Sotenberg Funds will be held in both an endowment and an interest bearing bank account or short term financial instrument (eg. Certificate of Deposit ). The endowment fund will serve to perpetuate availability of funds through long range goals. Grants will be issued when funds become available and the Board of Directors deems it appropriate.

Basic requirements for eligibility for a Sotenberg Grant:

A grant of $2000 may only be awarded to a first time patentee or patent applicant to subsidize the expenses incurred to obtain his or her very first patent.
The grant will be provided in part or in full, on presentation of statements or receipts, and at the discretion of the EIA, to pay for drawings, prototypes, patent attorney fees, U.S.P.T.O. fees , and other related expenses incurred in the process of acquiring a U.S. patent.
There is no age restriction
A Sotenberg Grant may be awarded to two groups: to an EIA member and to a Thomas A. Edison Regional Inventors Fair Participant.

Rules and Regulations Pertaining to EIA Members Applying for a Sotenberg Grant :

1. Any U.S. Citizen who is an EIA member-in-good-standing, regardless of need, may apply for a Sotenberg Grant. A business entity may not apply.

2 The Selection Committee:

A) The Selection Committee will be composed of a total of 3 or 5 members-in-good-standing. If 3 sit on the committee, at least one member shall be represented from each the board and the general membership. If 5 sit on the committee, at least two members shall be represented from both the board and the general membership.

B) The Board of Directors will vote on which board member(s) will serve on the Selection Committee. The general membership will vote on which general member(s) will serve.

C) The Board of Directors reserves the right to remove any Selection Committee member not serving in the best interests of the membership or the Sotenberg Fund. If contested, the membership shall have the final vote.

D) Committee members shall not have a conflict of interest or show favoritism based solely on prior knowledge of an applicant. Committee members forfeit the right to apply for a grant while they serve on the committee.

E) The EIA President may appoint one or more Selection Committee member(s) in the absence of a deciding vote by the board or general membership.

3. Grant recipients will be responsible for any personal tax liabilities that may arise as a result of the funds awarded.

4. Phase One: All applications will be subject to a review to verify all basic requirements are met. Basic requirements pertain to 'first patent' status and qualifying dates only. The invention, its development and market planning have no bearing on this initial review. December deadline.

Phase Two: All applicants that qualify will be interviewed by the Selection Committee.

Phase Three: General membership vote to select winner from group of finalists. Winner announced at the following March meeting.

5. Qualifications:

A) 'Member-in-good-standing' status begins on the first day of paid membership.

B) An applicant must be in the process of applying for his or her first patent or his or her first patent had issued within the previous twelve month period from the date of submission of the Sotenberg Grant Application. For the year 2006, the period of time for an applicant's first patent issuance is extended to eighteen (18) months to allow for a six month grace period to compensate for the time needed to discuss and approve the rules and regulations governing the grant process. Applications may be submitted for review at any time. The date upon which the application is postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service or received in person by the Edison Inventors Association will be recognized as the qualifying date as it pertains to the date of issuance of the patent.

C) One or more grants may be offered at the time the Board of Directors deems funds are available. This may or may not be annually.

Applications for the grant program will be accepted any time during the year.

All applications submitted since the application cut off date for the prior grant selection process shall become eligible for the next grant as long as the applicant remains a member-in-good-standing. The review may take place by the selection committee even though a date for the next grant offering may not have been announced.

6. Grant Selection Criteria

A) Originality of invention

B) Perceived benefit of the invention

C) Demonstration of the applicant's entrepreneurial intentions with his or her invention. This may be in the form of a business plan or a written paper describing the applicant's "Road Map to Success". Areas of consideration may include:

a) Demographics and the population or industry the invention will serve.

b) Prototyping and manufacturing issues.

c) Funding business development, the cost of doing business and sales projections.

d) Licensing of intellectual property.

7) Phase Three: The Selection Committee will offer a list of one or more finalists. The Sotenberg Grant Recipient will be chosen by a ballot vote of the general membership following presentations by each of the finalists. Any one person may receive only one grant.

The first Sotenberg Grant Application Deadline is December 31, 2006. The first Sotenberg Grant Recipient will be announced at the March 2007 general membership meeting Rules and Regulations in Selecting a Thomas A. Edison Regional Inventors Fair Participant : The student's entry clearly represents an understanding of the U.S. patent process as it relates to his or her invention to be eligible for consideration. All interested EIA members may participate on this Selection Committee which may include entrepreneurial people who are not members of the Edison Inventors Association.

2006 Application

Member Name:
Address: (Street)
(City) (State) (Zip)

Preferred method of contact. ( Phone, E-mail, Letter):
Have you ever applied for a U.S. Patent? Yes No
Is this your first U.S. Patent Application? Yes No
Have you ever been granted a U.S. Patent? Yes No Date of Issuance:
(A photocopy of the Notice of Issuance or U.S. Patent shall be provided as proof of date.)
_______________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer Statement: The Edison Inventors Association, Inc. Encourages all members and participants to respect the intellectual property rights of each other during the course of any discussions at meetings. As we are here to learn, to find assistance and to help each other, we can only hope all parties respect this wish. We caution all who attend, intellectual property protection is the strongest legal recourse an individual has with regard to protecting their ideas. The E.I.A., Inc. can not guarantee in any manner whatsoever any intellectual property protection with the public exposure of an inventor's ideas. Suggestions or advice are offered in good faith. The inventor assumes all risks in acting on the information provided.

Hold Harmless Agreement: The Edison Inventors Association, Inc., Officers, Board of Directors, and Selection Committee Members will not be held accountable for the unscrupulous actions of any one member. Further, the Association offers the Sotenberg Grant Program in good faith. The applicant is advised to apply for intellectual property protection prior to submitting an application. Confidentiality will be encouraged among all parties involved but can not be guaranteed during any phase of the selection process.

I have read the Disclaimer Statement and Hold Harmless Agreement and agree to abide by the intent of each.

Signature _________________________________ Date ___________________

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