Glen Berman

@glenberman.bsky.social

PhD candidate and researcher @ Australian National University. Studying the practices of Artificial Intelligence research and development. Living and working in Melbourne, on Wurundjeri Country. #ResponsibleAI #STS

@jamessmithies.bsky.social & I have been experimenting with AI for humanities research. Here's our first paper: doi.org/10.1017/cfc..... It introduces a prototype AI test harness, illustrating a path for HASS researchers to engage with AI technologies beyond consuming commercial AI services.

ATLAS: Harnessing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) | Cambridge Forum on AI: Culture and Society | Cambridge Core

ATLAS: Harnessing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) - Volume 2

doi.org

Big news! We've just launched recruitment for GetUp's next CEO. Our interim leadership team have led GetUp through a remarkable resurgence. Some evidence of this: - In March 8,300+ members donated, 121,000+ signed a petition, 20,000+ took another form of campaign action (e.g. writing to an MP).

"GetUp... [is] expanding its workforce and financial position after a period of consolidation... GetUp [has] a growing membership base and war chest of more than $1m." This article (and the good news announced within) is the product of so much hard work by the GetUp staff team. shorturl.at/cYeNe

GetUp hires David Sharaz for senior role as it takes on ‘democratic threat’ of conservative groups

Progressive organisation will focus on combating far-right groups and pushing for policy wins in the lead-up to the 2028 election

theguardian.com

Off to the UK for a month (with baby, wish me luck). Come listen to me talk about contextualisation challenges in AI on 17 Nov -- link below. Will also be at Fantastic Futures in early December, talking about designing robust evaluation approaches for AI deployments in the cultural sector.

@danielequercia.bsky.social · 9mo ago

#ResponsibleAI Talk Can AI be Contextualized? Speaker: @glenberman.bsky.social , Australian National University Date: November 17, 2025 Time: 3:30pm (London) To join online, send empty email, subject “Subscribe RAI” to daniele.quercia ;)

The new HASS Digital Research Hub at ANU is recruiting research fellows (2 yrs, fixed) & a research software engineer. The fellows will work with @jamessmithies.bsky.social (& me too occassionally) on developing a digital strategy for supporting computational methods in the humanities. Check out:

Research Fellow (Values-based Digital HASS) - Canberra / ACT, ACT, Australia

Classification: Academic Level BSalary package: $118,632 to $134,507 per annum plus 17% superannuation Terms: Full-time, Fixed term (24 months) Shape the future of digital research: Work closely...

aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com

Was a privilege to be a small part of this conversation opening #AusSTS this year. Looking forward to two more days of amazing papers and workshops.

AusSTS@aussts.bsky.social · last yr.

And now for our first keynote panel on "Infrastructures of Noise" 🎛️ chaired by Glen Berman @glenberman.bsky.social helping us to wade through the current information ecosystem moment where misinformation is mistaken for signal and meaningful relation is increasingly filtered out as noise

Kate Williams is a brilliant PhD supervisor & this is a timely and significant project to join. When research funding and academic freedom is under attack, developing a better understanding of what happens when research evaluation is standardised and institutionalised is vital. shorturl.at/3kHgx

PhD Opportunity in Wider Societal Value of Research and Consequences of its Assessment: A multi-country and multi-method study (MultiSocVal) : Find an Expert : The University of Melbourne

<p> The overarching project is funded by a German Volkswagen Foundation Grant. It brings together international collaborators from four countries – University of Melbourne, Humboldt University, Stellenbosch University, SWPS University, and from a range of disciplines including public policy, sociology, data science, political science, applied linguistics, philosophy and science and technology studies. </p> <p> The PhD candidate will be supported by an overarching research team, including academics, postdocs, research associates and research assistants, spread across the four countries. </p> <p> The overall goals of the group are described below, although there is considerable scope for the PhD candidatee to focus their thesis on an aspect of this work that interests them. </p> <p> Many governments are showing a political commitment to research impact in their respective environments by investing in research evaluation initiatives at different scales. Often the initiatives are characterised by pragmatism, with little attention to underlying value judgements. This creates an urgent need for comparative work with a strong theoretical and empirical basis to study the effects of national evaluation initiatives around impact and societal value. The overall project will address this need through a multi-country and multi-method study of research evaluation initiatives in Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, Poland and South Africa. Bringing together an international and interdisciplinary team, the project seeks to: </p> <p> (1) produce a comprehensive cross-national and cross-disciplinary overview of research systems with regard to scientific and societal value; </p> <p> (2) investigate what is considered worthwhile research within and between countries; </p> <p> (3) compare the effects of different research evaluation initiatives around impact on research practice in different countries; </p> <p> (4) develop an integrated conceptual framework of scientific and societal value to improve science policy and science practice; and </p> <p> (5) advance stakeholders’ understanding of the effects of research impact assessment for better future evaluation. </p> <p> <strong>About you</strong> </p> <p> We are looking for a candidate with a strong academic background in a relevant discipline such as public policy, sociology, political science, science and technology studies, or a related field. The candidate will be intellectually curious and motivated by critical questions about the role of research in society. Ideally, the candidate will bring an interest in the changing landscape of research governance, including how ideas of value, worth, and impact are shaped and operationalised across national science systems. </p> <p> We welcome applicants with experience in qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods research. An enthusiasm for learning new methods – including bibliometric or computational text analysis, survey design, or innovative qualitative analysis – will be an advantage. The candidate will thrive in interdisciplinary and collaborative environments and be keen to contribute to an international research team spanning multiple countries and disciplinary traditions. Strong written and verbal communication skills, along with the ability to work independently and manage a sustained research project, are essential. </p> <p> This project offers considerable scope for the PhD candidate to shape their own research focus within the broader program, and would suit someone interested in contributing to both theoretical and practical understandings of how research is evaluated and governed in contemporary societies. </p> <p> <strong>Eligibility</strong> </p> <p> Domestic and International applicants may apply. You must meet the entry requirements for the <a href="https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/courses/dr-philart">Doctor of Philosophy – Arts at the University of Melbourne (link attached)</a> including English language requirements and demonstrate excellent capacity and potential for research. </p> <p> As the successful candidate, You will demonstrae: </p> <ul> <li>An academic background in the field of sociology (of culture/science or related area), STS, library and information science, or public policy/research governance </li> <li>A relevant undergraduate and/or postgraduate degree with an average that equivalent to a H1 (80%) at the University of Melbourne, including H1 results in the Honours or Master’s thesis component; and </li> <li>Experience with qualitative analysis or quantitative analysis in the above fields </li> <li>The ability to write research reports or other publications to a publishable standard (even if not published to date) </li> <li>capability to manage projects effectively, meet deadlines and achieve outcomes within a specified timeframes. </li> </ul> <p> <strong>How to submit an expression of interest</strong> </p> <p> Please submit your expression of interest (EOI) via the ‘Submit Expression of Interest’ button by 15 July 2025. </p> <p> Your EOI must include: </p> <ul> <li>A short description of how the project aligns with your interest and experience, an overview of how your might approach the project goals, and an outline of three relevant references from the literature with a description of how they relate to the project </li> <li>A CV that highlights your relevant academic achievements and any relevant professional experience including the names of two academic referees. </li> <li>Higher education academic transcripts that give detailed information of the individual marks received in your university-level qualifications to date </li> <li>An example of your written academic work (e.g. Honours or masters thesis or peer-reviewed journal article) </li> </ul> <p> For more information about our PhD program and application process, please visit <a href="https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/study/graduate-research"><strong>this website</strong></a>. </p>

