Abstract: | In June 1982, potential corporate investors attended a Harvard conference on biotechnology and the evolving research partnership between universities and industry. Molecular biologist Walter Gilbert spoke about the need to correct public misconceptions about technology transfer between industry and academia, and about the relationship between basic and applied research. Harvard president Derek Bok encouraged "bilateral" research agreements between corporations and universities and proposed conditions under which such agreements would operate. Bok also offered guidelines on individual faculty involvement in biotechnology firms and university investment in such firms, while Gilbert commented on the issue of patent rights in academically-sponsored research. |