Edison Visiting Scholar Program

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) seeks new proposals from scholars in intellectual property, innovation, economics and related fields for the Thomas Alva Edison Visiting Scholars Program as Research Fellows.

The Edison Visiting Scholars Program enlists the services of academic researchers to study intellectual property issues that further the agency’s mission and the public interest. Scholars pursue research and engage with the USPTO as Distinguished Scholars or Research Fellows.1

Research Fellows typically devote six to 12 months of part-time service to the agency under employment contracts as expert advisers. Research Fellow positions may run concurrently with ongoing academic obligations in the home university or may be combined with an academic leave. Research Fellows are expected to spend some time in residence at the USPTO, but permanent residence is not required.

Materials produced by Research Fellows are expected to be released and published, subject to the USPTO’s clearance procedures. Research Fellows are also invited to engage with the Office on internal working groups.

Research Topics

Proposed research areas include all areas of research pertinent to USPTO operations and policy responsibilities, including issues pertaining to patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. Although the range of possible topics is broad and all proposals will receive full consideration, the USPTO is particularly interested in research and data that are relevant to issues of patent quality.

How to Apply

Interested scholars are encouraged to submit a CV and a two to three page research proposal that includes the following information:

-- a clear statement of the research question and context;
-- a brief discussion of the methodologies expected to be used;
-- a description of any data required (both existing datasets and those yet to be developed);
-- a statement of the project’s expected contribution to USPTO policy and the public interest;
--  an explanation of the distinct benefit that USPTO engagement would bring to the project.

Application materials should be submitted by email to edisonscholar@uspto.gov. For full consideration for the 2016-17 academic year, proposals should be received by July 11, 2016. **Applications received after that date will be considered on a rolling basis. Please direct questions to edisonscholar@uspto.gov.

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