Not-Equal | Join Network+ | Social Justice through the Digital Economy. – Not-Equal – supporting social justice in the digital economy | Challenges: Algorithmic social justice, digital security & fairness in work

About Not-Equal Network+

Not-Equal is a UKRI funded network, NetworkPlus, that aims to foster new collaborations in order to create the conditions for digital technology to support social justice, and develop a path for inclusive digital innovation and a fairer future for all in and through the digital economy.

Over the last three years, the network has brought together researchers, communities and partners from industry, public and the third sector organizations, to explore and co-create practical responses to issues of fairness and justice in technology design and its use.

Not-Equal has offered NetworkPlus partners a variety of funding opportunities to explore and stimulate ideas, as well as supporting the commissioning of innovative research that directly addresses and encourage social justice in our digital society.

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Not-Equal Network+ Challenges

NetworkPlus has identified three broad challenge areas and questions related to computer-supported decision making, digital security in everyday lives and the future of work.

Algorithmic Social Justice

We use computers to make decisions about our lives and our services. How can computers and their underlining algorithms help make the decisions that affect us all, fairer?

Digital Security for all

Computers and applications should safeguard and protect the interests of everyone. What digital security models can ensure the safeguarding of all in our digital society?

Fairer futures for business + workforce

Digital platforms create value and opportunities. What business models may offer fairer opportunities and working conditions for all in the platform economy?

Not-Equal Network+ Activities

Not-Equal and NetworkPlus has delivered and funded activities to understand and explore key issues in our digital society and respond to these through the commissioning of collaborative projects.

Understand

NetworkPlus has expanded on the agenda and key issues within the three broad challenge areas by engaging our partners’ organisations and academic communities as well as delivering a programme of Youth and Community Engagement. Outputs from these engagements have guided the focus and tailoring of NetworkPlus activities.

Explore

Seed funding has been offered to NetworkPlus partners, communities and academics to run Open Events aiming to explore issues in each challenge area in more depth as well as consider what modes of collaborative work and research can be better suited to foster social justice in technology design and implementation.

Respond

Not-Equal has run an Open Commissioning programme, to support and fund short and longer term research collaborations between partners and academic communities that directly respond to the issues and questions identified through NetworkPlus engagement activities.

Outputs from events and commissions will be shared within NetworkPlus so that all network partners can benefit from these. NetworkPlus will also commission policy papers, drawing from all activities, in order to provide guidance for policymaking and influence UK society at the regulatory level.

Not-Equal Network+ Open Events

Partners have been able to access funds to run Open Events that aim to explore a specific question within the broad challenge areas, develop ideas and/or build capacity. Open Events include workshops, design & development sprints, hackathons and theory hacks. Outcomes of explorations are shared in NetworkPlus and used to guide the Open Commissioning programme.

Youth and Community Engagement

The engagement programme has explored social justice and technology with community groups, youth organisations and school pupils and ensured their voices influence and inform the Open Commissioning process. The engagement programme has also included the creation of a Community Panel that contributed to the assessment of project proposals and supported decision-making over projects to be commissioned.

Open Commissioning

Small (5K) and larger funds (up to 40K) have supported short-term research, secondments or longer research collaborations between NetworkPlus partners, early career researchers (ECRs) and academics that directly respond to issues identified by NetworkPlus partners. Transdisciplinary collaborations between partners and ECRs have been encouraged and support during the project proposal planning stage made available.

Not-Equal Team

Not-Equal’s Team is made of HCI, Security, Design, Civic Engagement academics and practitioners and include experts from industry, the third sectors and academia.

Clara Crivellaro
Principal investigator
Newcastle University

Lizzie Coles-Kemp
Co-Investigator
Royal Holloway University of London

Ann Light
Co-Investigator
University of Sussex

Alan Dix
Co-Investigator
Swansea University

Rachel Sparks
Manager
Newcastle University

Elisabeth Churchill
Steering Group
Google

Libby Kinsey
Steering Group
Digital Catapult

Simon Burrall
Steering Group
Involve

Maria Angela Ferrario
Steering Group
Lancaster University

Pamela Briggs
Steering Group
Northumbria University

Reema Patel
Steering Group
Ada Lovelace Institute

Anat Elhalal
Steering Group

Jenny Solen Lees
Community Champion
Newcastle University

Emily Barker
Communications Officer
Newcastle University

Daniel Parry
Digital Content Creator
Newcastle University

Ian Johnson
Community and Policy Researcher
Newcastle University

Megan Venn-Wycherley
Youth and Technology Researcher
Newcastle University

Not-Equal Network+ Partners

Over 30 partners from industry, public and third sector organisations have joined the network, linked through a shared interest and commitment to the aims and goals of social justice.