Philosophy@Western

Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Bioethics

Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Bioethics

This is a one-year renewable position funded by the CIHR grant, Let Conscience Be Their Guide? Conscientious Refusals in Reproductive Health Care.

This research examines whether conscientious refusals by health care professionals to provide services such as abortions are morally and legally permissible. The emphasis is on refusals in reproductive health care and on how feminists ought to respond to them. The practical aims are to develop model policies on and model curricula about conscientious refusals for different health care professions.

The grant has two research sites: The University of Western Ontario and Dalhousie University. The Post Doctoral Fellow (PDF) could work at either or both sites and should identify a preference in his/her application. A PDF at Western would report to the Principal Investigator, Professor Carolyn McLeod, whereas a PDF at Dalhousie would report to one or both of two co-investigators, Professor Françoise Baylis or Professor Jocelyn Downie.

The responsibilities of the PDF will include the review and critique of relevant philosophical, legal, or clinical literatures, and the development of new theories or approaches. The PDF will also be expected to present his/her research at conferences and in lecture series, and to publish in peer-reviewed journals. In addition, s/he may have the opportunity to co-author papers or policies with members of the research team.

The successful candidate will have a background in philosophy, bioethics, or law. S/he must have completed a PhD, LLM, or equivalent. Knowledge of feminist approaches to bioethics, interdisciplinary teamwork experience, and good communication and interpersonal skills are all assets. 

Review of applications will begin March 1, 2011 and will continue until the position is filled. The start date is negotiable, but is expected to be either September 1, 2011 or January 1, 2012.  

Please send a curriculum vitae, (scanned) official transcripts, a writing sample, a statement of research interests, and three letters of reference to Professor Carolyn McLeod, Department of Philosophy, Stevenson Hall, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B8. E-Mail: [email protected].

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. The University of Western Ontario and Dalhousie University are both committed to employment equity and welcome applications from all qualified women and men, including visible minorities, Aboriginal people and persons with disabilities.

Joan Mason Grant Remembered

Alison Wylie, a former faculty member in Philosophy at Western, has written a memorial essay about Joan Mason-Grant in the most recent issue of Hypatia, available online at  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1527-2001.2010.01154_1.x/abstract. Wylie, Alison, Pornography Embodied: Joan Mason-Grant Remembered (1958–2009).

Joan received her BA in Philosophy in June 1982 and her Ph.D. of Philosophy October 22, 1998 from the University of Western Ontario. She died of cancer in May 2009. Joan was an assistant professor at King's where she taught Women's Studies and Social Justice & Peace Studies.

Conflicts of conscience in medicine

By Heather Travis
Thursday, November 11, 2010

Conscientious refusal by health care professionals to provide services, including abortions, has been a subject of intense debate for some time, and the recent discovery that the Canadian Medical Association lacks a coherent policy on the issue has left the nation abuzz.

 

Acknowledging the need for conversation on the deep-rooted subject of conscientious refusal, The University of Western Ontario, in association with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is offering a unique opportunity for an informal discussion on the topic.

Through CIHR’s Café Scientifique initiative, Western will host “The Spark of Conscience Inflames Debate: Conflicts of Conscience in Medicine” at Covent Garden Market in London, Ont. on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.

Carolyn McLeod, a professor in Western’s Department of Philosophy, will act as moderator of the event, which will feature professional input, along with opinions from the general public.

McLeod, an expert on the subject of health care ethics, will be accompanied by nationally recognized educators who will encourage discussion on what a policy on conscientious refusal should entail and the degree of protection such a policy should offer.

Providing professional input alongside McLeod is Jocelyn Downie and Robyn MacQuarrie, both professors at Dalhousie University and Reverend Michael Prieur of St. Peter’s Seminary. These professionals will offer expert information from the related fields of law, medicine and bioethics, as well as moral and sacramental theology. 

The event, which aims to provoke questions and provide answers, is open to the general public. To register for the event, contact [email protected]

For more information, visit the CIHR Café Scientifique Facebook page.

http://communications.uwo.ca/com/western_news/stories/conflicts_of_conscience_in_medicine_20101111447083/

Analyticity in Bolzano and Quine

On Friday, November 12th, Sandra Lapointe (Kansas State) will be speaking as part of the Department of Philosophy  Colloquium. She will speak on Analyticity in Bolzano and Quine. A department tea time will take place from 2:30pm-3:30pm in the  department lounge on the third floor of Stevenson Hall, followed by Dr. Lapointe's talk in room 1145 beginning at 3:30pm.

Post doc opportunity at the Rotman Institute of Philosophy

The Rotman Institute of Philosophy at The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, invites applications for a Rotman Institute of Philosophy Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ethics or Bioethics (one year with a possibility of renewal for a second year).  The purpose of the fellowship is to provide an opportunity for new scholars in ethics or bioethics who have an interest in some aspect of contemporary science to pursue their chosen areas of scholarly research further in a research intensive environment.

The Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ethics or Bioethics will have an office within the Rotman Institute of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy (www.rotman.uwo.ca). S/he will have the use of the University's internet and library resources. It is expected that the Fellow will give one lecture on her or his research during the course of the year at Western and that the Fellow will participate in the research life of the Institute through conferences, research groups, and reading groups. Postdoctoral Fellows are expected to apply for limited duties (part-time) teaching of one half course (up to a maximum of one full course).

Candidates must have had a PhD in Philosophy conferred within five years from the start of the fellowship. All PhD requirements must be completed by the starting date of this postdoctoral fellowship, July 1, 2011. The stipend is $35,000 Canadian plus a research allowance of $5,000 Canadian. 

Please send curriculum vitae, writing sample, research statement, and three letters of reference to: Professor Samantha Brennan, Chair, Department of Philosophy, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B8.  Fax: 519-661-3922. E-Mail: [email protected] 

Review of applications will begin on December 20, 2010 and will continue until the position is filled. This position is subject to budgetary approval. Applicants should have fluent oral and written communication skills in English. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. The University of Western Ontario is committed to employment equity and welcomes applications from all qualified women and men, including visible minorities, aboriginal people and persons with disabilities.