UD, AFRL announce first-ever partnership

The University of Dayton School of Law and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory will work together to give Air Force researchers insights into the intersection of law and technology.

It marks the first partnership between the Air Force and a law school. The partnership also will create a forum for the law school and Air Force researchers to agree on pursuing competitive research projects and grants.

AFRL, based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and UD have entered into a three-year educational partnership agreement for the School of Law to provide AFRL engineers and scientists legal training in the area of patents, the university announced Tuesday.

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“Educational partnership agreements with the Air Force historically have been reserved for STEM programs and students,” Sabra Tomb, AFRL partnership program manager, said in a release from the university. “This is the first Air Force educational partnership agreement focused on business, law, technology transfer and transition as well as the first between the Air Force and a law school. This partnership recognizes the need for this type of training in the Department of Defense and directly aligns with and supports the DoD’s direction toward innovation.”

The school and AFRL hope to place 50 employees in the online program per semester, the university said. The program begins in January.

“We are humbled the Air Force Research Laboratory has put its faith in the School of Law to enhance its expertise in business, law and technology transfer, and increase the knowledge of intellectual property and patent law within its science and engineering workforce,” Paul Schlottman, UD School of Law director for strategic initiatives, said in the release.

Representatives from the School of Law and AFRL will hold a kickoff reception Nov. 20, at the Wright Brothers Institute, 444 E 2nd St, Dayton.

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