Summer Research Fellowship 2021
Description
The Technology Science Program and Public Interest Technology Lab (“Tech Lab”), led by Harvard Professor Latanya Sweeney, is hosting summer research fellowships to work on projects that explore and expose the unforeseen consequences of technology. Fellows will work with Technology Science and Tech Lab researchers to tackle problems in the public interest such as consumer protection, privacy, elections, and fairness.
Former Technology Science fellows and students have successfully identified vulnerabilities in voter registration websites, helped change Facebook’s data collection policies, pushed health insurance companies to examine their reporting requirements, and exposed the “Tiger Mom Tax” from Princeton Review’s SAT tutoring service. Check out the Journal of Technology Science for more information.
Projects
As a Summer Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to work on the following projects:
consumer protection
algorithmic fairness
experiments related to public interest tech
Programs
The 10-week half-time program requires ongoing research engagement for about 20 hours per week, each week for 10 weeks.
The 2-week part-time program is an intense opportunity to complete a targeted research engagement of 40 hours in two weeks (or do a capstone on a prior approved research experience).
Both programs are remote with interactions conducted online and over Zoom.
Qualifications
Basic qualifications:
Strong academic background in undergraduate or graduate studies
Basic social science knowledge (e.g. economics, political science, sociology), public policy, statistics, or computer science
Ability to work independently and in team settings
Strong communication and writing skills in producing research reports
Other qualifications for specific project needs:
Previous research experience in data collection and analysis techniques from coursework or employment. Students without prior research experience may also apply.
Programming knowledge in data analysis, visualization, web scraping, and web design (any language)
We highly encourage students from underrepresented groups and minorities to apply. Unfortunately, we currently cannot accept international applicants who need visa sponsorship, but please contact Karen McCabe (karen_mccabe@hks.harvard.edu) if you have any questions.
Logistics and Compensation
We offer a stipend of $3,500 for the 10-week fellowship program and $600 for the 2-week fellowship program.
Summer Research Fellows should plan to work on a rolling basis for the 10 weeks between May 24, 2021 – August 16, 2021.