[Air-L] Ph.D. and Post.doc scholarships: Virtual Worlds

[simonhei at ruc.dk]

Ph.D. and Post.doc scholarships: Virtual Worlds

The research project "Sense-making strategies and user-driven  
innovations in Virtual Worlds" (2008-2011) – funded by the Danish  
Strategic Research Council, KINO – offers two full, 3-year Ph.D.  
scholarships and one 2-year Post.doc scholarship. The start date is 1  
July 2008
One of the Ph.D. and the Post.doc scholarship will be located in the  
Research Group, Communication Forms and Knowledge Production,  
Department of Communication, Business and Information Technologies  
(CBIT), Roskilde University. One Ph.D. scholarship will be located in  
the research group, LIKE – Leadership, Innovation, Knowledge and  
Entrepreneurship, Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy  
(LPF), Copenhagen Business School, Denmark.

The overall aim of the research project is to gain theoretically- and  
empirically-based insight into avatar-based virtual worlds as sites  
for user-driven innovation. The project works with an understanding of  
innovation as socially and culturally specific processes of  
meaning-making in which learning takes place and knowledge is  
constructed, negotiated and shared. One key focus point is the role of  
conceptions of space, body and person in shaping the design and use  
of, and changes in, avatar-based virtual worlds. Another key focus  
point is how we can re-work existing theories and methods - including  
approaches developed to study other forms of computer-mediated  
interaction - in order to take account of the specific characteristics  
of virtual worlds.

The project works within and across three topic areas in relation to  
innovation in virtual worlds:
1) market dynamics and management, 2) social and cultural innovation  
and 3) knowledge construction. We seek applications that propose  
empirically-oriented Ph.D. and Post.doc projects either within one of  
these topic areas or across two or all of the topic areas. More  
information about the research project - including a detailed project  
description - can be found at the project website http://worlds.ruc.dk.

The application should include:
•	A project description outlining the research design, consisting of  
research question(s) and aim(s), contribution to the research field,  
theories and methods, and a research timetable (5 pages excluding  
references)
•	CV listing relevant educational and professional qualifications and  
publications
•	Maximum 5 publications (including masters' dissertation)

The application form can be downloaded at:  
http://www.ruc.dk/cbit/Forskeruddannelse/blanketter/

The Ph.D. scholarships entail that the students, over the 3-year  
period of study, gain experience of teaching, or another type of  
communication of knowledge, that is related as much as possible to the  
Ph.D. project in progress. The extent of teaching/knowledge  
communication is based on the Cirkulære om overenskomst for  
akademikere i staten of 22 December 2005.

Salary and other conditions of employment are based on agreement  
between the Ministry of Finance and AC.

Those who have obtained Masters' degrees (including Danish "Candidate"  
degree) or expect to gain a Masters' degree in the near future can  
apply for the Ph.D. scholarships, and those who have obtained a Ph.D.  
degree or expect to gain a Ph.D. degree in the near future can apply  
for the Post.doc scholarship.

Roskilde University encourages applications from all those who are  
interested regardless of age, sex, religion or ethnicity.

To obtain further details about the scholarships, you are welcome to  
contact Research manager, Associate Professor Sisse Siggaard Jensen,  
Roskilde University, telephone 4674 3771 or email: sisse at ruc.dk, and  
Associate Professor Maja Horst, Copenhagen Business School, telephone   
3815 2826 or email mh.lpf at cbs.dk.

In 2009 one Ph.D. scholarship located in CBIT, Roskilde University and  
one Post.Doc scholarship located in LPF, Copenhagen Business School  
will be offered and advertised in spring 2009.

The deadline for applications is 15 May 2008, 12 Noon. 5 copies of the  
application (including 5 copies of each attached publication) should  
be labelled "Ph.D./virtual worlds" and sent to:

Roskilde University
Department of Communication, Business and Information Technologies
Ph.D. administration: Annette Nørballe
Postbox 260, Building. 42.2.15
4000 Roskilde
Denmark