The Research and Development Tax Credit – Benefits, Caveats, and Strategies

Recently, The Fiscal Times identified the research and development tax credit as #8 of the 10 largest big corporate tax breaks*. Although over 17,000 companies claim this credit nationwide, 100 large multinationals receive over half of the 7+ billion dollars in savings each year. Find out what your company can do to receive the same level of benefit the Fortune 100 have been receiving for years.

Many medical device, software, and biotech companies eligible to benefit handsomely from this credit have never applied for it, or are only receiving a small fraction of what they are eligible for. R&D credits reimburse the costs associated with a company’s breakthroughs, as well as the day-to-day activities that bring improvements in products, software, processes, profits, and productivity. The research and development credit was enacted to encourage innovation, and applies to activities throughout an organization – from conceptualization, prototyping and production, through testing and the planning of quality control.

Specific coverage will include:

Identifying qualifying activities throughout your company.

Early stage companies - why it is never too early to claim the credit.

How to effectively lower the cost of process improvement, product testing, patent applications, and other activities not commonly considered as R&D.

Credits for contract manufacturing – the companies who design devices and create software aren’t the only ones eligible.

Potential risks and strategies for getting the most out of the credit.

Who should attend:

CFO’s, controllers, in-house counsel, and others involved in financial management.

Accountants and tax attorneys.

Company owners, angel investors, venture capitalists, seed fund managers, and other investors looking to maximize their investment returns.

Patent attorneys, operational consultants, Lean gurus, and test, and design firms interested in educating their clients on a credit that can effectively lower their service costs.

In cooperation with Business Oregon, the Oregon Bioscience Association has created a unique, highly targeted program to help develop the next generation of high-skilled technical and managerial talent for the state's bioscience industry. Designed in cooperation with some of the largest bioscience and Healthcare employers in Oregon, this tuition-free program is currently recruiting the first cohort of students to receive its Cloud Computing in Biomedicine professional development certificates.

The next certificate cohort is scheduled to begin June 1st, 2015.

Cloud Computing in Biomedicine topics will include: +Use, benefit and challenges of big data and the cloud +Cloud services, providers and security +Cloud monitoring and alert management +Cloud implementation strategies +Security and compliance for healthcare data in the cloud +The transformation of healthcare by big data

Ideal candidates should have IT, advanced engineering, scientific or professional skills, and be looking to work in the Oregon biotech or healthcare industry. You must be unemployed or underemployed, and be available from June 1st to June 26th for full-time immersion training (Exact dates for this program will be finalized by May 10th).

There are only 15 openings per cohort, so the program is very selective.

Applicants with the following skills are highly desired: Basic knowledge of information technology that includes an understanding of virtualization concepts, networking concepts, Linux command line, and programming logic.

The program consists of 70-80 hours of intensive high-end classroom training during the day, modeled on Oregon Bio's highly successful BioPro training program. As part of the program, participants will meet Oregon employers seeking new talent, and receive job skills training from cloud-computing, big data and healthcare data experts.

The program will conclude with an opportunity for company hiring personnel to get to know the successful participants. Alumni will remain connected through regular networking events.

If you are interested, please visit http://www.biocatalyst.org for more details and to apply. Inquires can also be made at [email protected]. Spaces will fill fast, so apply soon.

Featuring six high profile keynotes and multiple track sessions, the Oregon Bio 2015: Expanding the Ecosystem event will offer a comprehensive experience featuring professional development, networking, career growth opportunities, the annual Pitchfest, and exposure to emerging commercialization companies at the Research Pavilion.

Keynote speakers include: Gary Gilliland, Ph.D. and M.D., president of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Wolf Richter, co-founder,president, Epic Semiconductors Judy Kjelstrom Ph.D., director, Biotech Program at U.C. Davis Dan Ledger, principal, Endeavor Partners, Digital Health/Mobile Platforms Carbot Brown, CEO and founder, Carabiner LLC Fred Vogelstein, author and contributing editor, WIRED magazine

Wine on the WIllamette, the Oregon Bio 2015 Annual Conference Wine Tasting event, brings together bioscience industry leaders and guests on the patio of the Collaborative Life Science Building on Wednesday, September 9th, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 pm.

Featuring six high profile keynotes and multiple track sessions, the Oregon Bio 2015: Expanding the Ecosystem event will offer a comprehensive experience featuring professional development, networking, career growth opportunities, the annual Pitchfest, and exposure to emerging commercialization companies at the Research Pavilion.

Keynote speakers include: Gary Gilliland, Ph.D. and M.D., president of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Wolf Richter, co-founder,president, Epic Semiconductors Judy Kjelstrom Ph.D., director, Biotech Program at U.C. Davis Dan Ledger, principal, Endeavor Partners, Digital Health/Mobile Platforms Carbot Brown, CEO and founder, Carabiner LLC Fred Vogelstein, author and contributing editor, WIRED magazine

Please join us for our June Accelerate Biotech + Digital Health PDX Happy Hour!

