Request for Applications

We are excited to announce the launch of Justice Dialogues, which will bring together 15-20 scholars across career stages and disciplinary backgrounds for a series of virtual discussions over the course of 2025. The primary aims focus on building capacity for the future of justice-forward bioethics research and integrating justice frameworks into scholars’ new or ongoing work in emerging biotechnologies, including but not limited to genomics, AI, and precision medicine

Justice Dialogues is convened by Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Shawneequa Callier, and Janet K. Shim. Our discussions will be anchored by assigned readings, featured speakers with subject matter expertise, and moderated discussions. The focus will be on different frameworks of justice, explicitly designed to reach beyond the Eurocentric bioethics canon, and to consider issues of inequity, injustice and power in the development and application of biotechnologies. Dialogues will involve deep engagement with justice frameworks and group exploration of potential empirical applications and adaptations. Participants will be expected and encouraged to bring their own disciplinary perspectives and research interests to bear in each dialogue. Justice Dialogues Scholars will collaboratively develop discussion questions, reflections on possible applications of justice frameworks, and educational resources for wider circulation. Our intent is to seed a community and scholarly network that will be cultivated throughout the Justice Dialogues year, and sustained after the year has concluded.

We encourage applicants with research interests in bioethics (broadly defined) from various disciplinary backgrounds. Prior expertise and/or specialization in bioethics is not required. Our preference is for participants who are already engaged in, or have near-term plans to launch, research projects on bioethics topics that center questions of equity, power, and justice. Please see the FAQs below for more information, or contact Project Director Caitlin McMahon at [email protected] with any additional queries.

We accept applications from scholars outside the US.

Travel expenses to the two planned in-person meetings will be covered.

APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED: November 4, 2024

Participant Requirements
  • One-year commitment to participating in every session in the program, January through December 2025.
  • Attend two in-person meetings at the launch and finale of the program (travel stipend provided).
  • Participate in monthly virtual dialogue sessions during 2025.
  • Co-moderate, collaborate and contribute to the development of collective resources (e.g., discussion questions, reading lists and guides, FAQs, and use cases).
  • Develop a proposed research project incorporating justice framework(s) for presentation and feedback.
Timeline
  • Application portal open: October 1, 2024
  • Applications due: November 1, 2024
  • Announcement of Justice Scholars: December 1, 2024
  • Justice Dialogue Sessions
    • January 17, 2025: Virtual Introductory Session
    • February 17-18, 2025: In-person Launch in San Francisco; Day 1 dinner through Day 2 mid-afternoon.
    • Virtual Friday 3-hour sessions 12-3pm ET/9am-12pm PT on:
      • March 21
      • April 18
      • May 16
      • June 20
      • September 19
      • October 17
    • December 18-19, 2025: In-Person Finale in New York City

Justice Dialogues FAQs

How will scholars be selected?

A key consideration is to select Scholars who are in a position to directly integrate justice frameworks into their research. Therefore, we are looking for applicants who are already engaged in, or have near-term plans to launch, research projects on bioethics topics that center questions of equity, power, and justice. Preference will be given to applicants who describe an interest and commitment to integrating justice frameworks into new or ongoing research or prospective projects and have

What should I expect to achieve from participation in the program?

As a Justice Dialogues Scholar, you would have the opportunity to shape the course of the dialogues as well as any educational materials the group creates, including publicly available syllabi or other educational materials developed during the sessions, discussion questions, and/or primers on justice frameworks. 
Our intent is to seed a community and scholarly network of scholars from diverse disciplines, career stages, and academic affiliations, that will be cultivated throughout the Justice Dialogues year, and sustained after the year has concluded. Scholars can expect to build their network of colleagues invested in justice and bioethics through two in-person meetings in addition to the Dialogues sessions. Scholars can expect to build their network of colleagues invested in justice and bioethics through in-person meetings and Dialogues sessions. A primary aim of the Justice Dialogues is to build up a professional network of scholars from diverse disciplines, career stages, and academic affiliations.

What should I expect to be my contributions to and the outcomes of and my contributions to each Dialogue session?

Dialogues will involve deep engagement with justice frameworks and group exploration of potential empirical applications and adaptations. Participants will be expected and encouraged to bring their own disciplinary perspectives and research interests to bear in each session. Justice Dialogues Scholars will take turns collaboratively developing discussion questions, reflections on possible applications of justice frameworks, and educational resources for wider circulation. Scholars will frame and present a research project drawing on their engagement with justice frameworks. 

What is the time commitment to participating in Justice Dialogues?

Justice Dialogues scholars will meet almost monthly through Spring and Fall 2025. No sessions will be held in July, August, and November. The proposed schedule is detailed above.

In addition to the seven virtual sessions and two in-person meetings, Justice Dialogues scholars will commit to completing assigned readings and other preparatory work (e.g., preparing to share reflections in response to pre-developed discussion prompts, preparing discussion questions and moderating prompts for at least ONE session) and working on developing a final project to be presented during the Closing in-person Finale meeting.

What are some justice frameworks that will be included in the Justice Dialogues?

Below, we have listed some examples of possible justice frameworks and readings that may be included in the JUSTICE Dialogues. The complete list will be circulated after speakers and other details have been finalized.

Black Bioethics

Ray, Keisha (2023) Black Health: The Social, Political, and Cultural Determinants of Black People’s Health. Oxford University Press.

Race & Intersectionality

Crenshaw, K. (1991) Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241-1299.

Decolonization & Indigenous Sovereignty

Smith, Linda Tuhiwai. (2012) Decolonising Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. London and New York: Zed Books.

Epistemic Injustice

Fricker, Miranda (2007) Epistemic Injustice: Power and the Ethics of Knowing. Oxford University Press.

Inequality

Sen, Amartya (1995) Inequality Reexamined. Harvard University Press.

Global Justice

Ruger, Jennifer Prah (1992) Global Health Justice and Governance. Oxford University Press.

Recognition & Redistribution

Fraser, Nancy (2003) Redistribution or Recognition? A Political-Philosophical Exchange. New York: Verso.

Solidarity & Communalism

Jimoh, Anselm Kole (2020) Justice and the Othered Minority: Lessons from African Communalism. Handbook of African Philosophy of Difference. Springer.

Justice Dialogues is supported by a grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health (3R01HG012841-02S1).