Registered Technology Transfer Professional -RTTP refers to the internationally renowned framework setting technological standards for all TT- Technology Transfer experts/practitioners. It is the process of professionalizing technology transfer in terms of what it offers as a career and recognizing the practitioners for their achievement in getting to a peer-evaluated professional career level.
Additionally, it also depicts professional development commitment and personal excellence, not to mention that it recognizes the achievement of world-class standards in task execution in the TT career field.
What is RTTP About?
RTTP is a reflection of competence. It is an international identity showing partners, employers, and colleagues your demonstration of core competencies needed to work effectively in the world of technology transfer. It also captures your experience sufficiency in adding vital value that can be pegged on a recognizable track record. There are two specific routes to becoming an RTTP. These are the candidate RTTP route and the Full RTTP status.
Candidate RTTP
Candidate RTTP is a path for new entrants into the profession who intend to apply for the full RTTP status once they become acquainted with the TT process. This takes about three years as a minimum requirement and is often seen in various ways, including track recording, training, and achievement overview for full RTTP status to be opened.
This candidate status came about as a result of member associations who sought to understand different ways of identifying and communicating with those starting their training with RTTP as the end goal. Usually, the association can pick out the members interested in the next level and, as such, can offer relevant support in the form of career pathways and mentorship, among others.
Becoming a Candidate RTTP
You can only become an RTTP if you are serious about your profession. Therefore, a candidate status is a way for new TT professionals to demonstrate their commitment and zeal to elevate themselves to a point where they can meet the said standards and achieve a full RTTP status.
This stage also shows a commitment for those interested in following a specific path to becoming an RTTP expert. Usually, a lot of training and development happens along the pathway, not forgetting the practical application of the profession’s knowledge and skills.
Once approved, a professional can use the Candidate RTTP as part of their professional title. Those aspiring to be candidates should apply after being in their TT position for at least six months. At this point, the aspirant and their manager or/ and director can gauge the candidate’s appropriateness to fit the TT practitioner’s profile and if they are genuinely committed to achieving all it takes to get the RTTP status.
This means the candidate aspirant should be willing to undergo the necessary training and accumulate knowledge and skills.
One of the criteria used to determine the ability to become an RTTP is the candidate’s proficiency as a practicing TT expert. They must have the skills, experience, and achievements that make it possible to operate at that level to meet the required high standards. These requirements can be demonstrated by how one fills out the registration form.
How to Apply for your RTTP Status
You will have to send in your online application. This happens in two sections, as described below.
Career Aspiration Plan
This captures an achievable and realistic career path often developed by the candidate aspiring for the RTTP status and their line manager. It should contain or depict the following:
- One’s current career path and significant but relevant experiences as a candidate
- The candidates’ realistic and achievable career path plan
- A training and development avenue opened and available for the candidate, preferably offered by a member association/ organization with accredited courses.
- Mentoring from a suitable mentor offers the candidate the necessary support that helps them achieve their career goals. This is a requirement.
TTO Director’s Confirmation
This has to be a signed brief that attests to the following:
- Completed application documents have been uploaded and are an accurate application of the candidate’s TT experience and role/ abilities
- The support from the line manager/ director to the candidate’s aspiration on their desire to gain full RTTP status. They should commit to offering mentoring through mentoring and support through skills development that helps the candidate meet all their career goals.
- The candidate has developed a realistic and achievable career aspiration plan in consultation with their supervisor or line manager.
Full RTTP Status
This status is attainable only by established TT professionals whose demonstration of attaining core competencies and their ability to establish a track record cannot be questioned.
How to Achieve Full RTTP Status
As with the candidate RTTP Status, an aspiring TT practitioner must meet three primary requirements to gain full status. These are:
- Acquire relevant experience
- Get the important skills
- Prove their knowledge and skills in handling specific complex TT projects
Usually, the demonstration level needed to meet these requirements is much higher than those considered for the candidate status. It is essential to understand the minimum requirements even as you fill out the forms. Below is a highlight of what you must have in mind.
Experience Requirements:
- Candidates must have no less than three years of experience in the technology transfer sector or any other relevant field. This must be demonstrated by the CV outlining experiences in the said fields.
- One must be a member of an Alliance Organization in their area.
Skills Requirements
Candidates should demonstrate the acquired skills needed for the adequate performance of laid-out roles to perform TT roles independently. This should be demonstrated in the following two ways:
- 60 RTTP CE points which one attains in accredited TT training programs broken down as follows:
- Face‐to‐Face training where candidates must achieve a minimum of 30 points with no maximum cap. This includes master classes, workshops, and training courses.
- Association Conference Attendance – 30 points on the minimum. These cover conferences that you must attend in person, the annual meetings, and regional meetings as well.
- Live / Hybrid Training – 15 points maximum with no minimum cap. This includes webinars, live online courses, panel discussions, and pre-recorded training sessions with live follow-ups. Face-to-face talks with live concepts also fall under this category. Note that pre-recorded training with no participatory involvement is not accepted.
- Two of the following in the least
- List of professional requirements attained or the relevant courses one has attended to help them achieve the relevant RTTP competencies. It is essential to name the training or awarding institution.
- You should also supply enough relevant information regarding the course or training panel to determine the level of qualification and relevance. You should also include the RTTP-accredited courses you may have undertaken but got less than 60 RTTP CE points.
- Have a deal sheet that lists all the projects or deals you have undertaken, quoting the size, quantity, and quality of the project in proportion to the experience and service length.
- A clear description of the leadership roles you held as a TT professional making sure to mention the size and scope of your teams or initiatives you managed.
Achievement Requirements
For this requirement, one has to demonstrate their ability and capability to lead a complex TT project through an achievement overview which should be a 1000-word document endorsed by the manager and submitted for peer assessment. This overview should capture/ demonstrate the following:
- Strong, significant, and complex strategic collaboration and partnership that would not have materialized if you were not involved. It should also show how the intended goals of the organization were met as a result of it.
- Complex and significant deal (must be commercial) that wouldn’t have materialized were it not for your input. This could be a license, substantial consultancy, or contract research plan. It could also be a creation of a spin-out company that happened because of your active leadership, especially during the pre-investment phase and the external funding stage. You must demonstrate how your involvement significantly helps the company generate stakeholder or market value.
- Relevant knowledge transfer initiatives which may not have happened were you not involved. Besides that, you should show that your involvement led to new and better capacities, funding, structures, incentives, and developments that led to a demonstration of knowledge transfer and outcome exchanges.
