Call for 2025 Schwartz Reisman Institute Graduate Fellowships now open
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society has launched its call for graduate fellows, open to all University of Toronto graduate students whose research explores the social impacts of new technologies. Deadline for applications is February 9, 2025.
Are you a University of Toronto graduate student committed to finding ways to leverage advanced technologies for social good? Do you envision artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven tools fostering a more inclusive and just society—one that upholds equity, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility—while ensuring AI systems are safe and aligned with human values? Are you excited to join a vibrant research community and engage in interdisciplinary discussions with top scholars from across fields?
The Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) is pleased to announce our 2025 call for graduate fellows, open to current U of T students across all three campuses whose work explores the social impacts of technology and who are committed to ensuring that advanced technologies benefit all of society.
Schwartz Reisman Institute Graduate Fellowships are awarded for a one-year term, with an opportunity to renew as an affiliate. Applications are now open and must be submitted by February 9, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET.
For more information on SRI’s fellowships program and to access the application form, please review our 2025 call for graduate fellows (PDF).
About the Schwartz Reisman Institute
Located at the University of Toronto, the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) supports world-class research to create new frameworks for understanding the societal impacts of powerful technologies, as well as the laws, institutions, and values that shape them.
SRI’s mission is to advance responsible, ethical, and human-centered approaches to technology that benefit all of humanity. By connecting scholars from the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields, we foster innovative research that inspires new ideas, interdisciplinary conversations, and policy-oriented solutions.
Our regular activities include the SRI Seminar Series, which showcases cutting-edge research from leading scholars working at the intersection of technology and society, and our annual conference, which gathers scholars from diverse disciplines to explore shared research questions from new perspectives. SRI also hosts special events featuring expert discussions on topics such as AI safety, education, and the transformative role of technology for democracy.
The integrative research and solutions we pursue reevaluate technology’s role in today’s world, the evolving needs of human communities, and the systems that govern them. We are exploring how to best align technology with human values and apply it effectively.
To learn more about SRI’s initiatives and goals, explore our Strategic Plan.
The University of Toronto’s Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus is the home of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. (Image credit: U of T.)
The Schwartz Reisman Institute is a thriving hub for AI research at the University of Toronto, fostering collaborative projects that address the complex relations between technology and society, and supporting researchers to engage with key stakeholders across academic institutions, government, industry, and civil society on vital research and policy initiatives.
Our leadership team is comprised of experts representing diverse fields across STEM, social sciences, and the humanities, including computer science, engineering, philosophy, and law. Our community benefits from the insights of a network of accomplished researchers hailing from more than 20 disciplines, and an advisory board that includes U of T University Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Hinton, winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics.
SRI researchers have authored hundreds of research papers and commentaries that advance the Institute’s mission to explore the social impacts of technology in novel ways, secured numerous innovative grants, served as expert consultants in collaboration with governments and industry, and chaired leading conferences and journals.
Joining SRI enables researchers to build connections beyond their primary field of study, learn from other emerging and established scholars, and engage in interdisciplinary discussions on aligning technological progress with human-centered values. SRI fellows receive financial support for their projects, benefit from research events, participate regularly in meetings with their peers, and gain enhanced visibility for their work.
Why what we do matters
Since the launch of the program in 2020, 75 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellowships have been awarded to outstanding students advancing research at the intersection of technology and society, with alumni launching successful careers and driving innovation in their fields.
Recipients of SRI fellowships hail from 25 unique University of Toronto faculties and departments, spanning a wide range of disciplines across STEM, social science, and humanities fields, including computer science, engineering, information, healthcare, psychology, philosophy, political science, education, sociology, and law.
Schwartz Reisman Institute fellowships support a diverse array of innovative, solution-oriented approaches and offer a unique opportunity to foster new connections between established academic disciplines. SRI encourages original projects that aim to redefine and expand research at the intersection of technology and society and build human-centred solutions.
Past SRI graduate fellow projects have explored the role of AI in healthcare, the ethics of mimetic models, new approaches to AI alignment, and the social impacts of data annotation.
Examples of the success and impact of SRI graduate fellows include:
Evi Micha, a 2020-21 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellow, earned CAIAC’s 2024 Best Dissertation Prize for her work on designing fair and efficient AI systems for collective decision-making, and is now tenure-track faculty at University of Southern California.
