Knight–Georgetown Institute
Knight–Georgetown Institute
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Fritz Postdoctoral Research Fellow

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Job Overview

Location: Washington, DC

The Georgetown Initiative on Technology and Society  is seeking a Postdoctoral Fritz Research Fellow to work with the Knight–Georgetown Institute (KGI)  and Communication, Culture & Technology (CCT) Program  with research interests at the intersection of technology policy, computational methods, and research translation. As a postdoc, you will work solely on research, spearheading a project that examines when, how and under what conditions academic research is used in tech policymaking and litigation. We expect this position to render multiple co-authored publications. We seek candidates with a Ph.D. in Information Science, Computer Science, Political Science, Law, Policy, Communications or a related social science field.

Along with their mentored research, this fellow will join a cohort of Fritz Family Fellows ranging from undergraduate students through postdoctoral fellows. Each fellow will be working on a different project co-designed and mentored by faculty from at least two different parts of the campus. Ultimately, the Fritz Family Fellowship aims to cultivate the next generation of leaders with expertise in the social impacts of technology, and build a network of public interest technologists who learn from and support each other’s work.

This position will encompass only research.

Research

The Postdoc Fellow is expected to engage only in research. The postdoc will be part of a project led by Meg Jones (CCT), Peter Chapman (KGI), and Leticia Bode (both) that seeks to better understand how, when, how much, what kind, and under what circumstances empirical research is integrated into tech policy litigation in the United States at the federal and state level.

Specifically we seek to establish how often and what types of research are currently being used in the process around tech policymaking. While there are dozens of entities that engage in tech policymaking, we will focus our initial efforts at understanding how research is used in several judicial settings within state and federal courts deciding platform governance cases (e.g, social media regulation, consumer protection and product liability cases, design code cases, age verification cases). Specific project aims related to this goal include understanding:

What research is cited in briefs for platform governance claims at each level of state and federal cases? What research is cited in amicus briefs for platform governance claims at each level of state and federal cases? What are the attributes of that research? How have courts used (or not used) that research? Has it been ignored, incorporated, interpreted, determinative, emphasized, etc?

The postdoc is expected to provide support for all aspects of the project, including overall design, project management, mentorship of at least two student workers on the project, qualitative data collection and analysis, quantitative data collection and analysis, large-scale data scraping from relevant content, extraction of relevant information from those bodies of data, and writing of relevant findings. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience with at least several of the following: current tech policy debates and processes, data scraping, natural language processing, qualitative interviewing and analysis, survey research and analysis, student mentorship, and project management.

The postdoc is expected to run bi-weekly meetings with the project team and attend weekly KGI meetings, as well as participate in KGI events and the broader Georgetown Tech & Society community.

Communication, Culture and Technology

CCT is an interdisciplinary Master’s degree program devoted to the study and design of communication, media, and information technology in the full scope of their social, political, cultural, technical, and economic complexity. We promote a holistic, multidisciplinary analysis of communications and media systems, expanding the boundaries of theory, substantive knowledge, making, and practice. Our curriculum prepares students to be critical thinkers, exemplary scholars, and content creators who apply their knowledge in meaningful ways to the problems and challenges of a world being shaped by the globalizing forces of computational and digital communication and information technologies and international media systems.

Knight-Georgetown Institute

The Knight–Georgetown Institute (KGI) serves as a central hub for translating research into practical resources that policymakers, journalists, and private and public sector leaders can use to tackle information and technology issues in real time, ranging from artificial intelligence to the spread of misinformation and disinformation.

KGI helps policymakers and tech industry leaders address pressing issues related to technology, policy, and ethics and make informed decisions on how technology is used to shape, produce, and share information across platforms. The institute will also train the next generation of leaders to shape the future of information and technology for the common good.

Fellowship details

Fellowships are for one academic year and summer (August 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026, with a possible earlier start date), with the general expectation of renewal for one additional year. Fellows will receive a stipend (range $70,000 – $90,000) and a $5,000 research fund plus health insurance coverage and will be provided working space.

Application Materials

To apply, submit the following items through Interfolio. The deadline for the first review of applications is January 15. After that date, applications will be reviewed on an as-needed, rolling basis.

  • Cover Letter indicating interest in and fit for the position
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Illustrative publication(s)
  • Link for Github profile if applicable
  • Two Reference Letters (to be submitted by the reference writers at this site)

The projected salary for this position is $70,000 – $90,000. Compensation is determined by a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s individual qualifications, experience, education, skills, and certifications, as well as the University’s business needs and external factors.

EEO Statement

Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation), disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.