Visiting Scholar Program

Globe on display in library

The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law has a world-renowned program for the study of intellectual property law. Part of the school’s reputation for excellence in intellectual property stems from our community of global vibrant visiting scholars who participate in the Visiting Scholar Program.

The Visiting Scholar Program attracts legal scholars, researchers, and legal policy makers from around the world who wish to participate in the law school’s research and teaching initiatives, conduct comparative research using the law library and, through writing projects, pursue a scholarly agenda.

UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law Visiting Scholars work with our faculty and dedicated Intellectual Property Librarian to pursue their scholarly agendas. They gain access to our IP Library, the largest collection of IP materials in the United States. The scholars may attend limited classes and may be asked to present on their research and writing projects. Visiting scholars are expected to engage in scholarly writing projects while affiliated with UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law.

We welcome and encourage proposals from senior academics and other persons with both relevant academic expertise and the capacity and desire to engage in scholarly writing. Past scholars have included policymakers, government officials, and professionals with extensive backgrounds in their given fields who wish to pursue their research interests.

UNH Franklin Pierce offers two types of programs for visiting scholars:

A Distinguished Visiting Scholar (DVS) is:  A member of the legal profession from the US or other countries, as well as senior academics, policy-makers, government officials and other professionals (both domestic or international) who wish to conduct specific research or learn about US law in a particular field related to their work and/or in the field of Intellectual Property (IP) law.

A Visiting Scholar (VS) is:  A graduate level or Ph.D. level student from the US or another country or university who wishes to conduct research on topics in U.S. law.  These scholars come to the Law School to conduct research often in collaboration with a member of the UNH Franklin Pierce faculty.

UNH Franklin Pierce also accepts applications from Fulbright Scholars. We regularly host Fulbright Scholars from around the globe. Fulbright Scholars are paid post-doctoral researcher in the early stages of their research career.  They seek a position such as a visiting scholar to have the opportunity to work with and learn from talented faculty (such as ours!) to strengthen and increase their research abilities.  They are eagerto build long-term collaborative relationships with US educational institutions and their faculty.  This is a prestigious award to receive and recipients go through a rigorous competitive process to receive such an award.  A Fulbright Scholar may also be a visiting professor.  If so, they are not “admitted” through the Admissions office, rather their teaching arrangement is facilitated administratively through the Dean’s office.  Fulbright Scholars are selected and administered by The Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES).  See https://www.cies.org/applicants for further information.

Explore Visiting Scholars Program

Selection Process

The selection process entails three steps: UNH Franklin Pierce Graduate Programs approval, research proposal approval (by the Visiting Scholars Program Faculty Coordinator), and J-1 Scholar Visa approval.

An applicant must fill out an online application. Please include in your essay the subject, goal, and purpose of your research, as well as any intended publication resulting from your visiting scholarship at UNH Franklin Pierce. We also need to know what resources you desire to meet your goal. Please describe primary, secondary, interdisciplinary, or statistical information resources you anticipate needing while at UNH Franklin Pierce.  We encourage applicants to review our faculty bios and indicate who they would like work with as their faculty mentor.

In addition, please inform us of the duration of your visit with a proposed start and ending date. This allows us to analyze the commitment of our resources required to help you meet your goals. Please also include original degree transcripts and or certifications and proof of English language proficiency.

Inquiries may be made by emailing admissions@law.unh.edu.

Once your proposal has been reviewed and approved, you should receive an electronic reply (a formal invitation letter) within thirty days.

Application Deadlines

UNH Franklin Pierce has rolling admissions, so applying early is very important. Late applicants are evaluated if time and space permit.

Tuition

The Visiting Program fee is $2,500 per semester. For more information about program fees, please see our current tuition information.

Financial Aid

The law school does not assist scholars with program fees or living expenses. The school does not have the ability to assist scholars with the task of securing outside funding.

J-1 Visas

The majority of scholars will need to obtain a J-1 Visa to matriculate as a scholar at UNH Franklin Pierce. Approved candidates will receive an application along with other supporting documents. The process may take anywhere from 4-6 weeks. Questions should be emailed to oiss@unh.edu or call (603) 862-1288.

Housing

There are a variety of housing options in the Concord area. Visiting Scholars are given access to Places4Students where they can view a list of available housing from local landlords. You will need a username and password to access the housing list. All instructions are posted on the housing website. The law school also has limited housing reserved for international visitors. For more information, please contact the Business Office at bsc.office@law.unh.edu

Living Expenses

Living expense costs are established each year, and currently valued at approximately $21,000/year.

Health Insurance

J-1 Exchange Visitors (as well as their accompanying spouses and dependents) are required to  purchase health insurance that covers them for the duration of their exchange visitor program.

Visiting  Scholar Benefits 

Faculty

Each scholar works with a Faculty Mentor who has expertise in the area of the scholar’s research.

Scholars Roundtable meetings

Scholars meet and present their proposals to an audience of other scholars, faculty and students. These meetings facilitate a dialog on the research topics as well as social networking and community building. 

Lectures, Special Activities & Workshops

Scholars are encouraged to attend regularly scheduled IP related events sponsored by the Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property as well as the numerous IP related student organizations. These meetings facilitate social networking and community building. 

Intellectual Property Library 

Scholars have access to the only academic IP Library in the Western Hemisphere. They  can use and checkout books, including our large international and comparative law collection, and can access databases such as Westlaw and LexisNexis as well as a host of specialized IP databases.  The IP Librarian and Reference librarians help Visiting Scholars utilize these print and online resources.

UNH University’s Dimond Library

Scholars may checkout materials from other UNH libraries, including the Dimond Library, a major interdisciplinary university library. 

Research Space

UNH Law provides a dedicated Visiting Scholars’ Office located near to the IP Librarian for access to research expertise. Ample research space is available throughout the Law Library. Study and discussion rooms may be reserved on a short-term basis. 

Social Gatherings

Scholars are encouraged to attend parties and other social/cultural events with students, visiting scholars and their family members. These social events include Chinese New Year and Diwali, both featuring food, presentations, music, dance and colorful decorations. Scholars are also encouraged to attend dinners and parties at faculty member homes, embracing both the international graduate program cohorts as well as the scholars. Occasional social events have included cruising around beautiful Lake Winnipesauke and apple picking in the many orchards around the school in Concord and Southern New Hampshire.