[Air-L] New generously funded PhD Project - Digital ethics in a big data age: the challenges of privacy and consent

[Paul Henman]

Dear colleagues

Please circulate and pass on to potential high calibre students!

PhD Project - Digital ethics in a big data age: the challenges of privacy and consent
In an increasing digitised world, processes of consent, privacy and data protection are much more complex and poorly protected. Understanding digital ethics in a big data age is essential for building trusted, ethical and socially accepted personalised health technologies. This research project might tackle questions such as:

*        What are the new ethical challenges for obtaining informed user consent with new digital health technologies?

*        Does our established practice of point-in-time informed consent need to change to reflect a dynamic informed consent approach?

*        In what ways do consumers understand how their personal health data is used and the implications for their privacy and security when they give consent, for example when using a FitBit or a DNA genealogy kit?

*        Do our notions of privacy also need to change in the face of new technologies?

*        Are there new trade-offs being made between privacy and improved health outcomes and how do we navigate these benefits/disbenefits at individual and societal levels?

The Experience
This project provides a unique opportunity to work with CSIRO<https://www.csiro.au/en/About/Future-Science-Platforms> scientists involved in developing new technologies, and be part of a major collaboration including a cohort of 8 PhD students and 2 postdoctoral fellows working on responsible innovation.

Scholarship
The scholarship (for either Australian or International students) covers tuition fees and provides a living stipend of AUD$32,096 per annum, plus a project budget of up to $16,000 across the project.

See https://graduate-school.uq.edu.au/csiro-uq-ri for more information and how to apply.

Paul

Paul Henman
Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Policy Futures &
Associate Professor of Digital Sociology and Social Policy, School of Social Science
University of Queensland  QLD  4072
T: +61 7 3443 3142| E: P.Henman at uq.edu.au<mailto:P.Henman at uq.edu.au> | W: http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/708 | www.digitalsocialpolicy.com<http://www.digitalsocialpolicy.com/>

Selected recent publications:
Webportal vs google for finding government information on the web<https://content.iospress.com/articles/information-polity/ip180071?resultNumber=2&totalResults=18&start=0&q=henman&resultsPageSize=10&rows=10>, Information Polity (with Tim Graham)
Of algorithms, apps and advice: digital social policy and service delivery<https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/fJCkMsRAtUsFJHky4i2m/full>, Journal of Asian Public Policy
Affording choice: how website designs create and constrain 'choice'<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1369118X.2018.1476570>, Information Communication & Society (with Tim Graham)
The computer says 'DEBT'<https://zenodo.org/record/884117#.WcTlEsh97IU>: Towards a critical sociology of algorithms and algorithmic governance, Data for policy conference, London.
Performing the state<https://www.routledge.com/Performing-the-State-Critical-encounters-with-performance-measurement/Henman-Gable/p/book/9781138104587>: Critical encounters with performance measurement in social and public policy, Routledge.

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