Tech & Public Policy program awards $1.5M in grants to 24 Georgetown researchers

The McCourt School’s Tech & Public Policy program (TPP) administers the annual Grants Program to support research that explores the role of emerging technologies in society and their impact on values such as democracy, freedom and autonomy. In partnership with Project Liberty Institute, the grants aim to encourage collaboration among technologists, ethicists, legal scholars and social scientists as they investigate novel uses and misuses of new technologies to better understand how public policy might be more responsive and innovative.

The 2026-2027 TPP Grants Program awardees

Artificial intelligence, ethics and justice

Generative AI, Humanness and Misinformation in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

Lisa Singh and Tiago Ventura , McCourt School of Public Policy; Leticia Bode , Communication, Culture and Technology, Georgetown University

This project aims to understand the nature of content shared on social media platforms related to the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The content is analyzed based on two key dimensions: the extent to which it is true or misleading and the extent to which it is perceived as human. The project will analyze election-related posts on social media platforms to assess the humanness and veracity of election-generated content and better understand how and where AI-generated content is being deployed. This award is a funding extension from a previous TPP grant.

Public Opinion About the Development, Release and Use of AI Models 

Josh Goldstein , Georgetown University School of Foreign Service; Michael Tomz, Stanford University

The goal of this study is to enhance ethical governance by bringing into the conversation an oft-missed voice: that of the American public. The study will consist of a series of surveys that will not only measure public opinion but also use experiments to isolate the key factors that drive public attitudes about artificial intelligence. It will also explore the factors that influence support or opposition to the technology.

AI and Justice: Public Perceptions of AI Systems Masking or Magnifying Inequities 

Andrea Headley , McCourt School of Public Policy

By examining the interplay between AI technologies and citizen perceptions, this study seeks to offer evidence-based recommendations for the ethical governance of these technologies in criminal justice. The project will investigate whether technologies perceived as either assistive or coercive impact the public’s perceptions of trust and equity in AI-enabled criminal justice practice and examine how individuals define the utility, function and fairness of AI-based technologies.

Ethical Risk Management 

Mitt Regan, Jr. , Georgetown University Law Center; Jovana Davidovic, University of Iowa; Gregory M. Reichberg, Peace Research Institute Oslo; Henrik Syse, Harvard University 

This study seeks to analyze the development and operation of an AI-enabled weapon across its entire lifecycle to enhance the ability of states and other actors to ensure the ethical use of such weapons. The research aims to shift the conversation from a binary focus on whether a human or a machine performs a specific task to a focus on the subtle ways in which human and machine intelligence combine to perform the numerous and varied functions that culminate in firing a weapon. 

Digital governance, privacy and security 

Enhancing Metadata Security for all Smartphone Applications

Micah Sherr , Georgetown University

The goal of this two-year project is to improve the security and privacy of smartphone users through the design and proof-of-concept implementation of a decentralized privacy-preserving push notification architecture.

AI Policy Foundations: Worldwide Empirical Analysis and Governance Frameworks 

Marc Rotenberg and Eleni Kyriakides , Georgetown University Law Center; Merve Hickok, April Yoder and Christabel Randolph, Center for AI and Digital Policy

The Center for AI and Digital Policy proposes to publish two comprehensive books for AI policy: the AI and Democratic Values Index, an extensive review of national AI Policies and Practices, and the AI Policy Sourcebook, a resource containing the primary frameworks for AI governance. The aim is to make foundational reference works widely available for AI policymakers, researchers and journalists that are fact-based, contain empirical data and provide authoritative AI governance frameworks.

Designing a Governance Model for Social Robots

Laura DeNardis , Georgetown University Center for Digital Ethics; Tatsuhiko Inatani and Hiroki Habuka, Kyoto University

This research project aims to develop a governance model for social robots (SRs) — AI-driven physical devices that directly engage human emotions, cognition and behavior. The study, among other objectives, will compare how brain responses to interactions with robots differ between Japan and the U.S., devise an economic methodology to evaluate the benefits and costs of SRs and conduct experiments by applying it to people from different cultures to reveal differences in their values and risk attitudes.