We are thrilled to be teaming up with the OTRADI Bioscience Incubator (OBI) and the Portland State Business Accelerator (PSBA) for this event.

We are meeting up at a new venue this month - Scout Beer Garden (across the street from the base of the OHSU tram). A huge thanks to the Zidell family for making this venue available to us.

Erin Flynn will on site to speak about Portland's upcoming Innovation Quadrant. We will also hear 2-min pitches from two emerging digital health companies.

Our monthly happy hour brings together creative and driven professionals who are passionate about promoting the growth of Portland's Biotech and Digital Health sectors. This is a great opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals working across these sectors in both academia and industry. Enjoy a drink, build community, and contribute your ideas and efforts towards accelerating Biotech and Digital Health in PDX.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase. The first 10 attendees will be provided a complimentary drink ticket through the TAO Digital Health Community Sponsor, Cushman & Wakefield.

Please join us for our July Accelerate Biotech + Digital Health PDX Happy Hour!

We are thrilled to be teaming up with the OTRADI Bioscience Incubator (OBI) and the Portland State Business Accelerator (PSBA) for this event.

We are meeting up at our Summer venue - Scout Beer Garden (across the street from the base of the OHSU tram). A huge thanks to the Zidell family for making this venue available to us.

Erin Flynn will on site to speak about Portland's upcoming Innovation Quadrant. We will also hear 2-min pitches from an emerging digital health company, as well as details on our 2016 Health Ignite.

Our monthly happy hour brings together creative and driven professionals who are passionate about promoting the growth of Portland's Biotech and Digital Health sectors. This is a great opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals working across these sectors in both academia and industry. Enjoy a drink, build community, and contribute your ideas and efforts towards accelerating Biotech and Digital Health in PDX.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase. One drink ticket will be provided to registered attendees.

Join us after work as we welcome six exciting new Digital Health companies to the community and share an evening meeting new friends. Come hear about new ventures from their founders, meet their teams and learn about new ways of using technology for health.

After several relaxed, interactive company presentations, we’ll enjoy some excellent Oregon wines, craft beers and edibles. This event is suitable both for people working with healthcare technology and people new or interested in healthcare software.

Registration is here: https://www.techoregon.org/events/digital-health-startup-party-and-summer-social

PortLab is a community project which includes people of diverse backgrounds (students, artists, amateur and professional scientists), attracted by the potential of molecular and synthetic biology, basically anyone wishing to participate in scientific research. Our purpose is to promote citizen science through access to biotechnology and education. Anyone is welcome, so get involved!

We also host a Journal Club which meets regularly to discuss an area of scientific interest using a peer-reviewed scientific paper as the centerpiece. A member will suggest a topic and a research article for the group to read and discuss. Each meeting begins with a summary of the chosen paper followed by lively discussion. This is an interactive event for participants to ask questions, inquire about aspects of the experimental design, comment on methods, and bring a healthy amount of skepticism to the results.

Almost every entrepreneur out there wants to protect their intellectual property, but the balance of time, energy and money spent on it can be taxing. Join our Digital Health and Technology and IP Communities as they invite a team of experts and explore a variety of topics around patenting software in the current market. Hear the different options of IP protection, including insights for what has worked best for a variety of growth companies.

Questions to be answered during this session:

-What does the current software patent and protection landscape look like? -How do you protest your software’s IP? -How can a small startup compete with big companies with protection? -What protection is available for OEM and resale vs. software you plan to sell to end users?

Thank you to our sponsors! Cushman & Wakefield - http://www.cushmanwakefield.com/

Registration is located here: https://www.techoregon.org/events/options-protection-and-software-ip

Join us to discuss the Nobel prize winning work on the structure of DNA. We'll be diving into the Watson's and Crick's race to discover the source code of life as published in the article "A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid" Nature. 1953. Watson, J.D. & Crick, F.H.C.

PortLab is group of like-minded yet diverse people, sharing a passion for biology and bio-tech. The Journal Club meets regularly to discuss an area of scientific interest using a peer-reviewed scientific paper as the centerpiece. A member will suggest a topic and a research article for the group to read and discuss. Each meeting begins with a summary of the chosen paper followed by lively discussion. This is an interactive event for participants to ask questions, inquire about aspects of the experimental design, comment on methods, and bring a healthy amount of skepticism to the results.

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1 mic, 5 minutes, 20 slides, 300 peers in the audience... no pressure, right?

Health Ignite* is a high-energy evening of 5-minute talks by local people who have an burning idea and the guts to get onstage and share their personal and professional passions. Quick, fun, thought-provoking, social, local, and global - Ignite is all of these and more.

Health Ignite will include topics like wellness, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, healthcare reform, etc. What products, services and research is out there that can really take healthcare to the next level? What new ideas could make the world of healthcare better - for patients, for doctors, or for everyone? Attend Health Ignite and you will find out. Speakers are from the local Portland community with representatives across many verticals, so you don't want to miss this event!

