Ian Kerr

Ian R. Kerr Fellowships for the LLM in Law and Technology

Ian’s vision was to ensure that top students from around the world have the necessary funding and support to pursue their scholarly dreams researching legal, ethical and policy questions surrounding new technologies at the University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society.

To continue his efforts towards a more inclusive academy and empowering emerging researchers, the Fund will create graduate, doctoral, and post-doctoral scholarships to notably support students from non-traditional backgrounds or perspectives, or from abroad who are not usually supported by traditional funding schemes.

Our vision for the Fund goes beyond the creation of Kerr Fellows supported by scholarships and research fellowships. The Fund will also support initiatives that continue his legacy of excellence in research, pushing the boundaries of thought leadership on technology and society. For example, the creation of the Kerr Lectures will be a new high-level event series to enable distinguished thinkers from around the world to share with the general public the results of original study on important subjects of contemporary interest on current and future technological issues.

Purpose of Fellowship

In establishing the Ian R. Kerr Memorial Fund, his friends and colleagues plan to support scholarships, fellowships, activities and initiatives honouring the legacy of Dr. Ian R. Kerr in the fields of technology law, ethics and policy.

As of September 2023, one fellowship will be awarded to an LL.M. student whose research focuses on legal issues such as privacy, artificial intelligence, technology ethics, or robotics, and has an outstanding academic record. 

The successful Kerr fellow will receive:

  • A fellowship of the amount of $25,000;
  • A bursary equivalent to Canadian tuition fee (maximum $11,000) to be credited to student account;
  • Travel bursary / research fund of $2,000;
  • Complimentary admission to a leading conference in the field; and
  • Guaranteed technology law internship.

Application contact: Office of Graduate Studies of the Faculty of Law ([email protected])
Application deadline: March 31, 2023

Eligibility Criteria

  • be admitted as a full-time student to the LL.M. with concentration in Law and Technology at the Faculty of Law of the University of Ottawa for Fall 2023;

  • hold a law degree (JD, LLL, LLB, BCL) with an outstanding average;
  • submit a proposal detailing the research in the areas of privacy, robotics, artificial intelligence or ethical technologies.

Application Procedure

Your application to the Master of Laws with concentration in Law and Technology must include a letter of intent stating your interest in the Fellowship and demonstrating that you meet the Ian R. Kerr Memorial Felloship for LLM in law and technology's eligibility criteria.

Apply now.