Actions Needed to Help Better Identify Agency Inventions

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Report Type Reports and Testimonies
Report Date April 25, 2018
Release Date May 7, 2018
Report No. GAO-18-325
Summary:

Did you know that the Department of Veterans Affairs employed researchers who helped develop the pacemaker in 1960? Since 2000, VA research has resulted in VA-owned patents. VA can grant licenses to private sector firms to make its medical technologies commercially available while VA collects the royalties.

To ensure this happens, VA requires its researchers and the universities that employ them to disclose their inventions.

We found inconsistent disclosures from researchers and low turnout in VA's training on disclosures. We also found that VA’s reporting requirements for universities were unclear—and recommended ways to address these issues.

 

Photo of a plaque on the VA headquarters building.

Photo of a plaque on the VA headquarters building.

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