Digital Life Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow (EXPIRED)

Cornell Tech’s Digital Life Initiative (DLI) invites applications for its 2022 Fellowship class. This year, we are recruiting for two Fellowship positions:

- Technology Law & Policy Fellowship

- Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

Working alongside and complementing an outstanding, multidisciplinary community of DLI Postdoctoral Fellows, Doctoral Fellows, Visitors, and Faculty, new Fellows will pursue research in, and policy approaches to, a range of urgent topics including but not limited to privacy and surveillance, platform governance, transparency, content moderation, algorithmic discrimination, digital political economy, information control and freedom, fundamental rights, digital inequality, network regulation, and security.

About the Technology Law & Policy Fellowship

The Tech Law Fellow will augment DLI’s research and educational mission, examining digital life through the lens of ethics, politics, and quality of life. With guidance from DLI Director Helen Nissenbaum and from Professor James Grimmelmann, the Tech Law Fellow will develop and pursue legal and policy responses to key societal challenges arising from the development and deployment of digital technologies. 

Although the Technology Law and Policy Fellow will seek to publish legal and policy scholarship, their primary responsibility will be to help lead and communicate the Digital Life Initiative’s legal and policy responses in these areas. They will engage deeply with the US policy-making process, such as by drafting amicus briefs, filing comments with government agencies, reviewing proposed legislation, briefing policy-makers, producing white papers on important policy topics, and communicating with the public and the media. The Tech Law Fellow will also have the opportunity to work with masters and doctoral students enrolled in Cornell Tech's programs in law, computer science, information science, operations research, business, and financial engineering.

About the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship

The Postdoctoral Fellow Digital Life Initiative (DLI) invites applications for its 2022 postdoctoral research fellowship supporting research in ethics, politics, and quality of life in digital societies. Postdocs explore topical issues such as algorithmic decision systems, bias and unfair discrimination, privacy, AI and ethics, and civil society. We welcome applicants from wide-ranging disciplines -- computer and information sciences, law, philosophy, data science, media studies, public policy, and social sciences. Demonstrated interest in contextual integrity is a plus. 

Who Should Apply?

Successful applicants will hold a terminal degree within their field, achieved within the past four years. JDs, JSDs, LLMs, PhDs, and MDs are welcome to apply.  JD, LLM, or JSD degrees, or a Ph.D. in a closely related field such as Public Policy or Political Science. They will have demonstrated experience in research or policymaking in their chosen field. one or more of the activities listed above.  

Fellows are expected to reside in the New York City area and participate actively in the intellectual life of Cornell Tech and the Digital Life Initiative. In addition to pursuing research, Fellows play a crucial role in enriching the DLI with workshops, conferences, and seminars; contributing to the DLI Critical Reflections publication, and presenting their work at the DLI Seminar and other public and internal forums. There may also be teaching opportunities. Particulars will be determined by mutual agreement. 

Both fellowship types are structured as Postdoctoral Associate positions, meaning that applicants should have received the terminal degree in their field. Salary is commensurate with experience and a generous Cornell University benefits package will be provided. 

The initial appointment is for one year, renewable depending on fit and available funding.