shorturl.at

I wrote most of this at the end of 2024. I was never quite happy with it, and wasn’t really sure what its purpose was, so never shared it. But, this week I was the target of a gossip driven story about my governance role at GetUp and it made me want to return to this post. So, here’s a long thread…

Just back from parental leave, and have some big news: GetUp's mission is to build a national movement to fight for a fair, flourishing, and just Australia. This mission is more urgent than ever, and right now, we're looking for the right leader to shape what comes next. 1/2

We're hiring our next CEO

GetUp is seeking a bold, strategic, and visionary CEO to lead Australia's most powerful progressive movement. This is your chance to shape the future of progressive politics in Australia. Apply now or...

getup.org.au

I'm after recommendations for a service or platform to use to manage compensation gifts to participants in a #ResponsibleAI study. An option is Amazon gift cards, but would prefer an option that lets participants choose a gift card to other companies. Any recommendations appreciated... #HCI #STS

Come work (at least a little bit) with me, and more importantly @jamessmithies.bsky.social. James is great to work with, is committed to critical engagement with computing technologies & the social sciences, & knows how to empower software engineers. Reach out if you'd like to about the roles.

James Smithies@jamessmithies.bsky.social · last yr.

Help me build a research software engineering (RSE) team dedicated to the humanities and social sciences! Principal Research Software Engineer (RSE): jobs.anu.edu.au/jobs/princip... Senior Research Software Engineer (RSE): jobs.anu.edu.au/jobs/senior-... #digitalhumanities #digitalsocialscience

Lucky to be back from a month-long break, with a paper out in @bigdatasoc.bsky.social! How do academics participate in the construction of ‘AI’ as a research field? We interviewed 90 university-based AI researchers in the UK, US, and Aus. Paper here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... 1/4

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

Politicians weaponising antisemitism to pass repressive anti-protest laws are failing the Jewish community. These laws will not keep places of worship in Victoria safe, yet will inflame the underlying dynamics driving antisemitism in Australia. #auspol www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

No glue, chains or locks: Victoria’s antisemitism crackdown a smokescreen to target climate protesters, critics say

Police powers that request protesters remove their face masks in prescribed areas already exist, according to lawyer at Human Rights Law Centre

theguardian.com

I've had the pleasure of working with Better Renting's founder, Joel Dignam, as part of @greatercanberra.org.au's Missing Middle Canberra pro-supply planning reform campaign - he's a thoughtful, passionate advocate for renters who has done so much in the last 8 years. Apply to be his successor!

Glen Berman@glenberman.bsky.social · 2y ago

Better Renting is a great org, looking for a new CEO. Amazing opportunity for someone entrepreneurial in the nonprofit space in Aus, who is passionate about renters' rights and social change. I'm helping out on the selection committee, so please reach out if you'd like to find out more. #auspol

Better Renting is a great org, looking for a new CEO. Amazing opportunity for someone entrepreneurial in the nonprofit space in Aus, who is passionate about renters' rights and social change. I'm helping out on the selection committee, so please reach out if you'd like to find out more. #auspol

CEO - Flexible Location / Remote - Job in Melbourne or Sydney - Better Renting

Succeeding our founding director, you'll be responsible for growing a national rental justice organisation to help renters have stable, affordable, and healthy homes.

ethicaljobs.com.au

I'm at Neurips, presenting this work with @glenberman.bsky.social , Ned Cooper and @wesleydeng.bsky.social . Come check out our poster at the EvalEval workshop on Sunday or DM me to chat!

Glen Berman@glenberman.bsky.social · 2y ago

In a paper we’re workshopping this week at #NeurIPS2024, Ned Cooper, @wesleydeng.bsky.social, and Ben Hutchinson and I ask: what is the model of societal impacts reflected in efforts to evaluate GenAI systems? Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2410.22985 Workshop: evaleval.github.io 1/5