Julian Posada, a 2021-22 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellow, received multiple awards for his fellowship research on the dynamics of human labour and data annotation, and is now an assistant professor of American Studies at Yale University.
Alice Huang, a 2023-24 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellow, received the 2024 David Savan Dissertation Prize for her fellowship project and is now a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University’s Department of Philosophy.
Wenxi Liao, a 2023-24 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellow, completed her PhD at the end of her fellowship and is now advancing research on green infrastructure at McGill University as an NSERC postdoctoral fellow.
Silviu Pitis, a 2023-24 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellow, received an OpenAI Superalignment Fast Grant for his work on aligning AI systems with human values.
Left to right: Schwartz Reisman graduate fellows Evi Micha, Julian Posada, Alice Huang, Wenxi Liao, and Silviu Pitis.
What our community says about us
Schwartz Reisman fellows join a diverse community and are encouraged to build community and drive collaboration both within and outside the Schwartz Reisman Institute, including at our seminars, workshops, discussion groups, and other initiatives that foster our commitment to re-conceptualizing notions of the ways technology, systems, and society interact.
“The interdisciplinary nature of the SRI community is a major strength. It has been extremely beneficial to be exposed to different analyses of the societal impacts of technology use… This provided important contextual information that can be used to frame my thesis.” — Jo-Ann Osei-Twum, 2023–24 graduate fellow, PhD candidate, Department of Public Health Sciences
“Engaging peers across disciplines exposed me to ideas that I wouldn’t have considered and expanded my network. It has opened new research questions and avenues to explore for me.” — Jamie Duncan, 2023–24 graduate fellow, PhD candidate, Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies
“One of the things I appreciate most about being a part of the SRI community was learning about problems and solutions regarding the incorporation of AI in other fields. Often these transcended disciplines and provided valuable take-aways for my own work.” — Michael Colacci, 2023–24 graduate fellow, PhD candidate, Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation
“Participating in SRI’s community provided numerous benefits, particularly through the opportunities to discuss interdisciplinary projects and potential future research with other fellows. These discussions have the potential to lead to collaborative projects building on my current research.” — Wenxi Liao, 2023-24 graduate fellow, PhD, Department of Forestry
Ready to apply? Here’s what you need to know
To apply for a Schwartz Reisman Institute Graduate Fellowship, review our official 2025 call for fellows (PDF) and submit your application via our online form.
Up to 15 Schwartz Reisman graduate fellows will be appointed in 2025. Successful graduate fellows will be primarily enrolled in PhD programs, although exceptional master’s candidates are encouraged to apply.
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 must be submitted via the online form linked below by February 9, 2025, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Late applications will not be considered. Applicants will be notified of outcomes by April 2025.
Read the official call below for more information about eligibility, compensation, and how to apply:
See below for a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs).
Have other questions? Contact us at sri.research@utoronto.ca.
Want to learn more?
Schwartz Reisman Institute Graduate Fellowship FAQs
What is the deadline for applications?
February 9, 2025, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. 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 form:
CALL FOR SCHWARTZ REISMAN GRADUATE FELLOWS (PDF)
GRADUATE FELLOW APPLICATION FORM
Are postdoctoral researchers or graduate students from other universities eligible?
Unfortunately, this call is limited to University of Toronto graduate students only.
Will the Schwartz Reisman Institute offer a call for 2025 faculty fellows?
SRI will not be running a faculty fellowship program in 2025. We encourage you to stay connected to our Institute through our mailing list for other funding opportunities that may be announced in the future for University of Toronto faculty and other researchers.
Are there any specific themes or research areas associated with this call for fellows?
Fellows are selected based on their alignment with the research priorities of the Institute. Please review the information above and the call for fellows PDF for more details. Applicants are encouraged to review SRI’s research page, 2021–24 strategic plan, and explain how their proposal aligns with SRI’s mission in their application.
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, you are eligible to apply. Travel is not a criterion of eligibility.
Do I need to submit an official transcript?
An unofficial transcript is fine, as long as it provides an up-to-date overview of progress in your current degree at the University.
My project has collaborators outside the University of Toronto. 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 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 2025–2026 graduate fellowship runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.
I previously received an SRI graduate 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 fellowship.
