Careers at TDG

Full Time Positions

We have no positions open at this time but we are always accepting resumes. 

Student Positions

New Ventures Fellows 

Business Development Fellows - (Technology Fellows) - Applications accepted on a rolling basis. If we are fully staffed, we will keep your resume on file and may contact you if a spot opens up. Please feel free to contact TDG at info@tdg.ucla.edu if you have questions regarding future availability.

 

UCLA Innovation Fund

New Ventures Fellowship

The New Ventures team at the UCLA Technology Development Group (TDG) works closely with portfolio teams to identify their potential market and their go-to-market strategy. Work with the team to complete scientific and commercial due diligence and to create and refine a pitch deck, under the close tutelage of the New Ventures Team. We are seeking motivated UCLA graduate students (including MBA students) interested in life sciences (Therapeutics and Medtech) technology commercialization to help support us in this process as New Ventures Fellows. Candidates will ideally have a background in life sciences and/or engineering. This is an excellent opportunity for students seeking to pursue careers in consulting, entrepreneurship, or venture capital. 

Activities include:

  • Market analysis
  • Competitive analysis
  • Technical and commercial risk assessment
  • Regulatory Analysis
  • Reimbursement Analysis
  • Pitch Deck Creation

New Ventures Fellows are expected to dedicate up to 10 hours per week and are paid at a rate of $20/hr.

  Fellowship term (paid):  September 11th - Dec 2023

If interested in applying, please submit a resume and brief statement of interest to matthew.savary@tdg.ucla.edu with subject “Innovation Fund Fellows 2023”

*Note: All or part of this program may be conducted virtually*

THE TECHNOLOGY FELLOWS PROGRAM

The Technology Fellows Program at UCLA’s Technology Development Group (TDG) is designed to expose UCLA graduate students to the business of technology transfer and intellectual property management.  This program provides students with in-depth, hands-on experience in technology evaluation, marketing, and commercialization.  Fellows will have the opportunity to learn about and gain invaluable experience in the fields of intellectual property, business development, and product management. In particular, the program provides fellows the opportunity to market technologies outside of their specific field of study. Fellows work with TDG business development officers and staff on a part-time basis and will be paid a competitive hourly rate.  Participation in the Technology Fellows Program is a unique educational experience that gives students the opportunity to contribute to the commercialization of UCLA technologies.

Eligibility

The Technology Fellows Program is highly competitive and open to all UCLA graduate students.  We particularly encourage applications from graduate students in the life sciences, physical sciences, engineering, chemistry, computer science, and business.  Candidates are expected to commit up to 10 hours per week to the program, with most assignments being completed remotely.

Selection Criteria

Candidates are evaluated against the following criteria:

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, particularly in engineering fields outside of one’s particular area of expertise
  • Enthusiasm and willingness to take on new challenges
  • Demonstrated interest in technology transfer, intellectual property & marketing
  • Strong technical backgrounds in the biological sciences, physical sciences or engineering
  • Commitment and availability for 10 hours per week (for a minimum of two quarters)

Application Process

We are currently accepting applications for the Technology Fellows Programs.

For questions on the Tech Fellows Program please contact David Riccardo at david.riccardo@tdg.ucla.edu. If you are interested in applying, please contact David with a resume and cover letter.

To learn more about what we do please go to:  www.tdg.ucla.edu

 

WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER?

Technology Transfer is the business of "transferring" inventions from the research lab to the marketplace. Typically, an organization's technology transfer office comprises professionals who manage inventions, facilitate the prosecution of patents, market new technologies, negotiate and manage numerous types of agreements, assist with start-up company formation, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and corporate sponsors of research.

Most research universities, federal labs, and mid-to-large sized companies have a tech transfer or intellectual property commercialization program. At UCLA, technology transfer is handled by the Technology Development Group (TDG).

ARTICLES/NEWSLETTERS/RESOURCES

Below are selected links to articles and resources one may find of interest when considering a career in technology transfer:

  • Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM)more
  • Licensing Executives Society (LES) more
  • Technology Transfer: Licensing Intellectual Property from Universities to Industry[more]
  • FLC Newslink is the Federal Lab Consortium (FLC) newsletter highlighting technology transfer news from US federal labs. [more]

Technology Fellows Alumni –Where are they now?

Over the past several years, alumni of UCLA TDG’s technology fellows program have successfully established careers in various fields, including technology transfer, management consulting, patent law, venture capital, and business development

Eric Shiozaki, Ph.D.

