Volume 22, Number 3, March 2023

Diversity, Invention, and Innovation

Technology and Innovation, edited and published by the National Academy of Inventors, is a forum for presenting information encompassing the entire field of applied sciences, with a focus on transformative technology and academic innovation. Regular features of T&I include commentaries contributed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and in-depth profiles of Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors in every issue.

Recent Articles

Comparative Economic Outcomes from SBIR Funding: “Underserved” versus Higher-award States

Michael P. Wallner, Jeff Peterson, Will Swearingen, Michelle Zook, Cara Jorgensen, and Robin Gaster analyze the comparative economic outcomes of the U.S. Department of Defense SBIR/STTR awards and find that underserved states had superior outcomes as compared to those in high-award states, suggesting that SBIR program efforts to assist firms in low-award states are a sound investment.

Whitey on the Moon: Racism’s Maintenance of Inequity in Invention & Innovation

James Holly Jr. and Yolanda L. Comedy point out that the invention and innovation community both desires to improve the racial inequities that currently limit the potential and opportunities for Black inventors and often replicates the very behaviors and structures that cause these disparities to exist. They offer three concrete ways that we can begin to address these challenges in the invention community.

Engaging Latina Students in the Invention Ecosystem

Cristina Saenz and Audra Skukauskaitė explore ways to include Latinas (and other diverse students) in inventing, including valuing their unique perspectives and funds of knowledge and embedding Invention Education within the school day.

A Perspective On K-12 AI Education

In this complementary perspective, we discuss why learning AI is beneficial for motivating students and promoting creative thinking and how to develop a module-based approach that optimizes learning outcomes. We hope to excite and engage more members of the education community to join the effort to advance K-12 AI education in the United States and worldwide.

On the Intellectual Property Rights Of Academic Researchers: A Case Study

A case study of an academic inventor who has tried to defend her patent rights against a major manufacturer of ICU ventilators, Hamilton Medical. This study highlights the difficulties faced by individual academic researchers to assert their patent rights in a system that is tailored to fit big corporations and wealthy manufacturers.