Supervisor-led CamDTP PhD Studentship “Help or Harm? AI in Health Emergency Preparedness”
Information for Applicants
Background and Rationale Health emergency preparedness systems are increasingly exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support functions such as surveillance, forecasting, communication, planning and decision support. Governments and public health agencies are investing considerable effort in understanding how these technologies might strengthen preparedness capabilities and improve responses to future emergencies. Health emergency preparedness encompasses activities such as surveillance, risk assessment, preparedness planning, exercising, communication and coordination. These activities are delivered through systems that bring together public health agencies, healthcare organisations, government bodies, laboratories and data infrastructures. While considerable attention has focused on the capabilities of AI tools, much less is known about their effects on preparedness systems as a whole. Preparedness systems can be understood as complex adaptive systems, where interventions may generate both intended and unintended consequences. AI-enabled interventions may strengthen resilience and improve preparedness capabilities, but they may also introduce new vulnerabilities, dependencies or unintended effects. This project examines how AI-enabled interventions interact with health emergency preparedness systems and the conditions under which they improve resilience or create new challenges.
Potential Research Questions The precise project will be developed with the successful applicant. Possible questions include: • How are AI-enabled interventions being incorporated into preparedness activities? • What opportunities and risks do these interventions create? • Under what conditions do AI-enabled interventions strengthen preparedness-system resilience? • How can systems approaches be used to understand the role of AI in preparedness and response?
Possible Approaches Projects may draw on evidence synthesis, case studies, interviews, policy analysis, systems mapping, causal loop diagramming or other systems-oriented methods. Potential areas of application include surveillance, forecasting, communication, and planning. Learning Opportunities The studentship offers opportunities to develop expertise in health emergency preparedness, public health systems, resilience, systems thinking, AI applications and knowledge exchange. Through collaboration with UKHSA, the student will also have opportunities to engage with preparedness practitioners and explore the translation of research into policy and practice.
Application Procedure Candidates are in the first instance encouraged to contact the primary supervisor for any questions regarding the project and a brief explanation on how their background aligns with the project. This does not form part of the formal assessment of applicants. Please be aware that it might not be possible to respond with feedback on individual proposals and applications as we are experiencing a significant number of applications.
Formal applications to the department: For this project the departmental requirement to have formal agreement form the supervisor of the supervisor relationship has been waived, applications should state clearly that they are applying to the Supervisor-led CamDTP Project Help or Harm? AI In Health Emergency Preparedness instead but otherwise apply with all the stated required materials.
Application deadline: Dec. 8 (11.59pm UK time, i.e. before midnight) via the normal Cambridge Application Portal
Interview: We aim to interview applicants successful in the first stage in the week commencing Dec. 14 – interviews will be remote/virtual (changes to the scheduling of this are still possible)
Application Portal: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/iethpdgrr Departmental Information: https://www.cser.ac.uk/education/phd/ CamDTP: https://www.cam-dtp.ac.uk/students/current-opportunities/