[CITASA] Peer to Patent Summer Research Fellowship
A summer research opportunity based in New York that may interest members of
this list:
[Please feel to repost.]
Peer to Patent Summer Research Fellowship
New York Law School
Summer 2009
Background
Peer to Patent is the groundbreaking program developed by New York Law
School and run in cooperation with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and
the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office, along with the assistance
of a number of private stakeholders. It harnesses the power of
citizen-experts to assist patent examiners by searching for, identifying,
and annotating prior art relevant to pending patent applications. A first
Peer to Patent pilot was launched in June 2007. During the first year the
project participants (peer reviewers) assisted in the prior art searches on
40 patent applications, generating 173 items of prior art. These items of
prior art were the basis of rejection in over ten of the patent applications
considered. In June 2008 the pilot was continued for a second year, and was
recently extended to encompass a pilot program in the United Kingdom.
Research Issue
Although Peer to Patent has attracted over 350 active peer reviewers, the
project team has little or no idea as to the motivations that cause these
individuals voluntarily to contribute their substantial time to the project.
The average reviewer spent approximately six hours searching and
annotating individual patent applications. The project team also does not
fully understand the best means for attracting additional peer reviewers to
the project. In order for the project to scale to larger volumes of
applications, both of these points need to be understood and addressed. More
generally and theoretically, the motivations of citizens in producing
material for governmental use are not well-understood. This fellowship
seeks to provide an account of this sort of activity, as well as generate a
design for a controlled study of incentive mechanisms for these sorts of
activities.
Research Activity
The selected fellow will conduct interviews among a meaningful number of
currently active peer reviewers to elicit their motivations for
participating in the project and contributing their time. The fellow will
review the non-profit motivation literature to provide a number of
alternative methods of reward to determine whether any or all of them would
induce the participants to continue their participation, increase their
participation, encourage others to participate, or cease their participation
altogether. Potential rewards may include: (a) basic recognition; (b)
monetary interest; (c) cash awards; (d) prominent public recognition; (e)
some other form of reward; or (f) no reward whatsoever. The fellow will
develop a survey to be conducted among a wider segment of active and
potential peer reviewers to test for validation of the data gathered in the
initial sampling. From the results of the initial sampling, literature
review, and survey, the fellow will develop findings on which to base an
incentive program to attract and retain peer reviewers. The fellow will
develop an experimental design to test the efficacy of each of these
incentive possibilities.
Term
The fellowship will commence on or about June 1, 2009 and will continue
until on or about August 31, 2009. The fellowship is a full time position
for the three months stipulated; but this is open to negotiation for an
exceptional candidate.
Compensation
The fellow will receive a monthly stipend of $3,000 (based on full time work
status).
Job Qualification
It is expected that the fellow will be pursuing (ABD) or have completed a
PhD in psychology, economics, policy, or communications; or some other
relevant field involving the motivation of content producers.
Application Deadline
April 30, 2009.
Application Procedure
Applicants should send (1) a letter of application detailing their
qualification for the position, (2) a resumé, and (3) a list of three
referees, to:
Ms Naomi Allen
Administrator, Institute for Information
Law & Policy
New York Law School
57 Worth Street
New York NY 10013
Naomi.Allen@nyls.edu
Questions relating to the scope and nature of the fellowship can be directed
to:
Prof. Mark Webbink,
Director, Center for Patent Innovations
New York Law School
mhwebbink@yahoo.com
Prof. Dan Hunter
Director, Institute for Information Law & Policy
New York Law School
dhunter@nyls.edu
New York Law School is an equal opportunity employer that encourages
excellence through diversity. Women and minority candidates are encouraged
to apply.
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