CTSA-IP: a solution to identifying and aggregating intellectual property across the NIH Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium of biomedical research institutes

One of the objectives of the Consortium of Institutions with Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) is to enhance technology transfer among the CTSAs and with public and private sector partners. Clinical and Translational Sciences Award Intellectual Property (CTSA-IP; http://www.CTSAIP.org) is a web-based, open access IP search tool that aggregates and promotes technologies from member institutions of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) CTSAs consortium. Its ultimate aim is to stimulate collaborative research activity by encouraging the formation of public-private partnerships with CTSA institutions and the NIH. First launched in 2009, CTSA-IP has grown rapidly and met its first objectives of developing wide member institution participation and site usage. This communication will discuss the strategy employed in the initiative of aggregating IP across institutional boundaries, the promise that lies therein, as well as the challenges encountered and lessons learned in promoting CTSA-wide engagement.