Edison Visiting Scholar Program

The Thomas Alva Edison Visiting Scholars Program enlists the services of academic researchers as Distinguished Scholars or Research Fellows to study intellectual property (IP) issues that further the agency's mission and the public interest. Following the introduction of the program in January 2012, Edison Scholars have studied ways to improve USPTO's efficiency and performance, decrease burdens on applicants, and improve patent quality and clarity, among other topics.

Edison Distinguished Scholars

The Edison Distinguished Scholars are senior scholars and experts in law and related fields. They are invited by the Director to advise on policy issues in their areas of expertise.

Current Edison Distinguished Scholars:

Colleen Chien, Professor of Law, Faculty Scholar of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, and Co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law
Mark Janis, Robert A. Lucas Chair and Professor of Law, Director, Center for Intellectual Property Research at Indiana University Mauer School of Law
Peter S. Mennell, Koret Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley; Co-founder, former Executive Director, and Director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology; and Co-founder and Faculty Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute
Polk Wagner, Michael A. Fitts Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School

Edison Research Fellows

The Edison Research Fellows program was created in 2013 as an expansion of the successful Edison Scholars Program. Research Fellows perform quantitative research on policy relevant to patent and trademark topics. Their research and data are typically made available to the public.

Current Edison Research Fellows:

Mark A. Finlayson, Eminent Scholar Chaired Associate Professor of Computer Science in the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences at Florida International University
Neel U. Sukhatme, Anne Fleming Research Professor and Associate Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center

Additional information

Past Distinguished Scholars and Research Fellows

Lisa D. Cook, Professor of Economics at Michigan State University and Director of the American Economic Association Summer Program
Graeme Dinwoodie, Global Professor of Intellectual Property Law and Co-Director of the Program in Intellectual Property Law at Illinois Tech’s Chicago-Kent School of Law
Joshua D. Sarnoff, Professor of Law at DePaul University
Jonas Anderson, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Scholarship at American University’s Washington College of Law
Joseph P. Bailey, Associate Research Professor and Assistant Dean for Specialty Undergraduate Programs at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business
Deepak Hegde, Professor of Management and NEC Faculty Fellow at New York University’s School of Business
Peter Menell, Koret Professor of Law, Co-Director, Berkeley Center for Law & Technology
John Thomas, Professor of Law at Georgetown Law

Past updates

2014 Expanded Edison Program blog by USPTO Deputy Director Michelle K. Lee
One-year Edison program anniversary blog by USPTO Acting Director Teresa Stanek Rea

Past events

June 2015

What is the Academy's Role in Evidence-Based Policy Making for Intellectual Property?

The USPTO Edison Scholars were featured at a 2015 conference co-organized with the Hoover Institution's IP2 program.

December 2014

Edison Scholar Webinar

The Edison Research Scholars held a webinar to share with the public their research topics and methodologies. The Scholars expect to continue this type of outreach going forward to engage the public and share information and ideas.

Edison Scholar Webinar slides, December 2014

Please direct any questions to edisonscholar@uspto.gov.