Ultimately, the success of the venture depends on the enthusiasm of the inventor. However, the tech transfer office plays a big role; a skilled, hard-working expert can be a huge advantage.
"You have to tell them that you're ready to do independent research because as a postdoc you're not going to be held by the hand anymore," says Anna Moraitis, NSERC Industrial Research fellow.
"Those who favor such changes, including forward-looking policy makers, administrators, and postdocs themselves, need a strong advocatesuch as the NPAto pressure these organizations to push these changes through."