Data & Society Fellowship Program

Data & Society is an NYC-based research institute focused on social, cultural, and ethical issues arising from data-centric technological development.

Program

Data & Society is currently looking to assemble its 2015 class of fellows. The fellowship program brings together an eclectic network of researchers, entrepreneurs, activists, policy creators, journalists, geeks, and public intellectuals who are interested in engaging one another on the key issues introduced by the increasing availability of data in society. We are looking for a diverse group of people who can see both the opportunities and challenges presented by access to data and who have a vision for a project that can inform the public or shape the future of society.

Fellows are the heart and soul of Data & Society and are expected to develop innovative initiatives, interact with people who hold diverse perspectives, and participate in the creation of a growing community. Data & Society is a new organization and many aspects of this program are continuing to evolve. Fellows play a pivotal role in shaping the Institute’s character and formation.

Projects

Potential fellows are invited to imagine a specific project or activity that they will execute to help society’s understanding of and ability to adapt to a world permeated by data. Successful fellowship projects are high-impact initiatives that engage broad audiences to inform, convene, intervene, or provoke. We are open to a wide range of potential outputs, from white papers and op-eds to multi-stakeholder events to technological artifacts. We are especially interested in interdisciplinary, cross-sector, or crazy ideas that tackle challenges facing society that don’t easily fit into a predefined category or box.

To offer a sense of the kinds of projects that may be appropriate, consider what would be needed to help address the following questions. Please note that this is just a list to help imagine projects, not a prescriptive list of what we are looking for.

• -- How can we increase public access to data while minimizing potential abuses? How do these dynamics shift if we’re talking about urban data, health data, or behavioral data?
• -- What kinds of advice would help designers, entrepreneurs, and startups navigate the social, legal, and ethical dynamics of working with data? How can we build a structure to support these actors?
• -- How can we increase the public’s understanding of data and algorithms? What does it mean to increase data literacy? How do we empower educators, librarians, and cultural institutions to inform the public?
• -- How might we leverage different metaphors to help interrogate what’s unfolding? Data philanthropy? Data supply chains? Data fracking?
• -- How are the fields of civil rights, criminal justice, education, government, health, journalism, law, etc. changed by data? What frameworks would help ground those fields?
• -- What kinds of technical/social/legal/economic interventions can help address new inequities that emerge because of predictive analytics?
• -- How do we measure the impact of data collection and use? How do we measure the impact of regulations intended to protect or empower people?

Mix

We are seeking a small group of (approximately 4-8) new fellows with different types of expertise and knowledge. We are purposefully looking for a diverse mix of researchers and practitioners. Researchers may be postdocs, faculty on leave, or independent scholars. We are disciplinarily agnostic and welcome people from critical, empirical, technical, and humanistic fields. Practitioners may include activists, educators, entrepreneurs, journalists, makers, policy analysts, or public intellectuals.

Participation

Fellows will be expected to be in partial residence at Data & Society’s Flatiron District home in Manhattan and to participate in weekly activities. Fellows will be encouraged to work on their own projects, host events, and collaborate with others. Data & Society supports a vibrant mix of thinkers and doers so we are especially interested in fellows who are excited by community building. Fellows may be part time, provided that they can dedicate at least Thursdays to being fully focused on Data & Society efforts.

Term

Fellowships are individually crafted to suit the needs of the fellow and the project. The typical fellowship is full time for one year (with the possibility of renewal). We expect the 2015 fellows to be in place and active at Data & Society by September 2015, but we are open to fellows starting earlier.

Funding

Stipends, benefits, and project funding are negotiated on a case-by-case basis and depend on our ability to fundraise for the fellows program. Our goal is to work with fellows to identify and provide the resources and structure needed to support their proposed projects. For this reason, we encourage applicants to be upfront about what they’ll need to be successful. The typical fellowship includes approximately $30,000 in Data & Society support; some fellows ask for stipends while others ask for resources to support their projects (e.g., RA time, event costs, etc.). All fellows will have access to desks/workspaces, email address, and organizational support.

As a 501(c)(3), we are able to support fellows in applying for both federal and philanthropic grants. We provide fellows with support in applying for grants, and we work with fellows who are holding their own grants to craft an appropriate fellowship that allows fellows to commit to their grantors.

APPLICATION

Please review the application form carefully before submitting.

In addition to a variety of basic information about you and your work, the materials you will need to prepare include:

• -- short cover letter;
• -- resume or CV;
• -- work sample;
• -- project summary and full proposal;
• -- discussion of required resources; and
• -- names and email addresses of three references.