The Licensing Executives Society (LES) USA-Canada annual meeting is taking place in San Diego from October 18-21, 2026. Three members of the NIH Technology Transfer Community will be speaking.

NIH Office of Technology Transfer Director Tara Kirby will be speaking on the panel Evolving Best Practices for Licensing and Monetization of Biomedical Data in the Age of AI on October 19th at 10am. This discussion will explore the adaption of classical licensing practices to the many novel issues and challenges presented by the licensing of human data, especially biomedical data. Attendees will learn about emerging challenges in licensing data and its many applications and risks in our evolving AI economy.

At 11:15, Kirby will moderate the panel Access Planning and Public-Sector Patent Licenses, which will feature NIH’s Abigail Amato Rives, Director of the Tech Transfer and Innovation Policy Division within the Office of Science Policy. This panel will discuss access planning as a way to address the gap between available products and the patients who need them, but cannot access them. Access planning involves incorporating patient access considerations, at a high level, in agreements related to biomedical research and development. They will explore approaches to access planning, discuss practical experiences, and consider future directions to advance the shared goal of leveraging technology to enhance health and expand patient access to emerging biomedical technologies.  

NIH OTT Special Advisor Steven Ferguson will be speaking on the panel Bayh-Dole Considerations When Licensing Federally Funded Technologies on October 20th at 3:30pm. This panel will discuss Bayh-Dole compliance practices, risks and risk mitigation strategies, diligence of IP originating from federally funded institutions, and the latest US government policies and practices.

For more information on the LES 2026 Annual Meeting, please view their website.