Research initiatives

The STPP Program sponsors multiple applied research projects. In all of our work, we are dedicated to learning about challenges that some communities face to produce more equitable and just technology and technology policy.

We help our students research, write, and disseminate policy briefs. Our Technology Assessment Project (TAP) is pioneering an analogical case study approach to anticipating the social, ethical, equity, and political dimensions of emerging technologies. And we are proud to serve as the University of Michigan's central hub for connecting activities and initiatives across campus around public interest technology (PIT-UN).

 

TAP is a research-intensive think tank that anticipates the implications of emerging technologies so we can develop better and more equitable technology policies."

Molly Kleinman, STPP program manager
TAP

Institutional Failures and Sustained Solutions for Vaccine Hesitancy

Hesitancy stands in the way for COVID-19 herd immunity. This memo finds limitations and failures in scientific and technical institutions and institutionalized mistreatment of marginalized communities are two main causes.
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Wall of cameras picture
TAP

Facial recognition technology use in schools

Through historical case studies of similar technologies, the iterative analysis anticipates consequences of using facial recognition in schools—and it likely has five types of implications, including exacerbating racism.
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TAP

Large Language Models

A new project will explore the social, ethical, and equity dimensions of machine learning algorithms that recognize, predict, and generate human languages.
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Policy brief

Ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines

Many low and middle income countries lack the resources to fully vaccinate their populations. This is profoundly inequitable, and especially problematic, but it is solvable.
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Photo of a black circuit board
PIT U-N

Rethinking Computer Science Education

In a collaboration with the University of Michigan College of Engineering, Michigan Institute for Data Science, and the Detroit Community Technology Project, STPP will rethink how undergraduate and postdoctoral computer science training includes social, moral, equity, and public policy.
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Photo of the MCity driverless shuttle on carrying passengers on a public road (Photo courtesy of MCity)
Policy brief

The Socioeconomic implications of autonomous vehicles

This memo highlights some of the positive and negative economic, infrastructural, environmental, and socioeconomic implications of the widespread adoption of vehicles with a high level of autonomy.
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