RAI trainee David Medcalfe selected nationally for NSERC CREATE SECURE-AGRO program

We are pleased to share that RAI trainee David Medcalfe has been selected at the national level to join SECURE-AGRO, a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) CREATE training program led by Dr. Ali Dehghantanha, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence. SECURE-AGRO brings together researchers across Canada to strengthen the security, reliability, and equity of emerging smart-agriculture systems.

David’s selection builds upon the interdisciplinary expertise he has developed through the Responsible AI Training Program and his research at McGill University’s Data Mining & Security (DMaS) Lab. 

Under the supervision of Professor Benjamin Fung, Canada Research Chair in Data Mining for Cybersecurity, David's work reflects the legal and governance challenges associated with the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity and critical-infrastructure protection contexts, including connected-mobility ecosystems.

His research is supported by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) Master’s Research Scholarship, one of Québec’s most prestigious and competitive awards in science and technology. While the fellowship is typically awarded to students in core STEM fields, David’s selection is noteworthy for recognizing an interdisciplinary profile that bridges legal, technical, and ethical dimensions of AI and cybersecurity.

By bridging law, cybersecurity, and responsible AI, David contributes to both CREATE programs’ shared mission of ensuring that AI-enabled systems, whether in transportation, agriculture, or other safety-critical sectors, evolve in ways that are secure, transparent, and aligned with the public interest.

We congratulate David on this achievement and look forward to the contributions he will continue to bring to the RAI community and to national conversations on responsible and trustworthy AI.