5th SpicyIP Fellowship 2017-18: Applications Close on March 10

Have you applied for the SpicyIP Fellowship yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Apply immediately! Applications close on March 10, 2017. The details of the Fellowship are as below. If you wish to read what our current batch of fellows have to say about their experience so far, please click here.

About the Fellowship

For those of you new to the blog, the SpicyIP fellowship is a coveted position for those seeking to make a mark in the world of IP. Warning though: it entails a high level of rigour in research and writing! Though great fun as well, given the range of topics covered and the freedom you enjoy in creatively crafting your take on various IP cases and developments.

We are now looking for a fresh set of sharp, passionate and dedicated fellows who can help us grow even spicier this year. Apart from the sheer joy of writing, the selected Fellows will earn a stipend of approximately Rs. 35,000 a year (Rs. 750 per post).

Our Journey So Far

SpicyIP’s avowed aim is to produce a more transparent, collaborative and productive IP and innovation ecosystem in India. We’ve been working very hard towards achieving this for the last ten years or so (you can read about our conference last year to mark this momentous occasion of our tenth year anniversary).

We say so, albeit with modesty: our efforts have not gone unnoticed. Last year, our criticism of the broad-based John Doe orders was acknowledged and well-received by the Bombay High Court in one of its orders. Recently, we were listed among the top IP blogs in the world here and here! Some of our other achievements can be viewed here.

We now boast a subscriber base of over 5,700 and our blog receiving an average of 1, 43, 000 views per month. Our blog stats too show the growth we’ve had over the years, thanks in great part to our readers who keep us on our toes with their rigorous critique of our posts.

Eligibility

Anybody is welcome to apply. Sex no bar, age no bar, caste no bar, ideology no bar. So long as you are committed to the craft of writing, and possess a keen mind willing to learn and an attitude open to experimenting with fun formats and themes, this is the place for you!

How to apply? 

• Interested candidates are required to submit the following to <[email protected]> with “5^thSpicyIP Fellowship” in the subject line (Important: If “5th SpicyIP Fellowship” is not put in the subject line, the e-mail may be missed):
  1. At least two (2) blog posts over a period of four weeks from 10^th February to 10^th March, 2017;
  2. CV (not exceeding 2 pages); and
  3. A statement (not exceeding 1000 words) as to why the applicant thinks he/she would be a good fit for the blog.
• The posts must be relevant to the Indian IP landscape even if not directly about an Indian development. If you’re not sure whether your topic will be suitable, you may check with us at [email protected] with “Fellowship Topic Check” in the subject line.
• All posts must be analytical and not merely descriptive. Posts that reflect on current IP developments will be preferred. Even historical IP related issues or posts that reflect on larger IP themes at a conceptual or macro level are welcome.
• The word count of each post must not exceed 1200 words.
• Fellows will be selected based on the quality of the posts submitted to us during this four week period. If the two posts submitted by the applicant are not sufficient to make a determination of suitability for the fellowship, more posts may be required after mutual dialogue with the applicant.
• The name of selected Fellows will be announced on the blog.
• If the first post from an applicant is of sub-standard quality, further posts from him/her will not be considered, barring exceptional circumstances.
• The posts that meet the editorial standards of the blog will be published as guest posts. However, if the topic has already been covered on the blog, then the post will not be published unless it introduces in a new angle or dimension or perspective.

Evaluation criteria

• Topical Relevance
• Research skills
• Grammar/Lucidity /Language skills
• Logical flow, coherence and structure
• Enthusiasm/passion
• Creativity
• Discipline/Timeliness/Proactivity

Terms and conditions

• Once selected, Fellows will be on a probationary period for the first two months of the fellowship. The probationary period may be extended if more time is required to assess the performance of the Fellows.
• Fellows will be required to write a minimum of 4 posts per month for a period of 12 months. If notified in advance, this can be reduced to 2 during the months of internship (maximum twice a year) and exempted during the period of exams (maximum twice a year).
• These posts can be on either the Fellows’ own preferred topics so long as they fit within our broader mission statement, or ones chosen from a pool of topics open to all members.
• Each post must be of a minimum of 900 words and preferably under 1200 words (unless the situation otherwise warrants).
• Apart from the posts, the Fellows may be required to assist in research. Depending on the load of research, posting requirements may be adjusted accordingly.
• The fellowship period will begin on March 20, 2017 and run till March 19, 2018.
• Once the probationary period is over and the fellowship is confirmed, the Fellow will be paid a stipend (approximately Rs. 750 per post). If we receive more donor funding, we will enhance this stipendiary amount.
• We are also co-branding some of these fellowships. The SpicyIP-ORF Fellowship is one such fellowship and we will blog on this shortly. We welcome other prospective donors and associations/individuals with an interest in IP journalism/research/writing/policy to help us create more co-branded fellowships and attract a wider talent pool to the blog.

Termination

• If the Fellow does not fulfill his/her obligations as set out above or otherwise deemed unfit for the blog during the probationary period, we will not confirm the fellowship.
• After confirmation of the fellowship, if a Fellow is found to not fulfill his/her obligations at any time during the fellowship period, we reserve the right to terminate the fellowship at any point in time.

If there are any questions, please do let us know. We look forward to receiving your applications!