Practitioner Fellow in Data and Democracy

The School of Data Science and the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia invite applications from activists, journalists, policymakers, artists, and other interested practitioners for the 2023-2024 Practitioner Fellow in Data and Democracy position. The fellowship will support a project that uses data science in support of the public interest and/or explores the social impact and ethics of data science on democracy. The intent is to highlight talents, disciplines, and approaches often excluded or ignored by the field of data science and examine the relationship between data and democratic institutions and democratic culture. 

The goal of the fellowship is an increased awareness of the role of the intersection of data and democracy. The Practitioner Fellow in Data and Democracy will develop a data-oriented project as proposed in their application. This project must be publicly available. Example outcomes of the fellowship could be a public exhibit, performance, popular press articles, a book, formation of new communities, or other work as proposed by the applicant. Will invite all applications covering the broad spectrum of topics at the intersection of data and democracy. However, we especially encourage proposals that link one or more of the following themes to democracy: 

• Algorithmic decision making  

• Data sovereignty  

• Data governance 

• Data privacy 

• Data journalism 

• Data and the rise of misinformation and disinformation 

• Data, polarization, and elections 

Over the course of the appointment, the fellow will be expected to be an active participant in the UVA community and will be invited to attend lectures, visit classes, and engage with students, faculty, staff, and the local community, as appropriate. The fellow will be required to present their work and/or participate in public and private workshops and events. These may include virtual and/or in-person engagements. 

While this position will not require full-time residency in Charlottesville, the fellow will be expected to participate in some events and programs on Grounds. The dates of these engagements will be negotiated depending on schedule.  

The School of Data Science – UVA’s 12th school and the first established since 2007 – will position the University as a global leader in efforts to improve society through teaching and research based on the powerful, emerging field of data science. It builds on a foundation set in place at UVA by the Data Science Institute (DSI), a pan-University institute established in 2013 that grants graduate degrees and has a dual mission in education and research. The new School of Data Science will be a school without walls and seeks to establish new and exciting types of relationships with the private sector. The work crosses disciplines, departments, schools and colleges to leverage UVA’s combined capabilities in data science, and to create meaningful partnerships with government, corporate, and community partners committed to responsible, collaborative, open, and inclusive data science. 

The University of Virginia’s Karsh Institute of Democracy is committed to addressing the urgent challenges facing democracy today and creating a future where democracy’s aspirations and its reality are unified. Uniquely situated in one of the nation’s most esteemed public institutions, the Karsh Institute is a catalyst of action and impact that builds upon UVA’s expertise in the study of democracy, public policy and leadership, and its history as a public institution founded to prepare citizen-leaders to serve a fledgling democracy. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree 

• At least 3 years of experience in relevant work. Master's degree will be considered in lieu of experience.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Master’s Degree in relevant field  

• At least 5 years of experience with relevant work and familiarity with data science and research and scholarship of democracy and democratic institutions and culture 

This position is a part-time, restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding and performance. Anticipated Hiring Range: $40,000-$50-000 commensurate with education and experience. 

This position will remain open until filled. Review of applicants will begin April 10, 2023 

The anticipated start date is July 31st, 2023. 

For additional information about the position, please contact Stefanie Georgakis Abbott at stefanie@virginia.edu. 

This is a Non-Exempt level, benefited position. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit www.hr.virginia.edu/benefits.  

This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas.  
 

To Apply:  
Process for Internal UVA Applicants: Please apply through your Workday Home page, search “Find Jobs”, and search for “R0046020 “ 

Process for External Applicants: Please visit UVA job board at https://uva.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UVAJobs and search for “R0046020 ”. 

Complete an application online with the following documents: 

• Resume, CV, or Portfolio to highlight your previous experience 

• Cover letter that includes: Your interest in the position; Names of UVA scholars you would like to work with, if known; Project proposal, not to exceed three pages, describing the work you would like to complete during the fellowship. Please include a timeline for your project and an explanation of how your work would explore the intersection of data and democracy. 

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all the required documents will not receive full consideration.  

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences. We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information. 

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process Skill Survey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process.  

For questions about the application process, please contact Jon Freeman, Recruiting Specialist, at jf2sw@virginia.edu  

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/. 

COVID Vaccination Requirement and Guidelines

Please visit the UVA COVID-19 Job Requirements and Guidelines webpage prior to applying for current information regarding vaccination requirements and guidelines for employment at UVA.
 

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.

Published: 04/18/2023