This is a student internship position under the Pathways Internship Program.
Imagine a transformative summer experience working closely with intellectual property (IP) leaders as part of USPTO's Anthony Bowen Internship Program. Here we celebrate, support, and thrive by building the bridge between IP and accessibility for all. Join us as part of a team that makes meaningful changes with a global impact across the IP Community.
Summary
This is a student internship position under the Pathways Internship Program.
Imagine a transformative summer experience working closely with intellectual property (IP) leaders as part of USPTO's Anthony Bowen Internship Program. Here we celebrate, support, and thrive by building the bridge between IP and accessibility for all. Join us as part of a team that makes meaningful changes with a global impact across the IP Community.
Candidates must be enrolled as a student (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; or advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate. Students must be in good academic standing (GPA of 2.75 or higher).
This exciting internship opportunity will start in early June 2025 and end no later than August 29, 2025. Some things you should know:
The duties assigned to this position are authorized to be performed in the United States (currently defined as the fifty states and the District of Columbia) and Puerto Rico.
This position permits, but does not require, 100% remote work. The official duty station and physical worksite for employees who do not opt for 100% remote work will be the Alexandria, VA Headquarters or one of the USPTO's Regional Offices located in Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Detroit, MI or San Jose, CA. The official duty station for employees who opt for 100% remote work, will be their approved remote work location. Employees' locality pay will be determined by the location of their official duty station.
Apply quickly!This announcement may be limited to the first 150 applications received. All applications received prior to midnight (11:59PM ET) of the day the application limit is reached will be accepted and considered. If the application limit is not reached by the closing date of the announcement, all applications received during the open period will be considered. All required documents must be submitted at the time you apply, as documents will not be accepted past the day the application limit is reached (if applicable).
As a USPTO Anthony Bowen Intern, you will receive practical, virtual hands-on experience by engaging in a variety of diverse and challenging activities. This exciting opportunity is ideal for you if:
You are interested in engaging directly with leaders to gain insight into the USPTO mission.
You desire to develop or enhance your personal and professional skills.
You're inspired by creative environments that allow you to contribute to the accomplishment of organizational goals.
You desire to explore federal careers while completing your education.
You're committed to training and development on various topics relating to the USPTO and government service.
You're excited about assisting with special projects and new initiatives including preparing and delivering a capstone project with a group of fellow interns.
You're an effective writer who finds interest in drafting various documents and reports, creating spreadsheets and charts, etc., to present a variety of data and information.
Assisting with IT projects excites you.
You're enthused and interested in observing meetings, appeal hearings, cases, and panels.
Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
Meet educational requirement.
Must be enrolled as a degree-seeking student in a qualifying educational institution.
Must be at least 16 years of age.
Must be in good academic standing (GPA of 2.75 or higher).
You must be suitable for Federal Employment.
You are required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
Qualifications
All applicants applying to participate in the internship must meet the following requirements:
GS-4: Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study or an associate's degree. Two full academic years of undergraduate credit hours determined by the college or university attended. Qualifying education includes technical, trade, or vocational school; college or university; a graduate or professional school (e.g., law school or medical school); or a post-secondary homeschool curriculum.
GS-5: Completion of 4 full academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree. Qualifying education includes technical, trade, or vocational school; college or university; a graduate or professional school (e.g., law school or medical school); or a post-secondary homeschool curriculum.
All education beyond high school must be accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Education
Candidates must be enrolled as a student at least half-time basis as determined by the educational institution (including 4-year colleges/universities, community colleges, and junior colleges); professional, technical, vocational, and trade school; or advanced degree programs; or other qualifying educational institution pursuing a qualifying degree or certificate. Students must be in good academic standing (GPA of 2.75 or higher).
Please note that if you are a Spring 2025 graduate, you will not be eligible for this internship opportunity unless you are accepted for enrollment at a qualifying educational institution seeking an additional degree (diploma, certificate, degree program, etc.) or an advanced degree. You must submit proof of acceptance along with your current transcripts for consideration.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to General Schedule Qualifications Policies for more information.
Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of coursework and the degree. A listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course-by-course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.
Additional information
This is a student internship position under the Pathways Internship Program.
Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
All federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.
All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity via email (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Eligibility for appointment is based on applicants meeting the basic requirements for the position as documented in the resume and responses to the questionnaire. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for immediate dismissal.
An HR Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.
If you are referred, you will be contacted via email and may be invited for an interview.
Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference eligibles will be considered before non-preference eligibles.
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications; optional cover letter: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience.
Transcripts AND Official Proof of Enrollment Letter for the upcoming semester at a qualifying educational institution: You MUST submit copies of your school transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable when submitting your application package. However, if selected you will be required to submit an official transcript. Official Proof of Enrollment and/or course schedule for the upcoming semester should be for your current qualifying educational institution in order to verify education requirements.
Veterans' Preference Documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility, you will be asked to submit a copy of your DD-214 containing your discharge disposition, dates of service, and rank. If you are a preference eligible claiming a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, you will be asked to submit documentation (i.e., a letter dated 1991 or later from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces) certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation. Veterans must include dates of military service within the automated application process and submit a copy of each Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214. For more information, please visit Special Appointing Authorities for Veterans.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You MUST apply online. If you experience difficulties with the application process or do not have access to a computer, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the point of contact before the closing date of this job announcement.
If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page. Once you have gathered all of the required information and are ready to begin the application process, click the "APPLY" button at the right side of the page. You will then be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce application site for USPTO. You must click "Submit" at the end of the application process to send your application for consideration.
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov/ and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, then select "Update Application."
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! OPM has a Help feature on each page. Use this option when you need assistance.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs "Saved Documents" feature.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth.
Please ensure that you have removed all Personally Identifiable Information from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your applications material.
PATS - Patent Experience Extern Program
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application. You will also receive notification through USAJOBS at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received; (2) applicant assessed for qualifications; (3) applicant referred or not referred; and (4) selected or not selected.
After all application packages have been received, we will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided.
You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the 'Notification Settings' to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications; optional cover letter: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience.
Transcripts AND Official Proof of Enrollment Letter for the upcoming semester at a qualifying educational institution: You MUST submit copies of your school transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable when submitting your application package. However, if selected you will be required to submit an official transcript. Official Proof of Enrollment and/or course schedule for the upcoming semester should be for your current qualifying educational institution in order to verify education requirements.
Veterans' Preference Documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility, you will be asked to submit a copy of your DD-214 containing your discharge disposition, dates of service, and rank. If you are a preference eligible claiming a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, you will be asked to submit documentation (i.e., a letter dated 1991 or later from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces) certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation. Veterans must include dates of military service within the automated application process and submit a copy of each Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214. For more information, please visit Special Appointing Authorities for Veterans.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You MUST apply online. If you experience difficulties with the application process or do not have access to a computer, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the point of contact before the closing date of this job announcement.
If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page. Once you have gathered all of the required information and are ready to begin the application process, click the "APPLY" button at the right side of the page. You will then be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce application site for USPTO. You must click "Submit" at the end of the application process to send your application for consideration.
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov/ and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, then select "Update Application."
If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! OPM has a Help feature on each page. Use this option when you need assistance.
All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs "Saved Documents" feature.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth.
Please ensure that you have removed all Personally Identifiable Information from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your applications material.
PATS - Patent Experience Extern Program
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application. You will also receive notification through USAJOBS at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received; (2) applicant assessed for qualifications; (3) applicant referred or not referred; and (4) selected or not selected.
After all application packages have been received, we will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided.
You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJOBS. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the 'Notification Settings' to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
