Opportunities & Events
Get involved in Public Interest Technology.
Research and Other Opportunities
PIT-UN provides many opportunities for research through grants and research submissions.
Network Challenge FundThe Network Challenge seeks to encourage new ideas, foster collaborations, and incentivize resource- and information-sharing among network members. The broad goal is to fund projects that help train a new generation of graduates who have both technological literacy and a rigorous foundation to navigate the societal, ethical, legal, policy, and equity implications of technology by offering a systematic way of studying technology as a tool for addressing social problems in the world. Proposals are considered once a year. W&M reviews W&M submissions and chooses especially competitive ones for transmittal to PIT-UN. |
US/UK Privacy-Enhancing Technologies Prize ChallengesFirst announced at President Joe Biden’s Summit for Democracy, co-sponsored by the National Institute for Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation, and planned in coordination with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and counterparts in the United Kingdom, the US prize challenge will run in parallel to the UK edition and feature finalist’s solutions at the 2nd Summit for Democracy, in the first half of 2023. US Participants will be eligible to win prizes from a total prize purse of $800,000. More details on the challenge phases and rules can be found on the driven data page. Applications closed September 4, 2022. |
Submit a Case StudyStudents and faculty may have their educational work in PIT publicized through submitting a case study. Case studies may be submitted on New America's PIT-UN website. |
Imagining a PIT Future: A PIT-UN Student Creative Arts ContestStudents are defining the future of public interest technology (PIT). Your work, ideas, and commitment are shaping how technology is designed, created, and used responsibly for the public good. Imagining a PIT Future: A Public Interest Technology University Network Student Creative Arts Contest is an open call for student clubs to use creative expression to reimagine a PIT future that centers community in technology development, innovation, and service delivery. In keeping with PIT-UN’s mission of advancing the field to benefit communities around the globe, the contest will draw from a wide range of creative perspectives from students across U.S. campuses to show how meaningful co-created design is the only feasible tech future. Students may win up to $1,000. All submissions are due by Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. |
The Constellation PrizeThe Constellation Prize seeks to reimagine what engineering is for by celebrating engineers and their collaborators whose work embodies the ideals of environmental protection, social justice, human rights, and peace. Nominations for the second cohort of winners will be accepted through December 9, 2022, and the winners will be announced in early 2023. Submissions are limited to US-based engineers, their collaborators, and collaborative efforts that unfold within the US. For more information on the award and nomination process, click the button below. |
Sovereign Identity Crisis: State, Self, and Collective in a Digital Age SymposiumJoin the Temple University Institute for Law, Innovation & Technology (iLIT) and the Temple Law Review (TLR) for a joint symposium: Sovereign Identity Crisis: State, Self, and Collective in a Digital Age. The symposium will explore different dimensions of sovereignty in a digital age, from the territorial integrity of states to the inner sanctum of bodily autonomy and freedom of thought. Through three interactive panels and keynote remarks, this provocative, interdisciplinary day of discussion will examine competing priorities, promises and players in emerging governing agendas for the future of technology. Scholars, activists, industry giants and many other stakeholders have issued wide ranging calls to reexamine how sovereignty is understood and practiced today. These calls are often voiced in silos created by sector, discipline or constituency, but in each case new critical examinations of sovereignty strike a common chord. Speakers in this symposium contribute distinct perspectives on the event’s theme, defining sovereignty within the framework of colonial histories, new geopolitical realities, the digitization, securitization and privatization of state functions, and the growing influence of industry over digital infrastructure. Program highlights include a keynote address by the incredible writer and political analyst Nanjala Nyabola, a virtual keynote by Professor E. Tendayi Achiume, UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, and concluding remarks from Estonian Member of European Parliament Marina Kaljurand. Participation in the event is free of charge. For participants seeking U.S. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit for their participation, up to five substantive CLE credits are available and varying fees apply for general admission, students, alumni, and public interest lawyers. More information is provided on the registration page.Date: Thursday, November 17, 2022Time: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ESTLocation: Shusterman Hall and onlineTo learn more or register, click here |
Careers and Internships in PIT
W&M and the PIT-UN network provide many opportunities for work in public interest technology. A few follow:
2020-2021 geoFellowshipFellows had the opportunity to work directly with practitioners in the intelligence community and from Silicon Valley on a project examining 'data poisoning'—the act of intentionally changing data to manipulate algorithms. |
2023 Congressional Innovation FellowshipProgram for mid-career technologists who are interested in making an impact at the highest level—in Congress—starting January 2023. Fellows will serve from January - December 2023 and receive a stipend of $86,700 with up to $11,000 in benefits. Applications closed on August 10th, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET. |
2023 Congressional Innovation ScholarsProgram for early-career technologist who are interested in making an impact at the highest level—in Congress—starting January 2023. Early-career fellows will serve from January - October 2023 and receive an annual-equivalent stipend of $63,240 with up to $9,000 in benefits. Applications closed on August 10th, 2022 at 11:59 pm ET. |
PIT-UN ResourcesPIT-UN connects students to fellowship, career, and volunteer opportunities for students to get a closer look at key decision makers and technologies in Public Interest Technology. |
Past Events in Public Interest Technology
While there are many more, below are some recent events in public interest technology.
CCI Symposium: Data in Cyber-Physical SystemsOn June 17, 2022, William & Mary's Center for Court and Legal Technology hosted a symposium focused on cyber-physical systems: intelligent computing systems with intertwined physical and software capabilities and control by computer-based algorithms. This hybrid event focused on two major questions: (i) How and why do data in cyber-physical systems raise new considerations for commerce and our nation? (ii) Why are law and policy more important now than ever for education and research in cybersecurity? |
William & Mary's Annual Tech DayWilliam & Mary's Mason School of Business hosts an Annual Tech Day, a full day of virtual thought leadership and employer networking. Top technology companies from across the country are represented throughout the day as well. |
PIT-UN Summer Speaker SeriesPIT-UN's Summer Speaker Series (June 20-July 1, 2022) was a great opportunity to learn more about public interest technology and how research and education is expanding our understanding of the relationship between technology and society. William & Mary's Center for Legal & Court Technology provided a program dealing with law and technology. |
