Videos from the 2024 Summit

PIT Business Models

The private sector has a major role to play in the future of public interest technology. Leaders from San José State University, enterprise software company SAP and the recently launched Corporation for Public Interest Technology (CPIT) discussed the structures, policies and innovations needed to create technology products that yield financial returns while also protecting and advancing privacy, transparency and the public interest.

For more on PIT business models, be sure to check out CPIT’s new landscape on the state of the field, Technology Ethics & PIT Practitioners 2024.

Watch: PIT Business Models

The DISCO Network Affiliate Program is bringing together a small cohort of individuals for a series of workshops on the theme of "technoskepticism" — how marginalized communities navigate the balance between embracing and rejecting emerging technologies. Learn more & apply by Dec. 1.

The University of Michigan Braid research team is hosting a webinar on Using
Storytelling to Promote Social Learning from 4-5:15 pm ET on Wed, Dec. 4. Speakers will provide real-world examples of how they use Braid's open access platform and educational tool to improve social learning outcomes. Learn more & register.

Northeastern University College of Social Sciences and Humanities seeks to fill two open-rank faculty positions in AI governance, with an emphasis on public policy dimensions and regulations of AI and related technologies and the ethical, legal, and societal implications. The hiring committee has a special interest in those examining AI governance in the global south. Review of applications will begin on Dec.1. Learn more & apply.

The Social Science Research Council will convene institutional leaders from the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences with leaders of philanthropic organizations and federal science agencies on Dec. 6. Together, they will share insights about how to foster social and behavioral science that helps policymakers solve pressing social problems. This event serves as a good resource for advancing regional and local PIT priorities through partnerships with funders and government. For more information about the conference or about the College and University Fund for the Social Sciences, please contact Lisa Marshall at marshall@ssrc.org.

MIT's Technology and Policy Program (TPP) is a research-based, two-year master's program offered by MIT's Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, where students learn how to address complex and large-scale challenges at the intersection of science, technology, and policy. Typically, TPP students' tuition and a monthly stipend are provided by their lab/research group as part of a paid research assistantship. To learn more, attend an informational webinar or contact Admissions Coordinator Elena Byrne at tpp@mit.edu. Learn more & apply by Dec. 15.

Students interested in the societal impacts of science and technology are encouraged to apply to become a spring 2025 Paragon Policy Fellow and work at the forefront of tech policy with state and local governments across the country. Paragon is a flexible, project-based experience tailored to fit busy semester schedules. The program will run from Jan. 22 to May 1, 2025 and all fellows and project leads will receive a stipend of $500. Learn more and apply by Jan. 5, 2025.

The Midwest Junto for the History of Science has issued a call for papers for its 66th annual meeting. The meeting will be held March 21-23, 2025 at Missouri S&T in Rolla. An abstract of 250 to 300 words of your proposed paper on any aspect of the history of science, technology, or medicine, as well as related STS fields should be submitted electronically on this form, by 11:59 pm CST Jan. 8, 2025. For more information, see the Midwest Junto website.

The Govern for America fellowship is a competitive two-year program that propels emerging leaders from diverse backgrounds into key positions in government to address the nation’s biggest challenges. Fellows receive intensive training, responsive mentorship, and support from an extraordinary community of peers doing inspiring work around the country. Learn more & apply by Jan. 12, 2025.

The International Symposium on Ethics in Engineering, Science, and Technology (ETHICS), to be held June 6–8 in Evanston, Illinois, has issued a call for abstracts, papers, and workshop and panel proposals. Hosted by the Department of Black Studies at Northwestern University, the ETHICS-2025 theme is “Emerging Technologies, Ethics, and Social Justice.” Learn more & submit by Jan. 13 (panel session and tutorial/workshop proposals) and Jan. 27 (papers and poster abstracts).

New America’s Fellows Program invests in thinkers — journalists, scholars, filmmakers, and public policy analysts — who generate big, bold ideas that have an impact and spark new conversations about the most pressing issues of our day. Learn more & apply for the Class of 2026 by 11:59 p.m. EST Feb. 3, 2025.

The Public Interest Technologist is a new online publication aimed at helping the MIT community think together about the social responsibilities of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who design and implement technologies of various kinds. Read the latest issue.