The Program on Economics & Privacy (PEP) at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School invites applications for the 2017-18 Privacy Scholars Fellowship Program. The Privacy Scholars Fellowship Program is designed to support research on the economics of privacy and data security. Total honorarium payments of $12,000 per paper will be available to those who complete all stages of the program. The PEP will provide lodging and meals at all events, but participants will be responsible for their own transportation arrangements and expenses.
The Fellowship Program is structured in five stages that are designed to lead to the completion of an original piece of scholarly work suitable for publication.
- Submission of Research Proposal – Submission Deadline of October 13, 2017: Research proposals should include a statement of issue to be addressed, the proposed methodology, as well as a discussion of the feasibility for completion by Summer 2018. Proposals should be no longer than five pages (not including charts, graphs, or bibliography). The PEP will notify those chosen to present a more fully developed draft at the December roundtable by October 23, 2017. Those authors chosen to present will be provided an honorarium of $3,000 after attending the December roundtable. The selection committee includes: Alessandro Acquisti (Carnegie Mellon), Jane Bambauer (University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law), Michael Baye (Indiana University, Kelley School of Business), James Cooper (George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School), Andrew Stivers (Federal Trade Commission), and Catherine Tucker (MIT, Sloan School of Management).
- Research Roundtable at Antonin Scalia Law School (December 14-15, 2017): Selected authors will present expanded drafts at a research roundtable to be held at Antonin Scalia Law School on December 14-15, 2017. Revised drafts should be no more than 25 pages (excluding charts, graphs, and bibliography), and represent substantial work beyond the proposal (e.g., preliminary statistical results). This research roundtable is a workshop designed to provide authors with constructive feedback from expert academics and practitioners in the field. The PEP will make final decisions on which research it will support with a Privacy Scholars Fellowship by December 18, 2017.
- First Draft (February 16, 2018): Each Fellowship recipient is required to submit a First Draft of his or her paper by February 16, 2018. These drafts should be substantially revised based on feedback from the December research roundtable, and should provide reviewers with a clear sense of the approach and direction of the paper. Each First Draft will be subjected to anonymous peer review designed to provide constructive feedback. Comments will be sent to Fellowship recipients in early March. Fellowship recipients will receive an honorarium of $3,000 for timely submission.
- Presentation of Second Draft at Digital Information Policy Scholars Conference at Antonin Scalia Law School (April 27, 2018): Privacy Fellows will submit a revised draft of their paper that responds to comments from peer reviewers for the Third Annual Digital Information Policy Scholars Conference, to be held on April 27, 2018 at Antonin Scalia Law School. Fellowship recipients will present revised drafts of their papers and serve as a discussant for one paper during the conference. Fellowship recipients successfully participating in the Scholars Conference will receive an honorarium of $3,000.
- Completion of Final Draft and Submission to an Academic Journal (Summer 2018): Following presentation at the Scholars Conference, Fellowship recipients are expected to revise their paper and to seek publication in a suitable academic journal. Upon completion of this requirement, Fellowship recipients will receive a final honorarium of $3,000.
Empirical projects are strongly preferred to theoretical or doctrinal research. Topics of special interest include the following:
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- Consumer valuation of privacy
- Identifying and measuring privacy harms
- The impact of privacy and data security regulation on firms, consumers and market outcomes
- Assessing the likelihood and magnitude of harm from data breach
- Measuring the privacy benefits of the Internet
- Consumer responses to privacy disclosures
- The cost of complying with privacy and data security regulations, including the impact on information flows and product design
- The relationship between privacy and data security
- The interface between competition policy and privacy policy
- Issues surrounding biometric privacy laws
- The impact of state and federal privacy laws on the use of online learning in classroom
- Issues related to algorithmic decision-making, machine learning, and artificial intelligence
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The PEP’s mission is to inject sound economic analysis into policy discussions surrounding privacy, data security, and other competition and consumer protection issues facing the digital economy. We pursue this mission through research, education, and hosting public policy programs that bring together academics, thought leaders, and government officials to discuss cutting edge issues involving the digital economy. For more information regarding this program or other initiatives of the PEP, please visit https://pep.gmu.edu.
You may also call or send an email to James Cooper, Associate Professor of Law and Director, Program on Economics & Privacy, at 703.993.9582 or jcoope20@gmu.edu.
