Data and digital technologies impact all our lives, from censuses and smartphones to cyber security and policy making. It has the power to transform our world with smart  agriculture, climate modelling, disease prediction, digital medicine and more. However there is also an ethical conflict between data exploitation and fundamental human rights such as privacy and anonymity.

Jess Ogden is one of this year’s 30 successful researchers who have a broad range of interests and expertise including computer science, geography, politics, economics and psychology. GW4 Crucible provides an opportunity for them to come together to generate innovative, multifaceted responses that harness the power of data, AI and digital approaches while challenging its misuse.

Participants will take part in a hybrid programme which will include two in-person residential labs and four online masterclasses. They will benefit from career development, creative skills development, networking opportunities, and enhanced visibility with senior academic staff and sector leaders across GW4 and beyond. At the end of the programme, they will also have an opportunity to compete for seed funding to kick start their collaborative interdisciplinary project ideas.

Jess has just returned from her first residential lab in Cardiff, Jess says 'It was a real pleasure getting the opportunity to meet folks from across the GW4 Alliance at the first in-person lab. The breadth of expertise represented in the cohort is inspiring, and I’m looking forward to working together on issues related to the transformative impact of digital data and technologies in everyday life'.

Meet the successful researchers taking part in Crucible 2023 and follow the programme on Twitter with the hashtag #GW4Crucible.