Blog
July 22, 2026
Project at-a-Glance
| Client | UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital – Oakland |
| Industry | Academic Medicine / Higher Education |
| Service | Research Administration |
| Focus | Tech Transfer Financial Reconciliation and Compliance |
| System(s) | iEdison, U.S. Patent Office databases, manual tracking spreadsheets |
| Outcome | Over $500,000 in inventor royalty payments issued and clean Tech Transfer A/R and A/P ledgers prepared for transition to UCSF |
Supporting Intellectual Property Operations Following a Hospital Merger
Following the merger of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital with Children’s Hospital Oakland, Attain Partners provided staff augmentation for the cleanup of intellectual property-related accounts receivable, inventor payment processing, and government compliance requirements to support accurate financial reporting and timely distributions.
Part 1: Grant Closeout and Financial Reconciliation Case Study
This Tech Transfer engagement built on Attain Partners’ broader work to stabilize research administration following the merger of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital Oakland. Explore the first phase of the engagement to see how the team supported grant closeout and sponsored research financial reconciliation across more than 700 grant accounts.
Results at-a-Glance
Addressing Inconsistent Tracking and Historical Data Gaps
Manual Financial Tracking
Oakland’s Tech Transfer accounts receivable (A/R) and accounts payable (A/P) tracking processes were historically managed through manual spreadsheets, leading to billing inconsistencies and limited visibility into royalty distributions to inventors and university departments.
Following the merger, the need for timely royalty payments and billing accuracy took priority, prompting a comprehensive review of more than two decades of historical data. The effort focused on validating records, clearing discrepancies, securing outstanding payments or establishing payment plans, and strengthening billing and payment processes. The objective was to reconcile A/R balances with remaining active payment plans and transition ongoing intellectual property expenses and A/R to UCSF.
Compliance Documentation
In addition, compliance reporting in iEdison needed updates, particularly for expiring patents and required child patent filings. These records would require thorough review and remediation before transitioning to the UCSF Tech Transfer team.
Establishing Accurate Financial Tracking and Compliance
The engagement focused on several key objectives.
#1
Reconcile A/R spreadsheets and ledger entries to ensure accuracy and integrity.
#2
Ensure timely payment and consistent documentation of legal and patent-related expense invoices
#3
Issue accurate and timely invoices for A/R and royalty collections
#4
Update inventor distribution records, identify amounts owed, and facilitate payment issuance
#5
Ensure full compliance with iEdison reporting requirements for all Oakland patents
Applying a Structured and Collaborative Approach
The Attain Partners team collaborated closely with the client to understand existing challenges, processes, and tracking documentation. Building on established materials, the team enhanced existing tracking tools and conducted a comprehensive review of historical records to validate patent expenses and accounts receivable balances.
Team members independently utilized U.S. Patent Office resources, the iEdison portal, and related training materials to build system proficiency and support compliance requirements. Weekly one-on-one meetings with the client supported issue resolution, maintained transparency, and reinforced confidence in the team’s approach.
An Embedded Partnership
Attain Partners worked alongside client staff to strengthen existing tracking processes, validate historical records, and build sustainable financial and compliance practices throughout the engagement.
Delivering Clean Financial Records and Strengthened Processes
Attain Partners delivered a clean and reconciled Tech Transfer A/R ledger by resolving historical records and isolating confirmed multiyear payment plan revenue as the remaining balances. The team validated the full lifecycle of expenses for all patents, eliminating historical data gaps across multiple fiscal periods and updating tracking spreadsheets for accuracy.
A comprehensive vendor payment audit identified and recovered overpayments through credits, reducing net expenses and improving cash accuracy. The team issued and tracked A/R invoices, improving visibility into outstanding balances and payment timelines.
Attain Partners also delivered a clean Tech Transfer A/P ledger, initially supporting and then leading A/P activities, including journal entries for legal fees and maintenance of tracking documentation. The team transitioned A/P records and processes to UCSF with zero outstanding discrepancies at handoff.
The engagement also included organizing and consolidating Tech Transfer documentation into a centralized location to improve accessibility and support staff procedures. The team completed iEdison documentation and patent waiver compliance for nearly all outstanding patents and provided a structured handoff to UCSF.
In addition, Attain Partners rebuilt and finalized inventor royalty distribution schedules, restoring confidence in data integrity and enabling a consistent distribution cadence.
Operating as an Embedded Extension of the Client Team
By working closely with the client and becoming deeply familiar with daily operations, Attain Partners staff was able to deliver accurate A/R systems and inventor payments with greater understanding of the organization’s needs. Following the departure of previous contractors, one team member assumed primary responsibility for Tech Transfer A/P and A/R collections and invoicing.
They maintained strong recordkeeping practices, supported clear procedures, addressed outstanding iEdison compliance items, and facilitated timely payments throughout the engagement. The team maintained regular coordination with UCSF and Oakland stakeholders, including inventors, principal investigators, accounting and finance staff, and the UCSF Tech Transfer team.
The engagement concluded with minimal follow-up items remaining under Oakland and a comprehensive transition of ongoing patent maintenance to UCSF.
Outcomes Across Tech Transfer Operations
In addition to preparing clean A/R and A/P ledgers for transition to UCSF, the engagement delivered measurable outcomes across Tech Transfer financial operations.
$453,000
Vendor A/R cash payments received from unbilled invoices identified during the audit process
$44,000
Outstanding A/R payment plans confirmed by vendors at the end of the project
$33,000
Royalty payment cash received from vendors previously not in compliance with contracts
Over $500,000
Inventor royalty payments issued
Attain Partners – Grants Management Expertise
Attain Partners supports institutions in strengthening sponsored research operations, including financial reconciliation, closeout, and post-award management. Our team works alongside research and finance leaders to align processes, systems, and reporting in support of accurate and timely grant administration.
Ready to get started? Learn how we can support your institution’s unique grants management needs.
About the Author
Mrs. Kerri Borys, MAcc, is a Senior Associate at Attain Partners based outside Charlotte, North Carolina. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in research, healthcare, and nonprofit administration, with a focus on post-award grants management. Her expertise includes financial management, internal controls, grants accounting, grant closeouts, federal, state, and private sponsor financial reporting, pre- and post-award budgeting, finance and grants office integration, tech transfer/intellectual property financial management, and the development and testing of internal controls for grants management at both the central and departmental levels.