SPEAKER/PROPOSAL INFORMATION Health Ignite draws a diverse crowd of practitioners, researchers, administrators, entrepreneurs, consultants, and healthcare business professionals. The promise of new ideas and exciting solutions to difficult healthcare problems brings everyone together.

Health Ignite proposals should include a brief written synopsis of your presentation and a brief bio about yourself. Show and tell something cool you've invented or found - no sales pitches please! Challenge us, inspire us, and show us how your idea can transform patient care or healthcare.

APPLY Proposals should be submitted online by September 9, 2016. Once submitted, your proposal will be reviewed by the Ignite TAO: Health team. Please include your contact information in case the team has questions about your proposal. Everyone who submitts a proposal will be notified on the status of their application by September 30th.

Additional details and applications are located here: https://www.techoregon.org/events/health-ignite-2016

SPONSORSHIPS View sponsorship opportunities here: https://www.techoregon.org/events/health-ignite-2016

*Health Ignite is an event hosted by Ignite TAO.

Please join us on March 27-28, 2019 for the sixth annual OHSU Commercialization Conference, hosted by Technology Transfer and Business Development . This conference connects with OHSU innovators with investors, industry partners and community collaborators to help build a vibrant hub for innovation and commercialization of innovative technology. Through speaker sessions, startup pitches, industry insights and collaboration stories, the conference will focus on the theme of "Fueling Health Care Innovation." The conference offers a platform for attendees to explore the impact of innovations that will revolutionize health care and understand the drivers of this transformation.

Mingle with your fellow biotech and digital health enthusiasts, help build community, and share your ideas on how to further accelerate the growth of these promising sectors in Portland.

The April 6 happy hour will take place at Casa Colima Mexican Restaurant & Cantina (Hillsdale location).

These happy hours bring together creative and driven professionals who are passionate about promoting the growth of Portland's Biotech and Digital Health community. This is a great opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals working across these sectors in both academia and industry.

Want to introduce your startup or idea at one of our upcoming happy hours? We have speaking opportunities at each of our events. If you would like 2 minutes to speak about your startup or introduce yourself or your idea to the group, please contact us at [email protected].

Please note: photos will be taken at our events and may be used in future promotions.

Mingle with your fellow biotech and digital health enthusiasts, help build community, and share your ideas on how to further accelerate the growth of these promising sectors in Portland. We will gather at OBI's brand new event space for our November 9th Accelerate Happy Hour.

These happy hours bring together creative and driven professionals who are passionate about promoting the growth of Portland's biotech, medical device, and digital health community. This is a great opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals working across these sectors in both academia and industry.

Mingle with your fellow biotech and digital health enthusiasts, help build community, and share your ideas on how to further accelerate the growth of these promising sectors in Portland. We will gather at OBI's brand new event space for our January 11 Accelerate Happy Hour.

These happy hours bring together creative and driven professionals who are passionate about promoting the growth of Portland's biotech, medical device, and digital health community. This is a great opportunity to network and build relationships with individuals working across these sectors in both academia and industry.

Want to introduce your startup or idea at one of our upcoming happy hours? We have speaking opportunities at each of our events. If you would like 2 minutes to speak about your startup or introduce yourself or your idea to the group, please contact us at [email protected].

Fact: Nearly half of entrepreneurs do their marketing all by themselves.

If you’re a biotech or life science startup founder out there bootstrapping your social media, you’re not alone — but the stakes can feel especially high when you’re also juggling fundraising, business development, team building, and more.

Whether you’re a CEO moonlighting as your company’s social media manager, work with a talented generalist who is juggling a lot, or contract with an agency to help you scale your content, it’s important to take stock of whether you’re making the most effective use of your resources to move the needle on social media.

s2s Public Relations’ content marketing lead, Caitlin Kryl, joins OBI to share tried and true strategies and tactics startup leaders can apply to ensure they’re producing effective and efficient social media content that supports business goals — even on the tightest of budgets.

Learning objectives:

Define the value of social media to drive awareness and engagement among investors, potential partners, and customers Identify which social media platforms are right for your company and current bandwidth Explore untapped opportunities to scale your social media visibility and impact through executive social media and employee advocacy Learn about the benefit of content pillars and receive a template worksheet to help you brainstorm and establish your company’s own themes About the Speaker: Caitlin Kryl | Content Marketing Lead, s2s PR

Caitlin is a seasoned marketer and storyteller with a passion for demystifying the world of social media and content for startup leaders and small businesses. She has spent her career helping dozens of impact-focused organizations leverage written and visual storytelling to clearly articulate their brand value, powering lead generation, community engagement, and product demand. Before joining s2s PR, Caitlin led the digital marketing team at MATTER, the global healthcare innovation hub, developing strategies to grow and activate MATTER's community of 200+ healthcare startups and 50+ corporate partners.