Call for Proposals: The 2027-2028 Thomas Edison Innovation Law and Policy Fellowship Program

Learn About the Fellowship and How to Apply: https://blogs.uakron.edu/ualawip/edison-fellowship/

Submission Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026 (5:00 PM ET)

Submit Questions to jkresh@uakron.edu

Submit Applications to IPPI@uakron.edu

IPPI: The IP Policy Institute at The University of Akron School of Law invites applications from U.S. applicants (currently residing in the United States or abroad but remaining a permanent U.S. resident/citizen) for a non-resident fellowship program.

WHAT IS THE EDISON FELLOWSHIP?

The Thomas Edison Innovation Law and Policy Fellowship program is designed to develop rigorous scholarship on intellectual property (IP), creativity, and innovation law and policy.

The Fellowship promotes excellent academic research about IP and related rights in the innovative and creative communities. The program consists of a series of three (3) invitation-only meetings over the course of a year. Fellows are required to attend the entirety of all three roundtables, and attendance is a material condition of a Fellowship. Over the course of these meetings, Edison Fellows work under the guidance of Distinguished Commentators and with each other to turn paper ideas into polished manuscripts publishable in law reviews or other academic journals. The Fellowship is designed primarily for tenure-track law and/or economics professors and for lawyers and Ph.D. graduates interested in academic positions focusing on legal or economic research in IP, creativity, and innovation. IPPI also considers applications from recently tenured academics and from practitioners interested in writing about IP, creativity, or innovation policy.

PURPOSE OF THE FELLOWSHIP:

The Edison Fellowship serves two main purposes:

1. To help each Fellow produce one paper on a specific topic of interest, with the goal of submitting that paper for publication within a year of the Fellowship’s commencement, and
2. To help each Fellow build the knowledge set and skills necessary for producing future academic papers and to begin to plan their research agenda.

Consequently, while anyone can gain valuable experience from the Fellowship, value is greatest for first time applicants, and we will prioritize new applicants over those who have completed the Fellowship. Former fellows are welcome to reach out for other opportunities to share work and receive feedback.

FELLOWSHIP DETAILS:

IPPI will provide lodging (unless participants are local) and meals at all in-person meetings. Fellows will work with The University of Akron’s approved travel agent to book their transportation, at no cost to them. Fellows will receive an honorarium of three thousand (US $3,000) dollars upon completion of the Fellowship requirements, as set out below.

1. SUBMISSION OF PAPER PROPOSALS – SUBMISSION DEADLINE OF C.O.B. 5:00 P.M. ET, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2026: Proposals should include a statement of the issue to be addressed, the proposed methodology, and the feasibility for completion by February 2028. Proposals should be no longer than five (5) pages. IPPI will notify selected Fellows and those chosen to present their proposals at the initial March in-person roundtable by C.O.B. 5:00 P.M. EST on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2026.
2. PRESENTATION OF PAPER PROPOSAL AT A RESEARCH ROUNDTABLE (IN PERSON; LOCATION TBA) ON MARCH 18-19, 2027: Fellows will present their proposals at a research roundtable held on March 18-19, 2027. Each proposal will be reviewed by Distinguished Commentators and Fellows to provide constructive feedback at the March in-person roundtable.
3. PRESENTATION OF FIRST DRAFT AT A RESEARCH ROUNDTABLE (IN PERSON; WASHINGTON, DC, VENUE TBA) ON EITHER SEPTEMBER 23-24, 2027, OR SEPTEMBER 16-17, 2027: The specific date will be finalized after AALS announces the dates of their 2027 Faculty Recruitment Conference. Each Fellow is required to submit a first paper draft O.D. SUNDAY, AUGUST 29, 2027. Each First Draft will be reviewed by Distinguished Commentators and Fellows to provide constructive feedback at the September in-person roundtable.
4. PRESENTATION OF SECOND DRAFT AT THE FINAL RESEARCH ROUNDTABLE (VIRTUAL) ON FEBRUARY 17-18, 2028: Each Fellow is required to submit a second paper draft by O.D., SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 2028. These drafts should be substantially revised from those presented at the September research roundtable. Ideally, Second Drafts will be essentially ready for journal submission. At a minimum, Second Drafts must state a clear thesis and argument, identify an important contribution to relevant scholarship, and demonstrate substantial progress at incorporating feedback received on First Drafts. Each Second Draft will be reviewed by Distinguished Commentators and Fellows to provide constructive feedback during virtual roundtables. Most or all of the virtual sessions will be conducted February 17-18, 2028. However, IPPI will schedule virtual presentations and commentary sessions earlier in 2028 if a Fellow submits a Second Draft early, wants feedback early, and the Second Draft is essentially ready for journal submission.
5. COMPLETION OF FINAL DRAFT AND SUBMISSION TO AN ACADEMIC JOURNAL IN WINTER 2028: Following presentation of their Second Draft, Fellows are expected to make final revisions to their papers and submit them for publication in a suitable academic journal and post to SSRN by the end of the 2028 calendar year.

