The Technoships

2023-2024 Academic Year
InformationWe regret to inform you that we will not be in a position to offer the Technoships program this academic year. We are working to relaunch the program and offer other unique opportunities to students. 

 

The Technoships is a unique experiential research training program in technology law, ethics and policy for University of Ottawa first-year law students.

This research internship program was developed to provide first-year students with financial assistance, cultivate mentoring relationships, and offer an early opportunity to engage with Faculty members from the Centre for Law, Technology and Society on current research initiatives.

 

The purpose of the program is to help students develop skills that will support them in their ongoing studies and better prepare them to apply to research assistantships or undertake research work as part of their degrees.  The program can also help students lay a foundation for future employment in technology law and policy.

The Technoship Fellows will join the research teams of our Faculty members who will mentor and train them. Through experiential research training activities, Fellows will participate in conducting research and collaborating with research teams on projects within the mentor’s broader research program. In addition, Technoship Fellows will benefit from the opportunity to attend training seminars on literature review, legal citation, data management, etc. organized in collaboration with the Library and other researchers at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society.

 

Research training activities will be carried out during the January and Winter semesters as coordinated by your mentor (for 50 to 60 hours of activities, including the training seminars).

The selection process usually takes place from October to December. This program is exclusively reserved for first-year students.

 

Selected students will receive financial assistance through a $ 1,000 bursary.

 

The annual call for applications is published in the "Opportunities" section.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What will I do as a Technoship fellows?

These Technoships are an initiation to research in the legal and policy field, with a focus on law and technology. Exact activities and research training tasks will depend on the project for which the student will be selected for. The program is designed for first-year students to give them a taste of research, and to be able to apply for research assistant positions later on, as policy and legal research is different than most other fields. 

The number of hours is provided for information only to allow you to assess your potential workload. The exact number of hours will depend on your project, your skills and how you organize your time. This is an experiential learning program complementing your studies, the latter should stay your main priorities. Your mentor will be able to guide you and adapt the program if needed, without it be consequential for the financial aid. 

How do you select Technoship fellows?

We’re looking for curious and brilliant people to train the next generation of technology law, ethics, and policy researchers. No specific knowledge of law nor technology is required to apply. That’s why we don’t ask for transcripts. 

Obviously, an interest in technology law, ethics, and policy will be appreciated. If you have experience related to the topic of some projects you’re applying to, you should also mention it (e.g. you’re an artist and would like to research copyright, or worked in finance and would like to research cryptocurrencies).

Can I apply if I am a second- or third-year student?

This program is restricted to first-year students. However, upper-year and graduate students who wish to work with one of our members are invited to reach out directly to them to discuss potential research assistantship opportunities. Please consult our directory.

Can I apply to one or more professors?

You can apply to as many Technoship positions as you wish. This will not be seen negatively by professors. As a matter of fact, professors don’t know if you have applied just with them, or with anybody else.

To whom should the cover letter be addressed?

If you are applying to only one professor, address the letter directly to that professor. However, if there is more than one professor, you can use greetings such as “Dear Professors” or “To whom it may concern”. This will not be seen negatively by professors.

Is there any interview?

There is no in-person interview. You may want to contact specific professors. However, it is not usual for them to meet with the students or interview them before the match happens. Indeed, facing the impossibility for them to meet with all interested students, it would be unfair for them to only meet certain students.

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