Funded PhD position in CLARITY / Institute of Ethics DCU
Ethics of the Sensor Web
Applications are sought from suitably qualified candidates to work on ethical aspects of sensor networks.
Inexpensive, trustworthy and flexible sensor technologies are being developed that are rapidly closing the physical-digital divide. Combined with software and the Internet they are introducing a whole new world of input data from the physical world to the wider web. Sensors will gather data from a huge variety of realms of the physical world: from pollution in our natural environment, traffic in our cities, energy consumption in our houses to physiological data in our bodies. Better information provided by the sensor web will enable people to make better decisions and live healthier, safer and more productive lives.
However, like other new technologies, the Sensor Web is not free of ethical challenges. Identifying these ethical questions at an early stage is not only part of science’s responsibility toward society, but also in the interest of the field itself: it enables the field to flourish by preventing it from investing time and money in directions that are likely to lack societal support.
The focus of the PhD is about ethical considerations associated with one or more of the sensor web applications under development across the CLARITY centre - possibly lifelogging, environmental monitoring, sports and wellness, or combinations thereof.
CLARITY CSET is a partnership between University College Dublin, Dublin City University and Tyndall National Institute. CLARITY research centre focuses on the intersection between two important research areas - Adaptive Sensing and Information Discovery - to develop innovative new technologies of critical importance to Ireland's future industry base and contribute to improving the quality of life of people in areas such as personal health, digital media and management of our environment. The overarching theme of CLARITY's research programme -bringing information to life- refers to the harvesting and harnessing of large volumes of sensed information, from both the physical world in which we live, and the digital world of modern communications & computing. The technology developed by CLARITY will help to empower the citizen by taming the information overload problem currently facing individuals, helping to ensure that everyone has access to the right information at the right time.
The successful candidate would be expected to work in a multidisciplinary environment and have affinity with and expertise in technology and ethics. He/she will be based in the Institute of Ethics in DCU but this position will involve spending considerable time at the CLARITY labs in DCU, UCD and Tyndall National Institute as well.
Graduates with an honours 2.1 or 1.1 degree in Computing, Law, Ethics or related areas and an interest/experience in bioethics are invited to apply. Funding is available for a PhD student for 3 years, to cover university fees and an annual tax free stipend of €16,000.
For further informal enquires, please contact Prof. Bert Gordijn (bert.gordijn (at) dcu.ie). To apply please send a cover letter, CV, a writing sample and contact details of two referees to: Prof. Bert Gordijn, Institute of Ethics, Henry Grattan Building, Dublin City University, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Ireland. Email: (bert.gordijn (at) dcu.ie).
The deadline for applications is 15 August 2010.