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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.
If you would like to speak to someone from the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics regarding media opportunities, please contact Director, Neil McArthur at neil.mcarthur@umanitoba.ca.
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
2024 Fellowship Recipients
Kevin Oliver, graduate student, Faculty of Education, UM
Marisa Ranieri, Master of Human Rights (MHR) student, Faculty of Law, UM
Shaylene Nancekivell, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, 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 2025 competition is now OPEN. Submission deadline is May 1, 2025. Competition theme is "Is it unethical to refuse to be friends with or to date people whose views you think are morally objectionable?".
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.
Competition sponsored by:
The Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics, UM
Department of Philosophy, UM
The Glassen Endowment Fund
If you require a document in this section in an alternate format, please submit a request to neil.mcarthur@umanitoba.ca. Please note that documents owned or created by external partners outside of the University of Manitoba are the responsibility of the external individual or organization.
Past Glassen Essay Competition winners
- 2024 - Elijah Muller, Kelvin High School: AI, Equity, and Global Development: Emerging Ethical Concerns
- 2023 - Julian McArthur, Kelvin High School: Should Canada make medical assistance in dying (MAiD) available to people with mental illness? (PDF)
- 2022 - Linden Hayden, Seven Oaks Met School: Are Cryptocurrencies Good for Society? (PDF)
- 2021 - Leanne Von Giese: The Importance of Interdependence During the COVID-19 Pandemic (PDF)
- 2020 - Anna Lokshin: Our Future, Our Mic (PDF)
- 2018 - Carl Dizon: Take one for the team, or not (PDF)
- 2017 - Matthew Murphy: You Can't Test What Doesn't Exist (PDF)
- 2016 - Alicia Essig: A Win-Win Situation (PDF)
- 2015 - Maria Konstantina Pepelassis: Sex in the Digital Age (PDF)
- 2014 - Rikki Bergen: Facelessness: The New Face of Connectivity (PDF)
- 2012 - Eric Flemming: Why Vancouver rioters should be shamed online (PDF)
- 2011 - Emma Maione: The duty to give (PDF)
- Fall 2009 - Kamal Dhillon: Downloading (PDF)
- 2009 - Katerina Tefft: On Consent (PDF)
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.
The 11th annual Manitoba High School Ethics Bowl
Friday, February 14-15, 2025
University of Manitoba
1st 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.
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.
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.
Complete the form at the link below. In the "Direct my gift to" field, choose "Enter a fund name". In the "Enter a fund name" field, type "Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics".
For more information on making a donation to CPAE, please contact donor.relations@umanitoba.ca.
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Contact us
-
Director
Dr. Neil McArthur
352 University College
neil.mcarthur@umanitoba.ca
Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics
352 University College
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada