PARTNERS OF THE TAP PROJECT

The Technology Assessment Program (TAP) is a comprehensive strategy designed to expand the innovation infrastructure of the Baltimore-Washington corridor and to speed technology transfer from the national research enterprise to the private sector.
The state of Maryland ranks second nationally in federal obligations for R&D, yet thousands of inventions sit on the shelves of federally-funded research labs for lack of resources to assess and market promising technologies.
TAP seeks to enhance entrepreneurial education through a continuum of coursework and teamwork; teach high school, college and continuing education students the fundamentals of innovation and technology assessment; and facilitate access to technologies by entrepreneurs. The partners include Howard Community College (Lead Institution), Howard County Economic Development Authority, Howard County Public School System,The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center, USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and the region’s business community.

INVENTORS

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) partners with government and industry to create innovative solutions to complex problems. APL currently conducts more than 400 separate programs for a variety of government agencies and maintains 130 specialized research and test facilities. Since the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) was created in 1999, APL has spun-off 13 new start-up companies, executed 120+ agreements with industry, and generated more than 650 new invention disclosures.

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) pursues excellence in scientific investigation, development and operation of space systems, and advancement of essential technologies in order to expand knowledge of the Earth, the solar system and the universe. In pursuit of this challenge, the Center develops and operates space flight tracking and data acquisition networks; develops innovative technology and instruments critical to mission success; and conducts a preeminent program of research in the space and Earth science disciplines.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a research leader in everything from human nutrition to new crop technologies that allow us to grow more food and fiber using less water and pesticides.

MENTORS

PROJECTS