The Patent Bootcamp for Women and Minorities in STEM — a one-day primer on the basics of patent law and the patent application process — will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Friday, September 13, in the E.J. Ball Courtroom at the University of Arkansas School of Law.

The event is intended to shed light on the acute "innovation gap" and patenting gap in Arkansas, equip women and minorities in STEM with basic knowledge of U.S. patent law, guide participants through the patent application process, encourage participants to proactively protect their rights and empower participants with tools that they need to guard their innovation against theft and exploitation.

Nearly 20 presenters from varied backgrounds will address a range of subjects through five panel discussions and three addresses. Topics include overview of intellectual property rights; choosing between patents and trade secrets; how to conduct patent searches; patent application preparations and pre-filing considerations; how to write a patent application; purpose of a patent claim; introduction to patent claim drafting; introduction to the U.S. patent system; the ABC's of patent prosecution; post-grant patent proceedings; strategic patent counseling; the relationship between patents, innovation and entrepreneurship; challenges to patenting for women and minorities; patenting in Arkansas; and diversifying innovation.

Although the target audiences are women and minorities in STEM programs at the University of Arkansas, the bootcamp is open to entrepreneurs and innovators throughout Northwest Arkansas and beyond, including members of indigenous communities in the area with proprietary traditional knowledge.