Call for Applications - Researcher – Auditing AI Systems in the Healthcare Sector in India

The deadline for applications is extended to March 25, 2023.

Applications are strongly encouraged from individuals belonging to historically marginalised communities, including caste-oppressed communities, women, LGBTQIA+ people, and people with a disability/disabilities.

Scope of Work

The researcher will undertake primary research on a project on mapping the data supply chain infrastructure in the healthcare sector in India, to critically analyse the ethical frameworks that are adopted (or lack thereof) in the development and deployment of AI systems in these areas. The study will adopt a mixed methods approach to arrive at a comprehensive overview of best practices in these sectors, and an assessment framework to help audit and develop robust data management and regulation practices in adherence with global but contextual ethical standards.

The selected researcher will work with the core research team in developing the research design and scope of the study, and undertake primary and secondary research including literature review, building research instruments, data collection,  analysis and report writing. The researcher will also be expected to liaise with external vendors to conduct quantitative fieldwork and interviews,  and support in outreach and dissemination activities.

This is a full-time research position (40 hours per week). Depending on time commitments and inclination, the researcher may also have opportunities to collaborate with other research clusters at CIS.

We seek candidates who are available to start immediately.

Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities for this position include:

Primary Research

• Co-creating the research design, building research instruments (survey questionnaires and interview guides) and implementation of qualitative and quantitative fieldwork.

• Analysis of primary and secondary data

Secondary Research

• Co-produce literature reviews and stakeholder mapping, with a focus on academic and policy developments in this space.

Authorship

• Co-author the production of the final report outlining learnings from the study, and assessment framework for auditing AI systems in the healthcare sector in India.

• Individually and jointly author academic and semi-academic outputs such as papers, book chapters etc.

• Individually and jointly author public-facing outputs such as open datasets, policy briefs, blogs, opinion pieces etc.

• Participate in the production of accessible and non-traditional outputs including multimedia content, brochures, translations etc.

Outreach

• Ensure research findings are accessible to a wide network of stakeholders, and engage with an array of actors in India and elsewhere.

• Participate in, and help organise outreach events such as conferences, seminars, events, panels etc.

Non-research

• Actively participate in regular team meetings

• Participate in capacity building sessions organised at CIS

• Identify and support fund-raising activities

Requirements

Essential

• A masters’ degree and/or relevant research experience of 3+ years in social sciences, technology studies, cultural studies, journalism, public policy, development studies, or related fields.

• Strong research skills, specifically in quantitative methods. Proficiency in at least one statistical package (STATA, SPSS, or R)

• Strong writing skills, and ability to produce accessible research for a variety of audiences, including policy makers, journalists, academia and non-expert groups

• Familiarity with developments in, and literature on (but not limited to) artificial intelligence and ethics, algorithmic bias, AI auditability, data privacy and regulation.

Desirable

• Proficiency in any one or more Indian languages

• Experience of coordinating with a diverse set of stakeholders

• Experience of conducting industry research in the area of healthcare services.

Salary and benefits

A gross figure of INR 75,000 per month (commensurate with the relevance of prior work, skill set and qualification), support for reasonable work from home needs, and a modest health insurance plan.

CIS has a liberal leaves and holidays policy, including paternity leave, menstrual leave and adequate compensatory leave.

Covid-19 considerations

CIS has transitioned into a ‘remote-first’ workplace, and we expect work-from-home protocols (with the option to work out of CIS’s Bengaluru office available) to be in place for the foreseeable future. However, some of this work may require some face-to-face interaction with actors such as data collection agencies and respondents during the primary data collection stage. We will be creating affordances for the risks of covid-19 exposure such as using telephonic interviews, and look forward to exploring innovative forms of data collection as well. However, we anticipate that especially for emergent sectors, where we may not have a pre-existing network, we may be required to ‘enter the field’.

Application materials

Please send in the below application materials as a merged PDF/Word/Open Office Document file to [email protected] and [email protected] by March 25, 2023 (deadline extended). Please share your applications with the following subject line: Application for full-time Researcher [AI and Healthcare]

• Your resume or CV.

• Cover letter (upto 500 words). You may reflect upon, and describe your prior and ongoing research experience. You may also illustrate your personal or professional engagements with working for/with marginalised communities. Do indicate your desired start date and fit of this position with professional trajectories and aspirations.

• 2 writing samples. Typically published, these should be relevant to the requirements for this position, and may display your writing versatility.

Feel free to contact us with any questions about the position. Questions about the opportunity or process will not reflect negatively on your application. We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet all the requirements!

Timelines

Opening of application window

March 3, 2023

Closing of application window

March 25, 2023

Shortlisting, and interviews (on a rolling basis)

March – April  2023

Expected Start Date

April 15,  2023