Call for proposals: Responsible Solutions in the Smart City
Do you have an innovative idea to tackle ethical challenges in the smart city? We offer financial support and resources to transform your concept into a tangible prototype in the vibrant city of Amsterdam.
Deadline: September 14
The Need for Practical Examples of Value Design
Amsterdam increasingly harnesses the power of digital technologies like sensors, platforms, and algorithms to efficiently manage and maintain various aspects of city life. Think about traffic, public spaces, law and order.
At the same time, implementing digital technologies may lead to unintended side effects for citizens and can compromise public values. Ensuring responsible and ethical practices becomes imperative. The city has embraced the TADA values since 2016. Also it states that transparency, understandability, human dignity, autonomy, and privacy, are guiding principles for smart city solutions. So, what does this look like concretely?
Today, we still lack practical examples of how these values can be effectively designed and integrated into smart city systems.
Who We're Seeking
We are actively looking for TU Delft academics who can offer fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to bridge the gap between public values and smart city technology. If you are passionate about shaping responsible solutions and have expertise in the digital technology domain, we invite you to join us.
What's in it for You
Participating in our Call for Proposals offers a range of benefits tailored to your academic journey:
- Academic Research Opportunities: Through prototyping, your research can gain new dimensions, opening doors to potential publications and enhancing your academic profile;
- Partnership with the City of Amsterdam: Successful proposals may lead to partnerships with the City of Amsterdam, providing a unique opportunity to test your solution and measure its impact in a real-world context;
- Consortium Building: Your participation in this Call for Proposals can be a significant step toward forming a consortium for future grant applications, leveraging the collective expertise of various stakeholders;
- Professional Support: If selected, you will receive support from a Responsible Sensing Lab (RSL) producer, who will guide you in prototyping and testing your idea.
The Winning Proposal
The winning proposal will receive a budget to prototype their concept with the assistance of a Responsible Sensing Lab (RSL) producer. This includes the production of a prototype as well as communication materials such as a short movie, animation, and professional photoshoot. Once the prototype is completed, we will facilitate your introduction to the relevant department at the municipality of Amsterdam for the presentation of your idea.
The prizes for the competition are as follows:
First prize: A production budget of 20,000 euros
Second prize: A production budget of 10,000 euros
Furthermore, winners will receive collaboration support with the city of Amsterdam and assistance in producing communication materials for their solution/prototype. The allocated budget can be utilized to hire a design agency, prototyping firm, software developer, or other relevant professionals. The RSL producer will work in collaboration with you to manage the budget effectively.
About Us
Responsible Sensing Lab is dedicated to envisioning, designing, and testing alternative versions of digital technology in cities based on public values. While we have primarily focused on privacy and transparency, we are eager to explore the practical implementation of other values in smart city technology. Our portfolio boasts several successful prototypes, and we are excited to embark on new collaborations that push the boundaries of responsible sensing practices.
Responsible Sensing Lab is initiated by the City of Amsterdam and AMS Institute. For this Call for Proposals we collaborate closely with TU Delft.
