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Public Interest Technology

The George Washington University

GW Public Interest Technology Scholars Program

Program Purpose 

Public interest technology is both a rapidly growing field and a field that requires interdisciplinary insight and cooperation. Public interest technologists often engage in interdisciplinary research that may not fit the traditional norms for publication, promotion, and tenure in their home field. GW's Public Interest Technology Scholars program will identify, highlight, and honor select GW faculty who are engaging in interdisciplinary research and making contributions to the field of public interest technology. Two GW faculty members will be named as GW Public Interest Technology Scholars for a period of up to two years.  

Eligibility  

To be eligible, faculty members must be: 

  • Full-time, regular active status faculty  
  • In good standing with the university and exemplify good research ethics and behavior 
  • Currently conducting demonstrable research and/or scholarship in the field of public interest technology  

Expectations of Scholars 

Scholars are expected to: 

  • Be ambassadors for public interest technology and foster collaborations with faculty at GW who are involved in public interest technology. 
  • Continue their interdisciplinary public interest technology work, either through a specific research project, community outreach, scholarship and/or through curricular development. 
  • Encourage others at GW to work in an interdisciplinary manner through their examples and leadership. This could by via publication, mentorship, course instruction, collaboration, public seminars or other means. 
  • Present on their efforts in a public forum(s) highlighting both the public interest nature of their work and its interdisciplinarity

Application: ​​​​Due Tuesday, January 9, 2024 by 1:00PM 

Applications must be submitted through OVPR's InfoReady Portal. The competition is titled “GW Public Interest Technology Scholars Program”. Please select the “Login for George Washington University Users” and login with your GW credentials (User ID and password). Paper and emailed copies of proposal components will not be accepted. 

Complete applications will consist of the following components: 

  • Application narrative 
  • Curriculum vitae (CV) 
  • ORCiD (ORCiD ID) - strongly encouraged at time of application; required if selected as a scholar 
  • ​​​​​Endorsement from the Department Chair in the form of a PDF of either an endorsement letter or an email 

In a 1-2 page narrative, applicants should effectively address the following points: 

  • Overview of Interdisciplinary Work: Provide a concise overview of the applicant's interdisciplinary work in the field of public interest technology. This should include specific projects, community outreach efforts, scholarship, and/or any contributions to curricular development. 
  • Significance and Impact: Describe the significance and impact of the applicant's interdisciplinary work in the context of public interest technology. How has their work contributed to the advancement of this field? 
  • Public Engagement and Dissemination: Detail how the applicant has engaged with the public to highlight the public interest nature of their work and its interdisciplinarity. This could include seminars, workshops, publications, or other public forums. 
  • Long-Term Commitment: Provide insights into the applicant's commitment to continued interdisciplinary work in the field of public interest technology beyond the tenure of the program. 
  • Professional Ethos and Research Ethics: Highlight the applicant's adherence to good research ethics and behavior, demonstrating their dedication to maintaining high standards in their academic pursuits.  
  • Vision for the Program: Applicants may share their vision for how they would contribute to the success and growth of the GW Public Interest Technology Scholar program. 

Review Process 

All applications must provide evidence through the narrative and CV delineating the applicant’s interdisciplinary work and how that work has contributed to public interest technology.  The Office of the Vice Provost for Research will lead the review of the applications and select two scholars.   

Contact 

Programmatic and eligibility questions can be sent to [email protected]; for InfoReady technical issues enter “Tech” in the subject line.