Site Experience Education Program

Help Us Improve the Quality of the Patent Examination Process

The USPTO funds travel costs for patent examiner Site Experience Education to commercial, industrial, and academic institutions within the continental U.S.   The organizations who volunteer to host these visits contribute to improving the quality of patent examination by keeping patent examiners updated on the latest technologies and innovations in their field of examination.

Your Chance to Interact Directly with Patent Examiners   

The SEE program seeks to put experts such as innovators, scientists, and engineers together with examiners right where innovation is happening. Participating organizations have to chance to communicate directly with patent examiners and gain a greater understanding of the importance of the patent system and how it works.

Showcase Your Real-World Technologies

Organizations who participate in the SEE Program give patent examiners an opportunity to visit real-world sites, learn about new and evolving technologies, and experience how these technologies are developed and operate in the field.

An Opportunity to Conduct On-Site Training

The SEE Program presents an opportunity for organizations to provide patent examiners with technical training first-hand from innovators, scientists, engineers, and experts working directly in the various technologies examined throughout the USPTO.

Interested In Volunteering?

If you are interested in volunteering in the SEE program, submit your request online through the SEE Program Interest Form.  If you have questions or would like more information on the SEE program, please contact us at the email address in the Contact Information section.

The SEE Program is not intended as an opportunity for applicants to discuss pending applications with USPTO employees or to circumvent normal communication between applicants or applicants' representatives and USPTO employees. SEE participants are not to provide advice or recommendations to the USPTO.

Volunteer Now to participate in SEE.

The Patent Examiner Technical Training Program offers technologists, scientists, engineers, and other experts from industry and academia an opportunity to voluntarily provide technical training and expertise to patent examiners in-person or virtually from their own location. 

Presentations can be delivered in-person at our headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, or at one of our regional offices in Dallas, Texas, Denver, Colorado, Detroit, Michigan and Silicon Valley, California.

To learn more, visit the Patent Examiner Technical Training Program (PETTP) page.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the SEE program, please email us at SEE@uspto.gov or view our SEE Flyer.

The following is a list of organizations who were involved in the Site Experience Education Program. Their contributions ensure that patent examiners remain updated on the latest technologies and innovations in their field.

The USPTO offers its sincere thanks to all SEE participants, as your involvement is essential to building a stronger intellectual property system!

Inclusion on the lists of specific organizations, attorneys, law firms, individuals, or corporations does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the USPTO.

The Stakeholder Training on Examination Practice and Procedure program offers those interested training opportunities to better their understanding  of the examination process at the USPTO.  Training material used is derived from material developed for training patent examiners. 

To learn more visit the Stakeholder Training on Examination Practice and Procedure (STEPP) page.