Research and Data Collection
Research Initiatives and Opportunities
The IST aims to coordinate research on society and technology through the following initiatives:
- Create a research program on how emerging media and technology changes and challenges political, psychic, and social life.
- Establish a regional repository of data and research on technology’s role in local economic development (e.g. automation, robotics) by undertaking research on the changing nature of work in the region or technology’s role in reshaping local manufacturing
Contact
Institute for Society and Technology
526 French Hall
Flint-IST@umich.edu
Funding Opportunities
The IST aims to support faculty research and grant funding through the following opportunities.
- Provide regular feedback, working groups, and interdisciplinary support for research in the Institute’s areas of focus.
- The Institute will act as an incubator for promising research at the intersection of society and technology in our foci areas outlined below. This will come in the form of small grants to fund proof-of-concept projects and smaller research-related endeavors as well as larger grant funding opportunities.
Flint Gig Work Study
The IST is currently fielding a study of gig work in Flint and Genesee County. The survey includes a representative sample of 1500 respondents.
Along with our partners at the Michigan Metro Area Communities Study (UM-Ann Arbor), we aim to examine the prevalence of gig work and its demographic reach. The study likewise explores gig work’s socio-economic impacts on educational outcomes, social mobility, labor precarity and protections, gig workers’ struggles with discrimination and safety, and attitudes toward education and training.
Preliminary results, along with IST white papers, will be available in fall 2026.