Overview

Assignment

1. Describe a biological engineering application or tool you want to develop and why.

• This could be inspired by an idea for your HTGAA class project and/or something for which you are already doing in your research, or something you are just curious about.

2. Next, describe one or more governance/policy goals related to ensuring that this application or tool contributes to an "ethical" future, like ensuring non-malfeasance (preventing harm). Break big goals down into two or more specific sub-goals.

• Below is one example framework (developed in the context of synthetic genomics) you can choose to use or adapt, or you can develop your own. The example was developed to consider policy goals of ensuring safety and security, alongside other goals, like promoting constructive uses, but you could propose other goals for example, those relating to equity or autonomy.

3. Next describe at least three different potential governance "actions", each presented in four sections.

• Try to outline a mix of actions (e.g. a new requirement/rule, or incentive, or technical strategy) pursued by different "actors" (e.g. academic researchers, companies, federal regulators, law enforcement etc). Draw upon your existing knowledge, with a little digging, and feel free to use analogies to other domains (e.g. 3D printing, drones, financial systems, etc.).
• Goal: What is done now and what changes are you proposing?
• Design: What is needed to make it “work”? (including the actor(s) involved - who must opt in, fund, approve, or implement, etc)
• Assumptions: What could you have wrong (incorrect assumptions, uncertainties)?
• Risks of Failure & “Success”: How might this fail, including any unintended consequences of “success” of your proposed actions?