Close up of one hand reaching out to help another with the sky in the background and the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics logo.

Upcoming events

  • A Talk on Neurotechnology and the Law:

    Ulysses Contracts and Neurotechnology: Accounting for Unintended Mental and Behavioural Effects of Neuromodulation Therapies

    Jennifer Chandler
    Professor of Law, Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Ottawa

    Thursday, March 7, 2024
    12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
    Room 230 University College 
    The talk is free and all are welcome

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is well-established as a treatment for movement disorders. In a minority of cases, stimulation results in impulse control disorders that can bring about negative social and financial consequences. This is dealt with by adjusting stimulation. In some cases, patients are reluctant to have stimulation modified. This presentation addresses the conceptual, ethical and legal challenges of consent in the context of stimulation-induced behavioural changes particularly as both applications of DBS and DBS technology changes. It considers how these ethical and legal challenges can be addressed both with technological innovation as well as legal innovation.

     

  • Graphic for C.P.A.E. workshop on March 7th. Includes a starburst of nanoparticles.

 

  • FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

    Deadline to apply for a 2024/25 CPAE fellowship is February 28, 2024.

    Learn more

  • Wording giving fellowship details.
  • Wording giving fellowship details.

Who we are

Directors

Neil McArthur
Director
Professor, Department of Philosophy

Sarah Hannan
Associate Director
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Studies

R.J. Leland
Associate Director
Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy

Arthur Schafer
Founding Director
Professor, Department of Philosophy

Advisory Board

Neil McArthur
Department of Philosophy; Director, CPAE

Arthur Schafer
Department of Philosophy; Founding Director, CPAE

Sarah Hannan
Department of Political Studies; Associate Director, CPAE

R.J. Leland
Department of Philosophy; Associate Director, CPAE

Kathleen Buddle, Department of Anthropology

Dimitrios Dentsoras, Department of Philosophy

Nancy Kang, Women's and Gender Studies Program

Simone Mahrenholz, Department of Philosophy

Rhonda Martens, Department of Philosophy

Sarah Teetzel, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management

Associates

David Alper, Faculty of Social Work, St. Boniface University

Brenda Austin-Smith, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media

Benita Cohen, Faculty of Nursing

David Churchill, Department of History

Jerome Cranston, Faculty of Education

Peter Denton, Department of History, Royal Military College of Canada

Dimitrios Dentsoras, Department of Philosophy

Bruno Dyck, Faculty of Management

Royce Koop, Department of Political Studies

Lisa Landrum, Faculty of Architecture

R.J. Leland, Department of Philosophy

Orly Linovsky, Department of City Planning, Faculty of Architecture

Erik Magnusson, Department of Political Studies

Kenneth McKendrick, Department of Religion

Dana Medoro, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media

Adam Muller, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media

Rob Shaver, Department of Philosophy

Sarah Teetzel, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management

David Watt, Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media

Media

The Centre’s members draw from both the Philosophy and Politics departments, and possess expertise on a wide range of ethical, political and social issues. They are happy to speak with members of the media, both on background and to provide comment for publication or on air.

Fellowships

The Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics offers graduate and research fellowships to students and academics and encourages applicants from all fields to apply.

Deadline for applications is annually on February 28 for the coming academic year.

Ethics Research Fellowship (for faculty)

The Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics invites applications for its annual Ethics Research Fellowship. The fellowship is open to UM faculty and instructors at any rank (UMFA or non-UMFA), and we encourage applications from researchers in all fields. The fellowship aims to support research in the field of ethics. It also aims to encourage researchers in other fields to consider the ethical implications of their work, to integrate ethics into their research practices, and to promote understanding of ethics as it relates to their areas of study.

Successful applicants will be appointed as Research Associates of the centre. They will be granted release time stipends for three credit hours of teaching or the equivalent. Alternatively, the applicant may, instead of the stipend, choose to apply for financial support of up to $6,000. In that case, a draft budget will be required, detailing how the grant money would be spent. At some point following the conclusion of the fellowship period, recipients will be asked to present their research findings at a public lecture sponsored by the centre. A final written report describing the outcome of the research must be submitted within two months of the end of the term of the fellowship.

The choice of the successful applicants will be based upon the qualifications and publication record of the applicant and the significance of their proposed research.

Applicants must submit a research proposal of not more than 500 words. The proposal should indicate the nature and significance of the topic, the applicant’s qualifications for addressing the topic and the type of publications expected to result from the research. They should also submit a curriculum vitae.

Each applicant must also obtain a letter from the head of their department, indicating that the department is willing to reduce the applicant’s normal teaching load in return for stipendiary replacement funds. Alternatively, the applicant may arrange for the department head to contact the Director via email to provide the necessary assurance.

Previous fellowship winners are eligible to apply. However, priority will generally be given to applicants who have not previously held fellowships.

