Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 24, 2024

Title 15 - Commerce and Foreign Trade last revised: Oct 25, 2024
§ 17.4 - Personnel exchanges from a Federal laboratory.

(a) For personnel exchanges in which a Federal laboratory maintains funding for Federal personnel provided to a collaborating party—

(1) in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 3710a(b)(3)(A), a Federal laboratory may exchange personnel with a collaborating party for the purposes of specified scientific or technical research towards a mutual goal consistent with the mission of the Agency, where no invention currently exists, or

(2) in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 3710a(b)(3)(C), a Federal laboratory may exchange personnel with a non-Federal collaborating party for the purposes of developing or commercializing an invention in which the Federal government has an ownership interest, including an invention made by an employee or former employee while in the employment or service of the Federal government, and such personnel exchanged may include such employee who is an inventor.

(i) Funding may be provided under a CRADA by the non-Federal collaborating party to the Federal laboratory for the participation of the Federal employee in developing or commercializing an invention, including costs for salary and other expenses, such as benefits and travel.

(ii) Royalties from inventions received through a license agreement negotiated with the Federal laboratory and paid by the Federal laboratory to an inventor who is a Federal employee are considered Federal compensation.

(3) Where an employee leaves Federal service in order to receive salary or other compensation from a non-Federal organization, a Federal laboratory may use reinstatement authority in accordance with 5 CFR 315.401, or other applicable authorities, to rehire the former Federal employee at the conclusion of the exchange.

authority: 15 U.S.C. 3712.
source: 81 FR 73025, Oct. 24, 2016, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 15 CFR 17.4