Emerging Issues, Threats and Opportunities in Space Security

Anna Cave , Georgetown University Law Center; Almudena Azcárate Ortega, Center for National Security

This study will advance academic research on emerging space security threats linked to rapid technological growth, educate states and other actors about space threats and translate research into policy impact.

Social media and information integrity

Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Social Media Legislation 

Kostadin Kushlev , Georgetown University; Ravi Iyer, University of Southern California

This project will evaluate the impact of new state-level social media laws on children’s mental health and well-being, focusing on New York’s SAFE for Kids Act, the first algorithmic law in the country, which is scheduled to take effect in June 2025. The study aims to provide actionable insights into the effectiveness of social media regulations and ensure youth perspectives are included in future policy decisions.

Trans-Atlantic War on Content Moderation

Renée DiResta , McCourt School of Public Policy; Mike Masnick, TechDirt, Copia Institute; Dean Jackson, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Ashkhen Kazaryan, The Future of Free Speech; Karolin Rippich, Dublin University; Berin Szóka, TechFreedom

This project examines the legitimacy crisis in content moderation, not due to widespread overreach, but because of efforts to equate it with political suppression. It will explore why pressure campaigns against content moderation and related research have been effective and how to defend both. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the study will include journalistic, social media and legal analyses. It will build on the work of the January 6 Committee to better understand the failures of content moderation and develop strategies to protect it.

Building Robust Algorithmic Tools to Advance the Study of Information Integrity in Digital Ecosystems 

Renée DiResta , Thessalia Merivaki and Ioannis Ziogas , McCourt School of Public Policy; Cameron Hickey, National Conference on Citizenship

This study aims to leverage existing research on building resilient communication ecosystems and improving information integrity within digital ecosystems conducted at the McCourt School of Public Policy’s Massive Data Institute, in partnership with nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organizations.

Civic technology

Building Digital Infrastructure to Reduce Administrative Burdens in the Safety Net Through Automated Renewal

Jeremy Barofsky , Sebastian Jilke and Eric Giannella , McCourt School of Public Policy

This study seeks to strengthen the civic infrastructure needed to support continued government capacity improvements through digital transformation, with a particular focus on the technological systems that states use to improve automated renewal and income verification in the Medicaid and SNAP programs.

Redesigning the Governance Stack: New Institutional Approaches to Information Economy Harms 

Paul Ohm , Julie Cohen and Meg Leta Jones , Georgetown University Law Center

Part of a multi-year effort to reinvent the institutions and tools the administrative state uses to govern technology and technology companies, this research will prioritize public accountability and strong public oversight. It will seek to restore and recenter the rule of law within a new institutional framework designed around algorithmically driven information-economy needs and failure modes. This award is a funding extension from a previous TPP grant.

Citizen Journalism in the Digital Age: Trust, Action, and Local Problem-Solving 

Bhumi Purohit , McCourt School of Public Policy; Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner, University of Virginia; Tanu Kumar, Claremont Graduate University; Jessica Mayberry, Video Volunteers 

This research will investigate the role of online citizen journalism in fostering trust, civic engagement and effective local governance. Additionally, the study will explore three central questions about when and how citizen-reported information reshapes local media landscapes and, by extension, citizen engagement with government.

Developing a Scalable Virtual Reality Training and Evaluation Platform for Active Bystandership in Law Enforcement 

Cassandra Ramdath , Georgetown University Law Center; Evan Barba , Georgetown University

Part of a multi-year project to assess the effectiveness of Active Bystandership Training for Law Enforcement (ABLE), a practical, scenario-based training that prepares officers to successfully intervene to prevent harm using a Virtual Reality platform called ABLE-Trainer. Initially, this research will serve as a testbed for CICS’s standardized training program, currently used by 286 law enforcement agencies. This award is a funding extension from a previous TPP grant.