2023 call for Schwartz Reisman faculty and graduate fellowships now open for U of T researchers
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society has launched its call for 2023 Schwartz Reisman faculty and graduate fellowships, open to researchers at the University of Toronto whose work explores the social impacts of new technologies.
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 values such as human rights, justice, diversity, and environmental stewardship are promoted and respected? Would you like to collaborate with the vibrant Schwartz Reisman research community, and contribute to our mission to help ensure that technological advancements improve life for everyone?
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) is excited to announce our 2023 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 must be submitted via the online forms linked below by February 5th, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET.
Fellowship information and entry forms are available here:
What is the Schwartz Reisman Institute?
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society supports world-class research that generates new insights and frameworks for understanding powerful technologies, and the laws, institutions, and social values that mediate them. Our work seeks to advance technologies and methodologies that are responsible, ethical, and beneficial to all of humanity. SRI’s mission focuses on ground-breaking interdisciplinary research and implementable solutions by bringing together scholars from different fields to spark new conversations, ideas, and approaches.
SRI is nurturing a vibrant academic community with the skills and knowledge to address pressing issues at the intersection of technology and society, by supporting interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research and advancing new fields of inquiry. Regular SRI activities include our weekly Seminar Series, which convenes a global audience to present leading research at the intersection of technology and society, and our annual academic conference Absolutely Interdisciplinary, which pairs thinkers from different disciplines to discuss common questions.
The integrative research and solutions work we conduct rethinks technology’s role in society, the contemporary needs of human communities, and the systems that govern them. We’re investigating how best to align technology with human values and deploy it accordingly.
To learn more about SRI’s initiatives, explore our 2021–24 Strategic Plan.
The University of Toronto’s Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, set to open in 2023, will be the future home of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society.
Why you should join our community
SRI comprises a diverse group of world-class researchers who are developing shared frameworks and knowledge to generate multidisciplinary exchange and foster collaborative projects at the intersection of technology and society. Our research leadership team is composed of experts on the social impacts of technology from STEM, social sciences, and humanities backgrounds, including fields such as computer science, engineering, philosophy, law, economics, political science, and strategic management.
SRI leverages the University of Toronto’s position as a hub for technological innovation and a network of partner organizations to engage a wide range of stakeholders from academia, government, non-profits, and industry in conversations and multilateral initiatives on key issues, including cutting-edge research, new policy frameworks, and innovative technical solutions.
Engaging with the Schwartz Reisman community provides researchers with opportunities to learn about new approaches and methodologies, build connections across disciplines, and join conversations on how to ensure technological innovation is aligned with human-centred values. Recipients of Schwartz Reisman fellowships are additionally supported by regular meetings with their peers, amplification of their work, and financial support. Graduate fellows also organize an annual workshop which explores interdisciplinary approaches to a common theme.
Why what we do matters
Schwartz Reisman fellowships support a wide range of innovative and solution-oriented approaches, and represent a unique opportunity to generate new connections between disciplines and areas of inquiry. Our goal is to support original and visionary research that will help redefine work at the intersection of technology and society, and generate human-centred solutions that ensure new technologies benefit all of humanity.
The inaugural cohort of Schwartz Reisman faculty fellows developed projects addressing the social implications of new technologies, including visualizing environmental justice through data, new approaches to data privacy, designing fair and efficient technologies for voting, and exploring how AI can yield new techniques for learning.
As the program has continued to grow, Schwartz Reisman fellows have pursued research within an ever-widening range of fields of inquiry, including computational social science, digital labour, public health, occupational therapy, education, data security, AI ethics, human-computer interaction, moral psychology, philosophy, law, political polarization, and international security.
Examples of research projects supported by Schwartz Reisman fellowships include:
Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, a 2021–23 Schwartz Reisman faculty fellow and assistant professor in U of T’s Department of Computer Science, is exploring intersections between AI ethics, post-secularism, and decolonialism within communities in the Global South.
Anna Su, a 2021–23 Schwartz Reisman faculty fellow and associate professor in U of T’s Faculty of Law, is examining platform regulation through the phenomenon of digital constitutionalism, asserting the importance of human rights within online environments.
Reid McIlroy-Young, a 2021–22 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellow and current PhD candidate in computer science, explored the ethical implications of how machine learning systems are increasingly able to imitate specific individuals.
Julian Posada, a 2021–22 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellow who recently completed his PhD at U of T’s Faculty of Information and is now a tenure-track assistant professor at Yale University, documented how data annotation is outsourced to precarious workers in the Global South, and why respecting workers’ rights will yield better data.
