Texas A&M University School of Law is offering the Shamnad Basheer Intellectual Property/Trade Fellowship in collaboration with the Association for Accessible Medicines. The deadline for applications is September 15, 2019. Information on eligibility, fellowship and application requirements is available below.

The fellowship is created in memory of  Prof. (Dr.) Shamnad Basheer, the founder of SpicyIP, a leading blog/repository on intellectual property (IP) and innovation law/policy, and the Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access to Legal Education ​initiative (IDIA).

“There is much too much to focus on Shamnad Basheer. The idea for IDIA Foundation, SpicyIP – the name, the blog from India, the friends who wrote in it and how he made it into an impactful forum, his involvement in ​public interest litigation, contributions to Indian IP, his powerful interventions made contrary to [Indian] Supreme Court practices – e.g, the Novartis case, and his contributions to academia and more,” said Srividhya Ragavan, professor of law at Texas A&M University School of Law.

“This fellowship hopes to capture and highlight the important legacy of Shamnad Basheer who was an outstanding lawyer with social commitment.” 

Shamnad Basheer IP/Trade Fellowship with Texas A&M University School of Law
In memory of Shamnad Basheer the founder of SpicyIP and IDIA, the Association for Accessible Medicines in collaboration with the Texas A&M University School of Law invites applications for the Shamnad Basheer IP/Trade Fellowship with Texas A&M University School of Law. 

The fellow will work closely with Professor Srividhya Ragavan of Texas A&M University School of Law and Jonathan Kimball of the Association for Accessible Medicines to produce a white paper that examines the Special 301 submissions of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The fellow will evaluate the submissions’ role and impact on USTR policymaking and their consistency with the approach to intellectual property protection and enforcement outlined in the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (Trade Promotion Authority) and the May 10 Agreement concerning international trade negotiations and access to healthcare and pharmaceutical innovation.
Eligibility: Researchers of all ranks are eligible to apply for the fellowship. All applicants must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest, including past employment with, consultation for, or ownership of any substantial financial interest in any company or organization that would benefit from their white paper.
Terms: The fellowship will be for a period of three months, extendable to up to five months. The opinions and conclusions contained in the white paper are the fellow’s sole responsibility and do not reflect the views of Texas A&M University School of Law.
The Shamnad Basheer IP/Trade Fellow will receive a stipend of $10,000, subject to the following requirements:
a.) Preparation and submission to Texas A&M University School of Law of a white paper addressing the foregoing questions – the opinions and conclusions in which shall be the fellow’s sole responsibility, and do not reflect the views of the School of Law;
b.) Spending up to five days in residence at Texas A&M University School of Law, presenting the white paper to faculty and students; and 
c.) Presenting the paper at a policy forum in Washington, D.C. 
Note: In addition to the stipend, Texas A&M University School of Law will cover reasonable travel and lodging expenses for the law school residency, up to $2,000.  The Law School will further cover the travel, lodging, and food expenses for the visiting fellow’s travel to Washington, D.C.
Applications: Applications not to exceed 300 words, outlining the candidate’s interest and highlighting any relevant past work, should be submitted, along with a curriculum vitae, to Ms. Lori Bacon (lbacon@law.tamu.edu) along with subject line "Shamnad Basheer Fellowship" no later than September 15, 2019.
Questions may be directed to Professor Srividhya Ragavan, at ragavan.sri@tamu.edu.