A Strategic Approach to Bayh-Dole Compliance at the University of Delaware

Small but mighty is how Stefanie McBride, Manager at the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) describes her team at the University of Delaware. With an ambitious goal to double disclosures from 50 to 100 annually, As she builds a culture of proactive partnership with faculty, Stefanie places a strong focus on customer service and early researcher engagement. But as the volume of disclosures grows, so do the demnds of federal compliance reporting.

Turning Complexity into Clarity

Since 2021, the TTO has partnered with Borman & Company to manage the Bayh-Dole compliance process. The relationship began with a need for greater structure and predictability in federal reporting—and has since evolved into a strategic collaboration. As enhanced reporting requirements approached in 2024, Stefanie leaned on Borman’s experience to navigate the complexities ahead.

With new levels of reporting detail required by federal agencies, the TTO faced challenges in extracting the right data from licensees.  In some instances, the data was captured in unrelated financial buckets, dates and numbers needed to be reformatted to align with the federal government fiscal year. Some questions were open to interpretation, and inconsistencies across agreements made uniform reporting difficult.

Borman & Company brought clarity to the process. Drawing on insights from similar engagements across institutions, they helped the University of Delaware align submissions with agency expectations. What once had been a reactive process as notifications piled up is now a part of the team’s standard operating procedures.

Outsourcing with Intent

With a team of seven, Stefanie is very intentional about how her office allocates its time. Outsourcing Bayh-Dole compliance to a specialized partner allows internal staff to concentrate on strategic priorities such as expanding the disclosures portfolio and supporting inventors.

“Federal compliance reporting is not something you can afford to get wrong,” Stefanie notes. “With Borman & Company, we’re not just meeting the mark—we’re reducing risk and building a stronger foundation for growth.”

There’s also a financial upside: outsourcing has eliminated the need to dedicate headcount solely for iEdison reporting. For Stephanie—who brings a legal background to the work—risk mitigation and regulatory clarity are always top of mind.  Her guiding principle: outsource strategically. In the case of Bayh-Dole compliance, that strategy is paying off.