Call for Mentors! Research Sprint: Exploring Digital Safe Spaces
Call for mentors! We are looking for 2 mentors for the Research Sprint: Exploring Digital Safe Spaces.
About the Project
Since 2021, Edgelands has 'popped up' in five very different cities: Medellín, Cúcuta, Geneva, Nairobi and Houston. In each location, we curated and hosted spaces for conversations with residents of various ages, backgrounds, and life situations. We invited them to share their perceptions of safety and insecurity and to reflect on the role of technology in these experiences.
Despite the variety of urban realities, each shaped by its own history, power structures and cultural understanding, we observed a common narrative: digital technology is presented as the inevitable solution to security problems. This narrative is often used to justify increased surveillance and policing, frequently at the expense of civil liberties and fundamental rights.
However, along the way, we also met dozens of local initiatives and heard alternative perspectives that challenged that narrative. These stories remind us that living safely together does not have to be a zero-sum game in which rights are sacrificed for security. Rather, security is deeply social, deeply local, and deeply human. Technology can be a useful tool, but it is not a solution in itself; it must be embedded within a broader understanding of community, context, and care.
Building on these insights, the Edgelands Institute will host an international research sprint as part of its 'Pop-Down and Beyond' phase. Rather than focusing on the impact of digital technologies on our ability to live together in cities, the Sprint will explore how communities use digital platforms to create safe spaces that facilitate connection, organisation, mutual support, and sometimes collective change. By shifting the focus from cities to digital spaces, the Sprint aims to explore how digital spaces function, what brings people together and how participants experience a sense of security and belonging, even when they are physically apart.
Sprint Overview
What Mentors Will Do
Mentors are the backbone of the research sprint. As subject-matter experts and project leads, your responsibilities will include:
- Design and co-lead the research agenda for your team.
- Motivate participants, spotting early signs of disengagement and intervening to maintain momentum.
- Guide the methodology and content, helping teams to shape their questions, choose their methods and interpret their findings.
- Oversee deliverables, ensuring the final report/toolkit meets scholarly standards and is ready for dissemination.
In short, you will shape the intellectual direction of the sprint while fostering a supportive, collaborative learning environment.
Why You Should Apply
- Skill development: sharpen your teaching, leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration abilities in an accelerated setting.
- Active learning experimentation: try out innovative pedagogical techniques and transdisciplinary research methods.
- Alternative research experience: enjoy peer-to-peer learning outside the traditional lab or classroom.
- Join the Edgelands community of scholars, activists and creators committed to reimagining digital inclusion.
Note: There is no “perfect” profile. If the role excites you, we want to hear from you.
Who We’re Looking For
We invite applications from early-career scholars (PhD candidates or recent PhD graduates) and postdoctoral researchers who have expertise in any of the following areas (or a closely related field):
- Digital sociology/anthropology
- Human-centred design/UX for community platforms
- Critical data studies/privacy and surveillance
- Community informatics/online collective action
- Participatory research methods
- Cybersecurity and trust in digital environments
- Media Studies and Digital Culture
- Other relevant fields are welcome— please describe your approach in the motivation letter
Practical Details
Next Steps
- Write a short motivation letter (max 300 words) explaining:
- Why you are drawn to the 'digital safe space' theme.
- How your expertise aligns with the sprint’s goals.
- Any initial ideas you have for mentoring or research directions.
- Attach an up‑to‑date CV.
- Email both documents to laura.edgelands@pm.me before 24 Sep 2025.
We are looking forward to welcoming two passionate mentors to help us explore the future of digital safe spaces !
