[Air-L] Interdisciplinary PhD Studentship

[Sarah Martindale]

*School of Computer Science – Mixed Reality Laboratory*

*Understanding Media Trajectories*

*An EPSRC funded PhD Studentship in the Mixed Reality Laboratory with the
BBC*

Applications are invited from suitably qualified graduates for a fully
sponsored PhD studentship based within the Mixed Reality Laboratory at the
University of Nottingham, in collaboration with the BBC’s Research &
Development Department.

The world of broadcasting is changing rapidly with viewers accessing
content across multiple screens (television, radio, PCs, tablets, phones
and others), at varying times (including being able to replay content), and
in a wide variety of contexts. They are also increasingly able to comment
on, mash up and contribute to content, heralding a shift from being viewers
of television to participants in it. This PhD – hosted by the BBC –
provides a unique opportunity to study the changing nature of our
television experience and contribute to the design of future services. The
core aim is to understand how individuals engage in complex and extended TV
experiences – for example following an unfolding news story, election,
drama series, or sports tournament – in terms of trajectories of
experience. The idea is that people already create their own trajectories
through media experiences, using various screens to interleave them with
their daily lives. If we can understand how they do this in detail then we
can begin to design new more joined-up television experiences.

The PhD will be based in the Mixed Reality Laboratory at Nottingham, an
interdisciplinary research environment with a longstanding reputation for
research into interactive media. It will also be hosted by the BBC who will
provide supervision as well as opportunities to engage with BBC staff,
knowledge and resources, including spending time working onsite at the BBC.
The student will therefore be in a unique position to address this
challenge while also benefiting from an extended training that includes
industry experience in a world-leading media company.

This position is open to high-calibre students from a wide variety of
backgrounds spanning Computer Science and related technical disciplines,
but also the Social Sciences, Psychology, New Media and Television Studies
which may provide relevant skills and background for studying media
trajectories. Willingness and ability to engage in interdisciplinary
research are especially important. Beyond this, students must be able to
demonstrate a capability to undertake and benefit from research training
through to completion, to the standard necessary to qualify for a PhD. The
candidate must have a high-grade qualification; an upper second class
honours degree or a combination of qualifications and/or experience
equivalent to that level.

Due to the nature of funding the studentship is available to UK and EU
citizens. The PhD scholarship is offered for the duration of three and a
half years, starting on 1 October 2013, and will cover full university fees
and a stipend. For the EPSRC student eligibility criteria, please visit:
http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/students/Pages/eligibility.aspx

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor Steve Benford, Mixed
Reality Laboratory, School of Computer Science, via email to:
sdb at cs.nott.ac.uk

To apply, please access https://my.nottingham.ac.uk/pgapps/welcome.

*Closing date: 30th June 2013.*