Left to right: Schwartz Reisman faculty fellows Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed and Anna Su, graduate fellows Reid McIlroy-Young and Julian Posada.
What our community says about us
Schwartz Reisman fellows join a diverse community of research leads, faculty affiliates, and fellows to contribute to and lead activities at SRI 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.
“Being a faculty fellow at SRI has been an amazing experience for me. It has allowed me to connect with scholars in the field of technology and society who bring interesting insights from diverse perspectives. I think the main strength of SRI lies in cultivating such a multi-disciplinary community, allowing me to develop my own scholarship with the help of such an amazing environment. The best part of my fellowship was getting feedback on my work from scholars outside my field and being able to develop meaningful collaborations with them.” – Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, SRI faculty fellow and assistant professor, Department of Computer Science.
“As a person from an engineering background, the Schwartz Reisman Institute gave me the language of, and a ‘rite of passage’ to, the rich literature available in the humanities.” – Shabnam Haghzare, 2020–21 graduate fellow; PhD, 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, 2021–22 graduate fellow; PhD candidate, Department of Psychology.
“SRI broadened my vision and confidence to explore the possibilities of doing research at the intersection of AI and anthropology. The interdisciplinary conversations and group discussions offered great opportunities to build new connections and explore intellectual possibilities. I am looking forward to continuing to learn from, and with, the SRI community.” – Yang Liu, 2020–21 graduate fellow; PhD candidate, Department of Anthropology.
“One of the things I loved most was the intellectual curiosity every fellow brought to everyone else's work, no matter the disciplinary background—we really learned from each other.” – Suzanne van Geuns, 2020–21 graduate fellow; PhD candidate, Department for the Study of Religion.
Ready to apply? Here’s what you need to know
Up to 15 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellows and four Schwartz Reisman faculty fellows will be appointed in 2023. Successful graduate fellows will be primarily enrolled in PhD programs, although exceptional master’s candidates are encouraged to apply. 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, Indigenous/Aboriginal people, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ 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 5th, 2023 at 11:59 PM ET. Late applications will not be considered.
Read the official calls below for more information about eligibility, compensation, and how to apply:
SCHWARTZ REISMAN CALL FOR FACULTY FELLOWS (PDF) AND APPLICATION FORM
SCHWARTZ REISMAN CALL FOR GRADUATE FELLOWS (PDF) AND APPLICATION FORM
See below for a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Have other questions? Contact us at sri.research@utoronto.ca.
Want to learn more?
FAQs: Schwartz Reisman faculty and graduate fellowships
What is the deadline for applications?
11:59 PM ET on February 5, 2023. 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 the application forms:
SCHWARTZ REISMAN CALL FOR FACULTY FELLOWS (PDF) AND APPLICATION FORM
SCHWARTZ REISMAN CALL FOR GRADUATE FELLOWS (PDF) AND APPLICATION FORM
Can current Schwartz Reisman faculty affiliates apply for the fellowships?
Yes, current faculty affiliates can apply.
If a faculty member applies for a faculty fellowship, can their PhD students independently apply for the graduate fellowship? Would the applications be assessed independently, or would preference be given to PhD students of faculty who are not already an affiliate or a fellow?
PhD students of a faculty member who also applies may independently apply for the program. There is no formal preference one way or the other. SRI will aim to balance cohesiveness, collaborative potential, and diversity across multiple dimensions in the composition of our fellows cohort.
Are postdoctoral fellows eligible for this fellowship call?
Unfortunately, this call is limited to graduate students and faculty members only.
Are there any themes or research areas associated with this call for fellows?
SRI will select fellows based on alignment with the Institute’s research priorities. Please review the information above and the calls for fellows documents for more details. 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?
Yes, as long as you are enrolled in a full-time graduate program at the University of Toronto. Travel is not a criterion of eligibility.
I am a student/faculty member at an institution other than the University of Toronto, or have a status-only faculty appointment. Am I eligible?
At this time, the call for Schwartz Reisman 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 receive our updates on Twitter, LinkedIn, or in our monthly newsletter.
My project has collaborators within and outside the University of Toronto. Does this application require all project members to be at 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 as Schwartz Reisman 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 recommend you send the best examples of your research achievements to date. 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 2023–2024 graduate fellowship runs from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. The 2023–2025 faculty fellowship runs from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025.
I previously received a SRI fellowship. Am I eligible to reapply this year?
While previous fellows may apply, we will prioritize applications from individuals who have not previously received a SRI fellowship.
Do I require an official transcript with my application?
SRI will accept both official and unofficial transcripts as part of the fellowship application process.
