Past Projects
Examining Social Media Harms
Duke fellows will work with Frances Haugen’s organization, Beyond the Screen to examine harms caused by social media. They will bootstrap one harm area into a level of maturity/rigor that it models what a robust harm mapping looks like. Beyond documenting the harms within the space, they will lay the groundwork for technologists to come in and begin fleshing out strategies for pulling the levers identified by the students in the fall.
Project Leads: David Hoffman
Project Manager: Spencer Reeves
Freedom Online Coalition: Promoting Inclusive and Transnational Digital Equality
The Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) offers a unique informal diplomatic space to share information and concerns about current developments that threaten to compromise Internet freedom around the world and facilitates coordination in relevant forums to advance an open, free, and secure Internet. In addition to contributing to the work of the FOC Chair to develop a glossary for digital equity, students will also assist with the creation of a repository of FOC countries’ best practices on issues pertaining to bridging digital divides.
Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.
Project Manager: Khairunnisa Semesta, PhD, MA
One Mind: Creating Mental Health Technologies and Application Code of Ethics to Scale
Students on this project will work with select companies in the early stages of developing digital, hardware, and biotech mental health tools to develop an ethical framework for operating the company over time. This work will require students to familiarize themselves with a range of new technological applications, including virtual and extended reality, being developed to treat mental health diseases. Students can also expect to learn about the business development of these early-stage applications to create applicable codes of ethics throughout the growth of the businesses.
Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.
Project Manager: Cameron Kim, PhD.
OECD: Mitigating the Risks of Emerging Technologies
Students will coordinate with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Bio-, Nano-, and Converging Technology to develop a governance framework to both encourage the development of and mitigate the potential harms of emerging technologies. Framework development will require creative and interdisciplinary research to identify different dimensions of risks posed by emerging technologies. As part of this work, students will also conduct policy research to identify potential “soft-law” strategies – e.g. principles, standards, guidelines and codes of practice — to shape the trajectory of new technologies.
Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.
Project Manager: Khairunnisa Semesta, PhD., MA
OECD: Developing Impact Assessment Tools for Neurotechnologies
Students will coordinate with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Bio-, Nano-, and Converging Technology to support the development of impact assessment tools for the use of neurotechnologies. This project would constitute Phase I of developing a “neurotech” impact assessment tool that analyses the effects that the adoption of neurotechnology by a business would have on workers, local community members, consumers, and others.
Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.
Project Manager: Cameron Kim, PhD.
OECD: Creating Emerging Technology Foresight Strategies for Synthetic Biology
Students will coordinate with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Bio-, Nano-, and Converging Technology to develop strategies to anticipate the development of emerging technologies and novel applications beginning with the field of Synthetic Biology (synbio). The development of these strategies will help the OECD monitor new technologies and determine their need for governance. The analysis will require desk research and interviews with practitioners in the field who have conducted these studies. This meta-study will assess any systematic gaps in foresight activity for potential benefits and risks in the short, medium, and long term.
Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.
Project Manager: Cameron Kim, PhD.
Illumina: Developing Patient Data Principles: Enabling Patients to Share and Receive Data Confidently
Students on this project will assist Illumina with the development of good genomic data-sharing principles to help garner effective communication and trust among patients, physicians, and genomic researchers. Specifically, students will research and propose data-sharing principles to encourage the ethical collection, sharing, and communication of patient genomic data with their physicians and researchers. Students will also help assist with the development of guidance to inform how results from early development genomic tests should be handled for the patient in cases where the genomic test has not yet been validated.
Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.
Project Manager: Khairunnisa Semesta, PhD., MA
Illumina: Landscape Analysis of Whole Genome Sequencing and New Born Screening
Students will collaborate to develop a document that outlines the current policy, research, and practice landscape of Whole Genome Sequencing for New Born Screening. Students will have the opportunity to conduct a thorough review of the existing literature and consult with relevant stakeholders to synthesize a clear and concise report. The document will provide a broad overview of the various policies, programs, and research initiatives that exist within this field, as well as identify any gaps or challenges that may exist in the ethical consideration of its applications. The document should also include recommendations for future action or research directions. This landscaping document will assist Illumina as a starting point for further policy development or research planning, as well as possibly be shared with governments, non-profit organizations, or academic institutions to inform their decision-making processes.
Project Leads: Nita Farahany, J.D., PhD. and Michael “Buz” Waitzkin, J.D.
Project Manager: Khairunnisa Semesta, PhD., MA