Social Science Research Council Just Tech Fellowship 2022

The Just Tech Fellowship supports and mobilizes diverse and cross-sector cohorts of researchers and practitioners to imagine and create more just, equitable, and representative technological futures.

Fellows will identify and challenge injustices emerging from new technologies, and identify solutions that advance social, political, and economic rights.

2021 Fellowship Theme: Crisis and Reparation

This call invites applicants to explore questions like the following:

• How do new technologies mitigate or reinforce long-term inequities during and after crises? How does technology diminish or enhance community resilience in times of crisis?
• How can different ways of creating and communicating knowledge—from art to data science to community-based research—help us better understand the relationship between crisis and technology? How can these explorations enable us to imagine alternative futures in the aftermath of a crisis?
• How can the lived experiences of marginalized peoples—such as ethnic and religious minorities, gender nonconforming and disabled communities, and those living in poverty—inform the design of just technologies, especially in the face of crisis?

Benefits

• Fellows receive two-year awards of $100,000 per year, robust supplementary funding packages to subsidize additional expenses, and seed funding to work on collaborative projects with other Just Tech Fellows.
• The fellowship will provide the space and time necessary for deep reflection, as well as an engaged community and opportunities to facilitate ambitious co-creation.

Eligibility

• Applicants must hold either a college-level credential, such as a bachelor’s degree in the arts, fine arts, sciences, or a demonstrated track record of success in their respective fields.
• Fellows are expected to reside in the United States during the term of their fellowship, although applications can be from citizens of any country. The SSRC will not sponsor visas, and may not be indicated as an affiliate or sponsor of visa applications.

Selection Criteria

Fellows will be selected on the basis of a rigorous review process. They will be looking for the following criteria in reviewing all applications:

• Critical Research Question: Applicants must state clearly what question(s) they seek to answer with a Just Tech Fellowship.
• Clarity of Purpose: Applicants should communicate how they would use their time as a fellow to systematically uncover evidence, build understanding, and shape public interest solutions to advance the goals of Just Tech.
• Commitment to Program Themes: Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to research that engages purposefully with questions of technology, inequity, and social justice, especially as they relate to the cohort theme of “Crisis and Reparation.”
• Public Impact: Applicants should communicate how their proposed work will contribute to equity and social justice. Applicants should also demonstrate a track record of successful, public-facing work that engages broad audiences through different forms of media.
• Collaboration: Applicants should demonstrate a track record of successful collaboration, as well as a willingness to share, learn, and create with others.

How To Apply

To complete the online application, you will need to provide the following information and documentation:

• Contact Information: Full name and email address
• Critical Question: What is the central question you would want to pursue with a Just Tech Fellowship? (300 characters max)
• Work Statement: In two to three sentences, please describe your work. How does your work focus on the intersection of technology and social justice? (450 characters max)

Full Application Materials (due January 30, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST)

• Resume/CV: Up to three pages (saved as a PDF file). The application portal will also allow applicants to submit a link to personal web pages.
• Personal Statement: Applicants should submit a written or recorded (video) personal statement of up to 500 words (written) OR four (4) minutes (video).
• Work Proposal: Applicants should submit a short proposal for a project focused on the intersection of technology and social justice.
• Samples of Work: Applicants are encouraged (but not required) to share up to two (2) samples of relevant work. Visual and audio samples may be linked or uploaded via the application portal.

Submit Your Expression Of Interest

For more information, visit Just Tech Fellowship.

Application Deadline: January 2, 2022

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