RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY in MIDDLE EARTH (Aotearoa New Zealand)

Dr Gareth Schott (University of Waikato, New Zealand) invites applications for a PhD Scholarship connected to a three-year research project, funded by the Royal Society of New Zealand, Marsden Fund. The project, ‘Videogame Classification: Examining Player Experiences,’ is a collaborative project with Prof. Frans Mäyrä (Tampere University, Finland) and Dr Lennart Nacke (University of Saskatchewan, Canada).

We are seeking an individual to join this team and contribute to the production of accounts of gameplay as a gestural, engaging, cognitive and affective activity. The broad intention of the project is to better inform the classification processes associated with the regulation of interactive games. While the projects’ methodological approach will be located at an intersection between the humanities, psychology, social and computer sciences, we are seeking applications from individuals that hold a particular interest in game design, player experience, gameplay metrics and psychophysiological measurement techniques. Participants are expected to learn, evaluate and utilize tools for game development (e.g., Source SDK) as well as tools for quantitative analysis (MATLAB, SPSS). Furthermore, writing and presentation of project documentation and research papers for suitable conferences and journals is expected.

The project has a scheduled start date of February 2011. While scholarship and the research will be based primarily in New Zealand, funds will be made available for travel to one of the other participating universities to receive initial training and sustain international collaboration in the project as well as travel to international conferences.

The application should include the following:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Two academic references
• Certified copies of certificates and diplomas

Interested applicants should contact Dr Gareth Schott ([email protected]) for either further details of the project and what the PhD scholarship entails (study fees + tax free stipend). While it would be preferable for applicants to hold a Master qualification, this should not preclude applications from high achieving students without a Masters.

Dr Gareth Schott

Senior Lecturer,
School of Arts,
Screen and Media Programme,
University of Waikato,
Private Bag 3105, Hamilton,
New Zealand
+64 7 838 6083
www.waikato.ac.nz/film/staff/scme/sgrsnaes

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