Faculty Membership

Current Faculty Membership | Responsibilities & Obligations | Core & Associate Faculty Membership | How to Apply

Faculty Research

Institute faculty have developed a strong research profile in a range of areas, including:

  • cosmology
  • quantum gravity
  • computational epistemology
  • cognitive neuroscience
  • public health policy
  • biological conservation
  • climate change mitigation
  • sustainability
  • implications of scientific innovation and new technologies
Meet Current Rotman Faculty Members
Meet Rotman CRC Holders

Core & Associate Rotman Faculty Membership

The Rotman Institute currently has 52 faculty members, including 18 core members and 39 associate members, from eight faculties at Western. Twenty associate members have primary appointments at other universities or Institutes.

18 Core Members
39 Associate Members
8 Faculties at Western
20 Members with External Appointments

Core faculty members are given access to office space (as available) within the Rotman suite, located in the Western Interdisciplinary Research Building. They also receive staff support, and access to competitively awarded Institute funds to support interdisciplinary research projects that advance the Institute’s vision and mission. Core faculty members may act as primary or co-investigators of Institute supported research projects, supervisors of Institute sponsored postdocs or graduate students, or they may engage in service to the Institute, such as holding a seat on the Institute Executive Committee or Research Advisory Committee.

Associate members maintain a lower level of engagement with the Institute, but still contribute to the Institute’s activities in a variety of ways, from regularly attending Institute sponsored events to collaborating on Institute projects.

Researchers at the Rotman Institute benefit from:

“…the ability to pursue new questions falling outside their own disciplines, along with the clarity that philosophical thought brings to familiar problems.”

Rob Corless, Rotman Core Faculty Member, Emeritus Distinguished University Professor

Learn More About the Institute

Faculty Responsibilities & Obligations

Faculty members from Western are appointed as members of the Institute for a three-year term, with the approval of the Executive Committee. Members of the Institute with a faculty appointment at Western will continue to report to the appropriate Dean and Chair with respect to their academic responsibilities. Faculty member responsibilities include:

  • Pursue​ ​interdisciplinary​ ​research​ ​projects​ ​that​ ​bridge philosophy and the sciences;
  • Mentor​ ​graduate​ ​students​ ​and​ ​postdoctoral​ ​fellows​ ​in​ ​the​ ​appropriate​ ​research​ ​areas;
  • Work​ ​with​ ​home​ ​department​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​the​ ​undergraduate​ ​curriculum,​ ​or​ ​to​ ​pursue​ ​other​ ​teaching opportunities,​ ​related​ ​to​ ​Rotman​ ​research;
  • Support​ ​public​ ​engagement​ ​and​ ​knowledge​ ​mobilization​ ​activities;
  • Support​ ​efforts​ ​to​ ​receive​ ​external​ ​funding​ ​for​ ​Institute​ ​projects;
  • Actively​ ​contribute​ ​to​ ​the​ ​intellectual​ ​life​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Rotman​ ​Institute​ ​(including​ ​attendance​ ​at​ ​Institute​ ​sponsored​ ​talks,​ ​public​ ​events,​ ​and workshops,​ ​where​ ​appropriate.).

Please refer to the faculty membership policy for a complete list of responsibilities & obligations.

View the Faculty Membership Policy

How to Apply

Prospective members may nominate themselves for Rotman faculty membership by completing the online application form linked below. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. The Rotman Executive Committee will review applications on the basis of scholarly excellence, or comparable achievements in relevant areas, and evidence of commitment to the Institute’s vision and mission.

Please note that applicants will be prompted to submit the following items in the application form; please have these prepared before proceeding.

  • A short, concise biography aimed at lay-readers (max 1800 characters)
  • A description of your current research — this statement can be more detailed and targeted at specialist readers
  • A file (.pdf or .doc) that lists your publications — this can be comprehensive or a shortened list of selected publications, if preferred
  • A high-resolution photo of yourself you’d like to use on your member profile (optional)
Complete the Rotman Institute Membership Application Form

The Rotman Institute is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDID) in our membership, as an essential part of creating the intellectual environment needed to achieve our goals.