2022 call for SRI faculty and graduate fellowships now open for U of T researchers
Are you a University of Toronto researcher who is passionate about ensuring new technologies are aligned with human values, and applied in ways that are responsible and fair? Do you believe powerful systems such as artificial intelligence (AI) can enable a more equitable and democratic society—one in which human rights, justice, diversity, and the environment are promoted and respected? Would you like to collaborate with the Schwartz Reisman research community, and contribute to our mission to help ensure that new technologies improve life for everyone?
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) is excited to announce our 2022 call for Faculty and Graduate Fellows, available to current members of the University of Toronto community, across all three campuses.
Graduate Fellowship terms are one year, while Faculty Fellowship terms are two years. Applications are required to be submitted via the online application forms linked below by February 6th, 2022 at 11:59 pm EST. Fellowship information and entry forms are available here:
Schwartz Reisman CALL FOR FACULTY FELLOWS (PDF) and Application Form
Schwartz Reisman CALL FOR GRADUATE FELLOWS (PDF) and Application Form
Why should you join us?
The mission of the Schwartz Reisman Institute is to deepen knowledge of technologies, societies, and what it means to be human, by actively integrating research across traditional boundaries and building human-centered solutions that really make a difference. We aim to fulfil our mission by conducting and integrating world-renowned research and academic training across disciplines, serving as a convener and a hub for paradigm-shifting public policy conversations, and leveraging our expertise to develop innovative new solutions.
For more information about SRI’s research and goals, explore our 2021–2024 Strategic Plan.
The research we believe in
The Schwartz Reisman Institute welcomes applicants from all academic disciplines across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. We develop interdisciplinary approaches that examine the complex relations between technology and society, building new connections between existing fields of inquiry. We support innovative research and applications that contribute to the development of AI for social good, data privacy and governance, human rights, epistemology, and beyond.
SRI is especially interested in solutions-oriented research that transforms existing questions by identifying innovative approaches through which problems at the intersection of technology and society might be understood and addressed.
SRI fellows are invited to propose research projects that engage with any aspect of the relations between technology and society as broadly conceived by the Institute’s research overview. We encourage applicants to review the four interrelated “conversations” that guide our work. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the relevance of their proposal to at least one of these conversations—however, there are no restrictions to engage only with these specific themes.
Since we are seeking to build a cohesive group that will foster cross-disciplinary work, applicants are encouraged to review the current research projects of SRI’s research leadership team. Topics include: fairness in machine learning, AI value alignment, data privacy, computer security, regulation and governance of emerging technologies, human rights in the digital era, normative systems, and natural and artificial cognition.
2021-22 SRI Graduate Fellows (left to right, top to bottom): Rawan Abulibdeh, Asmita Bhutani, Davide Gentile, Jessica Hall, Vinyas Harish, Lillio Mok, Morgan MacInnes, Reid McIlroy-Young, Shashank Motepalli, Victoria Oldemburgo de Mello, Lief Pagalan, Julian Posada, Aida Ramezani, Daniel J. Wilson, Mohammad Yaghini.
What our community says about us
Newly inducted SRI Fellows will join our diverse community of research leads, faculty affiliates, and current fellows to contribute to and lead activities at the Institute, including meetings, workshops, lectures, discussion groups, and other initiatives that foster our commitment to re-conceptualizing notions of the ways technology, systems, and society interact. Fellows will be encouraged to build community and drive collaboration both within and outside the Schwartz Reisman Institute.
“As I embark further on my fellowship, I am very enthusiastic to meet people from different fields and to forge connections between people and worlds. So far, the conversations I've had with colleagues in other parts of the university have been fun and exciting. I am looking forward to even more intellectual collaborations with them and scholars in other parts of the world in the near future."
– Anna Su, SRI faculty fellow and associate professor, Faculty of Law.
“As a person from an engineering background, being at the Schwartz Reisman Institute gave me the language of, and a ‘rite of passage’ to, the rich literature available in the humanities.”
– Shabnam Haghzare, SRI graduate fellow and PhD candidate, Institute of Biomedical Engineering.
“What most excited me as I embarked on my fellowship was the promise of rich interactions between fields, between people, and between research and the world we live in. It felt like an opportunity for broad intellectual symbiosis, and I was deeply curious to see how that unfolds.”
– Daniel J. Wilson, SRI graduate fellow, PhD candidate, Department of Psychology.
"The interdisciplinary dialogue SRI facilitates is highly valuable to thinking about issues of technology and society. Through the weekly meetings, seminar series and other events, it is a great way to talk about your own work, listen to the developments in the field and overall, building a culture of collaborative research."
– Asmita Bhutani, SRI graduate fellow and PhD candidate, Ontario Institute of Studies in Education.
“Joining SRI broadened my vision and confidence to explore the possibilities of doing research at the intersection of AI and anthropology. The interdisciplinary conversations at the Seminar Series and group discussions offered great opportunities for practitioners and scholars to build new connections and explore intellectual possibilities. I am looking forward to continuing to learn from, and with, the SRI community.”
– Yang Liu, SRI graduate fellow and PhD candidate, Department of Anthropology.
"One of the things I loved most about my fellowship is the intellectual curiosity every fellow brought to everyone's work, no matter the disciplinary background—we really learned from each other."
– Suzanne van Geuns, SRI graduate fellow and PhD candidate, Department for the Study of Religion.
Left to right: SRI Faculty Fellow Anna Su; SRI Graduate Fellows Shabnam Haghzare, Yang Liu, Suzanne van Geuns.
Ready to apply? Here’s what you need to know.
Up to 15 graduate fellows and four faculty fellows will be appointed. Successful graduate fellows will be primarily enrolled in PhD programs, although exceptional master’s candidates are encouraged to apply. Interested faculty fellow applicants may be at any stage of their career.
The Schwartz Reisman Institute is strongly committed to diversity within our community, and we therefore especially welcome applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and experiences at the Institute.
Applications are required to be submitted via the online application forms linked below by February 6th, 2022 at 11:59 pm EDT. Late applications will not be accepted.
View the official calls for fellows below for more information about eligibility, compensation, and application instructions:
Schwartz Reisman CALL FOR FACULTY FELLOWS (PDF) and Application Form
Schwartz Reisman CALL FOR GRADUATE FELLOWS (PDF) and Application Form
For frequently asked questions, please see the list below.
Do you have questions, or require accessibility accommodations? Contact us at applications@torontosri.ca.
SRI Faculty and Graduate Fellowship FAQs
What is the deadline for applications?
11:59 pm EST on February 6, 2022. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
How do I apply? / I can’t find the application form.
The following links provide details on the program and application instructions, and the applications forms (via Airtable):
CALL FOR FACULTY FELLOWS (PDF) AND FACULTY FELLOW APPLICATION FORM
CALL FOR GRADUATE FELLOWS (PDF) AND GRADUATE FELLOW APPLICATION FORM
Can current Schwartz Reisman faculty affiliates apply for the fellowships?
Yes, current faculty affiliates can apply.
If a faculty member applies for the Faculty Fellowship, can their PhD students still independently apply for the graduate fellowship? Would the applications be assessed independently, or would preference be given to PhD students of faculty members who are not already an affiliate or a fellow?
Yes, PhD students of a faculty member who also applies may still independently apply for the program. There is no formal preference one way or the other. We will be looking to balance cohesiveness and potential for collaboration with diversity across multiple dimensions in the overall composition of our fellows.
Are postdoctoral fellows eligible for this fellowship?
Unfortunately no, as postdoctoral fellows are neither graduate students nor faculty members. However, we do currently have one post-doctoral position available.
Are there any themes or research areas associated with this call for fellows?
We will be selecting fellows based on their alignment with the research priorities of the Institute; please review the information above and the calls for faculty and graduate fellows closely for more details. You can also review the “four conversations” that guide our work, as well as our current research projects. Applicants are not restricted to predefined themes, but should explain how their proposal aligns with SRI’s mission.
Am I eligible if I’m an international student and/or not currently living in Toronto due to COVID-19?
Yes, as long as you are enrolled in a full-time graduate program at the University of Toronto, you are eligible to apply. Travel is not a criterion of eligibility.
Can you tell me more about what you’re looking for?
Details about expectations can be found in the details of our announcement above, and in the official call for fellows documents.
I am a graduate student/faculty member at an institution other than the University of Toronto, or I have a status-only faculty appointment at U of T. Am I eligible to apply?
At this time, the call for fellows is only open to regular faculty and graduate students within the University of Toronto community. However, we anticipate that we will be launching an external call for fellows in the future, so we encourage you to stay in touch with SRI. You can find our updates on Twitter, LinkedIn, our website, or in our monthly newsletter.
My project has collaborators within and outside U of T. Does this application require all project members to be within U of T?
No, it doesn’t. You are welcome to apply if your collaborators are outside of the University. However, they would not themselves receive funding or be appointed fellows.
Do you have guidelines for the writing samples? (e.g. Do I have to be first author? Can it be a publication currently under review?)
We don't have specific rules about what kind of writing samples you should send. We recommend you send the best examples you can to give evidence of your research potential and achievement. If you don't have publications, you can send papers in progress or under review. If you don't have any papers on which you are first author, you can send co-authored papers, or other materials demonstrating your work.
Does the fellowship follow the calendar year or academic year?
The 2023-2023 Graduate Fellowship period extends from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. The 2022-2024 Faculty Fellowship period will run from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024.
I previously received an SRI fellowship. Am I eligible to reapply this year?
While previous fellows may apply, we will be prioritizing applications from individuals who have not previously received an SRI fellowship.