FELLOWSHIP RESEARCH AND WRITING:

Should you be accepted into IPPI UA’s 2027-2028 Thomas Edison Innovation Law & Policy Fellowship Program, you will be asked to sign an agreement with at least the below conditions. Please review and confirm that you can agree to these conditions before taking time to apply.

• To attend all 3 Fellowship Meetings—held March 18-19, 2027; September 16-17 OR 23-24, 2027; and February 17-18, 2028—for the entire duration. IPPI UA will cover relevant travel/lodging for Fellows for events relating to the 2027-2028 Fellowship. *

*Note: IPPI UA can cover travel within the United States. Applicants with U.S. citizenship living abroad may apply, and if they can cover their international travel to the U.S., IPPI UA can then cover local, domestic travel.

• To present a brief synopsis detailing a proposed thesis and research at Meeting 1.
• To present a first draft work in progress, researched and drafted over the spring and summer months of 2027, at Meeting 2.
• To present an updated second draft of the work in progress at Meeting 3, taking into consideration specific commentary from the Distinguished Commentators given at Meeting 2.
• To submit the Paper to a law journal in the WINTER/SUMMER 2028 submission period, or to other journals in their relevant academic disciplines. If unable to submit during this period, you will work with IPPI on an updated and reasonable submission time. *

*Note: Extensions past December 2028 will require approval from IPPI and may negatively impact the research stipend. It is increasingly difficult to pay honoraria once two years have passed since the conclusion of the Fellowship program. Additionally, while feedback on drafts beyond the second draft may be available at IPPI and the Distinguished Commentators discretion, there is no obligation for Distinguished Commentators to comment after Meeting 3.

PAYMENT:

U.S. citizens and green card holders (including those currently abroad) will receive a research stipend of US $3,000, three thousand dollars, paid on delivery of the final draft Paper that is posted to SSRN (www.ssrn.com) and submitted to a law journal or to another academic journal.

If you do not deliver on the above terms, and no formal extension or allowance has been granted, the grant total will be reduced. No extension will be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed.

OWNERSHIP:

You will own all right, title, and interest to the Research Paper and the Project Data (as between the parties). You grant IPPI an unlimited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, indefinite-term, world-wide license to copy, excerpt, distribute, publicly display, transmit, and otherwise communicate the Research Paper to the public in any medium now existing or later created. IPPI will and may include an agreed form of attribution to you for any use it makes of the Research Paper pursuant to this Agreement.

PROMOTION OF RESULTS:

At IPPI’s request, you agree to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with IPPI staff to promote and communicate the results of your Research Paper to the public (“Promotional Activities”). Such activities likely include preparation of a policy brief and a blog post or op-ed summarizing the results of the Paper, participation in a podcast, and other communications and outreach activities.

ATTRIBUTION TO IPPI:

Publication of the Paper will include an acknowledgement of IPPI’s support. Such attribution will include substantially the following information: “The research and writing of this paper was supported by IPPI: The IP Policy Institute at The University of Akron School of Law.”

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR:

In the performance of this potential Agreement, you shall be an independent contractor and not entitled to any benefits to employees of IPPI. All invoices for services must include an Ohio Public Employees Retirement Independent Contractor/Worker Form (OPERS).

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

To apply to be an IPPI Edison Fellow, please email your application to IPPI@uakron.edu. All proposals are treated confidentially. Applications must include: 1) a research proposal (max 5 pages) and 2) your CV and/or resume that includes current mailing address, telephone number, email address, and citizenship status.

Submit the proposal application (numbers 1-2 above) as a single PDF file, titled “Last Name, First Name – Edison Application – date of submission” by C.O.B. 5:00 P.M. ET, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2026.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

For more information regarding this program or other initiatives of IPPI, please visit www.uakron.edu/law/IPPIor reach out to IPPI Executive Director Joshua Kresh at jkresh@uakron.edu.