Applications, and all supporting material, must be submitted electronically no later than February 28 to:

Professor Neil McArthur
Director
Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics
Neil.McArthur@umanitoba.ca

Ethics Graduate Fellowship

The Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics invites applications for its Ethics Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship is open to UM graduate students, at any stage of their programme, and we encourage applications from students in all fields. The fellowship aims to support graduate students who research in the field of ethics. It also aims to encourage students in other fields to consider the ethical implications of their work, to integrate ethics into their research, and to promote understanding of ethics as it relates to their areas of study. Two fellowships will be awarded.

Successful applicants will be granted a $3,000 stipend.

The choice of the successful applicants will be based upon the qualifications and publication record of the applicant and the significance of the proposed research.

Applicants must submit a research proposal of not more than 500 words that indicates the nature and significance of the topic, the applicant's qualifications for addressing the topic and the contribution the project will make to the student's overall research progress. They should also submit a curriculum vitae.

Applications, and all supporting material, must be submitted electronically no later than February 28 to:

Professor Neil McArthur
Director
Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics
Neil.McArthur@umanitoba.ca

2023 Fellowship Recipients

Brielle Beaudin-Reimer, PhD student, Department of Indigenous Studies, UM

Nabil Iqbal, Master of Human Rights (MHR) student, Faculty of Law, UM

R.J. Leland, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, UM

The Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics has a mandate to promote interdisciplinary research on applied ethics in all areas of practical and professional life. Funding for these research fellowships is provided by the Imperial Oil Ethics Endowment Fund.

Community and outreach

Glassen High School Ethics Essay Competition

Each year, The Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics and the Department of Philosophy sponsor the Glassen High School Ethics Essay Competition. The contest is open to all Grade 11 and Grade 12 students in Manitoba and the writer of the winning essay receives a $1,000 award.

The 2024 competition is OPEN, Submission deadline is May 1, 2024.

Eligibility

The contest is open to all Manitoba high school students who are registered in grade 11 or 12 at the time of the contest deadline.

Essay requirements

The essay is to be a maximum of 1000 words, in English, typed and double spaced, with normal margins.

Title page content and essay footnotes are NOT included in the word count.

Do NOT include a header within the essay that contains the student's name or school name.

Include the following information in the body of the submission email: the student's name, contact information, school name, name of the sponsoring teacher and essay word count.

Pages of the essay must be numbered.

Essays must consist of original work by the student. Students may consult other sources, but any references to another author's work must be credited with full citations and footnoted.

Essays that are not on topic, that fail to answer the essay question or that violate the above stated requirements will not be considered.

Submission

Essays must be submitted to glassencontest@gmail.com using an email subject line of "ETHICS ESSAY - <student name>" by 11:59 pm CT on the contest deadline. Confirmation will be sent back to applicants upon successful submission. Entries received after this date will not be considered for the competition.

Each contestant may submit only one entry.

Include the following information in the body of the submission email: the student's name, contact information, school name, name of the sponsoring teacher and essay word count.

Essays will be judged according to the quality, depth and originality of the thoughts expressed, the organization of its ideas, and clarity of its expression. The most important component of a good philosophical essay is that it is fair-minded and shows the writer's ability both to consider the other side of the issue, and to anticipate and respond to criticisms of their position.

Helpful tips to write a good essay (PDF)

Competition sponsored by:

The Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics, UM
Department of Philosophy, UM
The Glassen Endowment Fund

 

Manitoba High School Ethics Bowl

The Ethics Bowl is a competitive event for students in grades 11 and 12 from across Manitoba. Students are given case studies that present ethical issues and must craft a response by looking at all sides of the question. Though it is similar in some ways to a debate competition, it is meant to provide a positive alternative to debates. It prioritizes careful argument, understanding and collaboration over confrontation. The Bowl encourages deeper critical thinking by examining Canadian and international issues, with the aim of finding the best solution possible. Winners of the Manitoba competition move on to the National Ethics Bowl.

This event is co-hosted annually with the Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties

 

  • Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties logo

The 9th annual Manitoba High School Ethics Bowl

Friday, February 24, 2023
University of Manitoba

1st place: Miles MacDonnell Collegiate
2nd place: École secondaire Kelvin High School

Student resources and opportunities

Philosophy and Ethics Centre Student Associations (UM PSA&ECSA)

The Philosophy and Ethics Centre student associations work together to present activities and information and help to connect students with the Department of Philosophy. They offer talks, movie nights, a summer reading group and an annual student conference.

Follow UM PSA & ECSA on Instagram

Follow UM PSA & ECSA on Facebook

Courses on ethics and politics

Our directors and associates teach classes covering ethics and politics topics at the undergraduate and graduate levels primarily through the departments of philosophy and political studies but also in areas such as religion, health sciences, English, history and architecture. Consult the course schedules of these departments and faculties for details on specific classes.

View the Academic Calendar

Research

Donations

CPAE gratefully accepts donations from individuals, corporations and other organizations which help support its vision, goals and objectives. Donors will receive a receipt for income tax purposes.

Donate to CPAE

For more information on making a donation to CPAE, please contact donor.relations@umanitoba.ca.

Contact us

Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics
352 University College
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada