The Data Justice Lab is looking for fellows to collaborate with us on exploring how to democratize the datafied society. The fellowships can either be based at the Lab in Cardiff, UK, or be conducted online. We are interested in diverse project ideas that address the overall theme. This could be a study on community resistance to datafication, research on participatory forms of data governance, the development of a citizen toolkit, or other approaches – we are open to your thinking.

What we are looking for

We welcome proposals from academics and practitioners who want to advance participation and citizen voices in a datafied world. You can come from any discipline but you must have a strong interest in the implications of big data with demonstrable experience. Your proposal must also indicate how you hope to contribute to our current project (please see the project description below). As well, you should be looking for an opportunity to put your ideas into practice. We are particularly, but not exclusively, interested in applications from the Global South.

Working with us

The Data Justice Lab is a research institute situated within Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies and the Faculty of Information and Media Studies at Western Ontario University, Canada. We have become a prominent voice in the field of critical data studies and deliver high impact research and events. We are a small team with big ideas where everyone contributes equally to discussion and ideas.

This fellowship is an opportunity to have real input in the Lab’s project work while also making the case for data justice. Fellows will attend weekly meetings and can expect the support and camaraderie from Lab colleagues. There may also be the opportunity to get involved in other project related outputs such as workshops, conferences or publications.

The fellowship should take place between March and September 2023. You are welcome to propose an exact time (within this broader period) that you prefer.

Funding

Fellows will work with us for 2-3 months and receive a £1000 stipend (per month). Those joining us physically at Cardiff will receive a contribution to their travel costs. We will also consider applications for shorter or longer fellowships.

The broader theme

With our current work on ‘Democratizing the Datafied Society’, we explore the ways in which affected communities address, influence, and resist the increasing roll-out of data systems, AI and automated decision-making in the governance of societies, and we seek to investigate building-blocks for a more participatory and democratic form of data governance. The project builds on our previous work ‘Towards Democratic Auditing: Civic Participation in the Scoring Society’ (you will find the project report here: https://datajusticelab.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/CivicParticipation_DataJusticeLab_Report2022.pdf and a website summarising the issues here: http://datafiedsociety.org/). 

How to apply

To apply, submit your CV and a letter of intent (800 words max) that clearly indicates your proposed project and outlines how it will address the theme of ‘Democratizing the Datafied Society’. Please email your application to datajusticelab@cardiff.ac.uk

Deadline is 15 January 2023.