Director, Apposite Capital

"The time I spent in the UCLA TDG provided a valuable experience as I transitioned my career from an academic research lab to the business world. I saw how IP generated by UCLA researchers can be licensed to a corporation or spun out into a new company. I also gained an appreciation for what is important to companies and investors as they evaluate new technologies. Perhaps more importantly, my time in the office helped me establish a network of contacts that I still call on to this day.”

Michael Su, M.D., M.B.A.

Medical Director, Wellpoint

"The UCLA TDG internship was my first exposure to early-stage technology development and commercialization. Although the experience is from an academic perspective, all of what I learned was applicable to the private sector. Learning how to critically evaluate the commercial potential of early-stage technology was a key skill in helping me land a market research internship at a development-stage biotech company, a corporate development internship at a large pharma company and a position with a life science investment bank. The TDG internship is truly a unique opportunity for students to gain real world exposure to technology development and commercialization."

Randal Eckert, Ph.D

Director of Preclinical Biology, C3 Jian

“My UCLA TDG internship was immensely valuable because it allowed me to observe, in detail, the logistics and operations required to put licensing deals together. I was also able to gain experience critically evaluating university technologies and crafting non-confidential disclosures. These are skills used when evaluating potential partnering and in-licensing opportunities. Finally, I gained a lot of understanding regarding the patent application and prosecution process, which I continue to use to this day when managing the IP at our company. We continue to work with UCLA TDG hand in hand with all C3’s UC-owned technologies that we have licensed. There is no question that I have been able to accomplish more at my current position as a result of time at TDG.”

Eugene Chong, J.D., M.S.

Patent Attorney, KPPB

"My time at UCLA TDG was an invaluable period to learn about technology transfer and gain relevant skills. There are so many great things happening at TDG from business development, startups, tech licensing, and patent prosecution to name a few. On a daily basis, I spent time analyzing invention reports, attending inventor meetings, and writing discloses for industry contacts. This experience really broadened my technical expertise, which is a real differentiator in any profession involving technology whether its business, law, or research. Also, TDG officers and staff are some of the best professionals in their field and more than willing to share their knowledge. Finally, the alumni of TDG interns is diverse and full of people that you will continue to collaborate with long after you have completed your Internship at TDG. I really enjoyed my experience and strongly encourage anyone interested to apply."

Aaron Ward, J.D.

Patent Counsel, Hewlett-Packard

“Being at UCLA TDG gave me access to the innovators at UCLA and their amazing technological breakthroughs. I recall speaking directly to inventors/professors/scientists to discuss their inventions, so I could better capture highly technical aspects of inventions when drafting the non-confidential invention descriptions. This experience helped me in my career because it relates to skills used when drafting patent applications, which can involve capturing big ideas using concrete patent claims. Furthermore, the exposure to sometimes exotic technology provides many talking points during job interviews. I recall mentioning one particular concept/technology to a hiring partner interviewing me at the firm that eventually hired me after law school (prior to my current position at HP), and he seemed intrigued by the technology itself, demonstrating my technical proficiency that is sought after by law firms whose clients include high-tech companies with complex inventions. Thus, working for TDG helped me hone skills used when drafting patent applications, as well as giving me exposure to technologies to demonstrate technical proficiency”.

Anni Zhao, Ph.D.

Regulatory Affairs Associate at St. Jude Medical

"The TechFellow program helped me to think beyond just science, and more about what it takes to get a usable product out on the market. There's a transition to make, going from thinking purely like a scientist, to thinking like a businessperson with a strong scientific background. My experience at UCLA TDG also got me to better understand what potential employers look for in new graduates trying to move out of the lab, and my time in the office definitely differentiated me from others with Ph.D. training. I highly recommend it for graduate students looking for careers outside of academia."

Brian Shedd, Ph.D.

Assistant Director of Innovation & Technology Commercialization at Louisiana State University (LSU)

"During my internship at UCLA TDG, I learned many new skills not taught in laboratory research, and although I didn’t know it then, this program led me down a new career path. I’ve been fortunate in my timing at TDG, having moved up from intern to associate to a full licensing officer. During my career at TDG, I managed a portfolio of close to 300 different UCLA inventions, and I look back with appreciation at the solid experience I gained as an intern in the tech transfer field. As an intern, I started off in the marketing group and I realized that I really enjoyed the challenge of identifying the best market for a technology and how to position it in a way to make it attractive to commercial partners. Having a diverse research background helped me understand a wide array of technologies and allowed me to naturally associate a market use for them. I still tinker with engineering projects, but have found a home on the business side of technology development. I’m happy that I was able to work for and with many of the professors I came to know as a graduate student, but in this role as a Technology Transfer Officer, I really felt that I could provide a unique service to them and one that started through my internship."