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Institute of Advanced Study
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Building Bridges: an Interdisciplinary Framework for Equity in Resource Allocation

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Project description

Exploring one of the most pressing societal challenges today: how to fairly divide limited resources among those who need them. Whether it's public housing, natural resources, or life-saving organs, questions of fairness and equity are central to decision making.

Primary participants

Principal Investigator:

Dr Riccardo Mogre
riccardo.mogre@durham.ac.uk 

Term:

Easter 2026

This project unites researchers in philosophy, decision analysis, game theory, and computer science to build a shared framework that connects perspectives, Through a symposium and working group, it fosters collaboration and future research. By combining ethics with practical tools, it positions Durham as a leader in developing fair, effective, and responsible approaches to both longstanding and emerging allocation challengess.

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Overview: 

This project explores one of the most pressing challenges facing society today: how to fairly divide limited resources among those who need them. Whether it is public housing, natural resources like deep sea or lunar materials, or life-saving organs, questions of fairness and equity are central to how decisions are made.

Various academic disciplines have developed tools and ideas to address these issues. Philosophy offers theories of justice and injustice; decision analysis and game theory provide principles and models; and computer science develops practical algorithms. However, these efforts happen in isolation as a default, with little connection between ethical theorising, mathematical modelling, and computational methods.

This project aims to bring together researchers from philosophy, decision analysis, game theory, and computer science to build a shared framework that connects these perspectives. By hosting an interdisciplinary symposium and creating a collaborative working group, the project aims to lay the groundwork for new partnerships, larger research projects, and future funding opportunities.

By combining ethical reflection with practical tools, this initiative positions Durham as a leader in developing fair, effective, and responsible approaches to resource allocation, addressing both long-standing debates and emerging challenges.

Objectives:

  • to  launch structured interdisciplinary conversations, identifying shared concepts and key differences;
  • to develop a framework document (white paper) mapping how each discipline can inform and strengthen the others, from ethical guidance to computational implementation;
  • to establish a Durham-based interdisciplinary working group that will explore future projects and seek major external funding, such as through the Leverhulme Trust or UKRI.

 

Activities and Events:

 A symposium in Durham will bring together philosophers, economists, operations researchers, and computer scientists.