The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is seeking candidates for the position of Research Assistant to Belfer Center Director and former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter. The Belfer Center is the hub of Harvard Kennedy School's research, teaching, and training in international security and diplomacy, environmental and resource issues, and science and technology policy. Honored as a Center of Excellence in 2020, the Belfer Center was named the world's #1 university-affiliated think tank for the previous six years.
The Research Assistant will provide support to Ash Carter in his capacity as Director of the Belfer Center and in his role as Director of the Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Project. Duties will include conducting in-depth research on topics such as the role of technology in changing global affairs and in U.S. society, particularly involving the impact of emerging technologies in three areas: digital, biotech, and the future of work. The RA also will conduct research on a range of major international security issues.
The Research Assistant will work closely with other members of a small research team to develop various research products (such as memos, reports, and background materials), coordinate events, and perform other job duties as required.
- Research, analyze, draft, and edit a variety of written products (i.e. memos, papers, and reports) related to leading issues in the technology sector, the financial industry, and government policy and legislation.
- Track current developments in the technology sector with a specific focus on public purpose dimensions including, but not limited to, privacy, competitiveness, support for innovation, bias, and freedom of speech.
- Brief Secretary Carter frequently on issues related to technology and public purpose, as well as other national security topics.
- Organize high-level events with tech industry leaders, Harvard faculty, and the broader Boston community.
This is a benefits eligible term appointment ending one year from date of hire, with the possibility of renewal.
Please upload the following materials in a single pdf:
(1) Cover letter of 300 words or less
(2) One-page résumé
(3) Official or unofficial transcript from undergraduate and graduate institution
(4) Analytic writing sample of 20 pages or less (focus on technology is preferred)
(5) Names and contact information for three references
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TAPP Project Description:
Technological change has brought immeasurable benefits to billions through improved health, productivity, and convenience. Yet as recent events have shown, unless we actively manage their risks to society, new technologies may also bring unforeseen destructive consequences. Making technological change positive for all is the critical challenge of our time. We ourselves - not only the logic of discovery and market forces - must manage it. To create a future where technology serves humanity as a whole, we need a new approach.
To this end, Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs has launched the Technology and Public Purpose (TAPP) Project. Led by Belfer Center Director, MIT Innovation Fellow, and former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, the TAPP Project works to ensure that emerging technologies are developed and managed in ways that serve the overall public good.
Much as the reforms of the Progressive movement softened the edges of the farm-to-factory migration a century ago, we aim to create a set of conditions that leaven today's technological change across three domains: digital, biotech, and the future of work. TAPP leverages a network of experts from Harvard University, MIT, and Stanford, along with leaders in technology, government, and business to work on the following priorities:
Training & Mentorship – Training today's practitioners and tomorrow's leaders in the responsible development and management of new technologies.
Convening Stakeholders – Convening leaders in tech, policy, academia, and civil society to develop solutions to the societal dilemmas of emerging technologies.
Publishing Leading Edge Research – Conducting world-class research on high-risk technologies and frameworks for effective development and governance.
Salary Grade: 054
Union: 55 - Hvd Union Cler & Tech Workers |
