[Air-L] New positions open: The Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies

[Frans Mäyrä]

The Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies (CoE GameCult) has
started in January 2018 its operation in the Academy of Finland's
Centres of Excellence (CoE 2018-2025) program.

There will be 2-4 researcher positions (postdoctoral researcher and
university researcher) available in the CoE University of Tampere
research team.

CoEs are the flagships of Finnish research, operating at the very
cutting edge of science in their fields, seeking out new avenues for
research, developing creative research environments and training new
talented researchers. The CoE GameCult is joint centre established by
the universities of Tampere, Jyväskylä and Turku, which have over 30
game researchers within their researcher communities. Bringing
together three leading research teams, the CoE GameCult aims to
integrate the multidisciplinary research carried out in game culture
studies, and to develop original theoretical and empirical approaches
that are crucial for understanding, anticipating and influencing the
direction and impact games have on contemporary and future
developments in culture and society.

Two overarching research questions will be examined in CoE GameCult are:
A) What are the key processes and characteristics of meaning making
that are significant for understanding changing game cultures?
B) How is cultural agency being reshaped, redistributed and
renegotiated in games and play, and in their associated societal
contexts?

The interconnected dimensions of game cultures are addressed through
four themes that organise the work carried out in the CoE: Theme 1:
Meaning and Form of Games (coord. JYU, prof. Raine Koskimaa), Theme 2:
Creation and Production of Games (coord. UTA, assoc.prof. Olli
Sotamaa), Theme 3: Players and Player Communities (coord. UTA, prof.
Frans Mäyrä), Theme 4: Societal Framing of Games (coord. UTU, prof.
Jaakko Suominen).

A person appointed as a postdoctoral researcher must:

- hold an appropriate doctoral degree
- be able to pursue scientific research independently
- have the instructional skills needed in the post

A person apppointed as a university researcher (senior researcher) must:

- hold an appropriate doctoral degree and a track record of scientific research
- have the instructional skills needed in the post

Tasks, work descriptions

CoE GameCult will start its operation in the beginning of year 2018,
and (subject to a successful mid-term evaluation) will continue up to
the end of eight-year period, the end of year 2025. There are multiple
positions that are opened for applications in the CoE. In this fall
2018 call 2-4 postdoctoral or senior researcher (‘university
researcher’) positions are available in the University of Tampere Game
Research Lab team.

Filling of researcher positions will be based on consideration of the
overall skills profiles of CoE research teams, and the number and
length of researcher service contracts will be subject for
negotiation, typically initially planned for one to four years
contracts.

The successful applicants will have both strong research profiles in
games, player or game culture studies, well formulated individual
research agendas, as well as evidence of capabilities for
interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork.

The more specific skill profiles that CoE is particularly looking for
are experts in:

1. game hermeneutics, and experts in game analysis method

2. game aesthetics, and player experience studies

3. game history, and specialists in the evolution of game genres and
various game cultural forms

4. game development practices and experts in game design research

5. ludic work, focusing on the changing relations between play and work

6. gaming communities and various player subcultures and diverse player groups

7. player motivations and social play, or play in society

8. games as sites of identity politics and resistance

9. the institutionalization of (digital) game cultures, and public
discourses on gaming

10. gamification in culture and society

11. statistical data analytics of games and play

Particular emphasis will be put on multidisciplinary skill profiles,
and for candidates who show evidence or promise for bridge building
between two or more, currently disconnected research fields related to
games, play, game players, design and development of games and
research of those societal and cultural contexts. Applicants are asked
to specify in their application, which one, or which ones, of the
above skill profiles they most closely identify with.

The minimum starting salary of a postdoctoral researcher will range
between €3500 and €4500 and salary of an university researcher will
range between €4000 and €5000 a month. Higher salaries maybe agreed
dependent upon experience and/or performance.

These posts are subject to a six-month probationary period.

Applications should be written in English and submitted electronically
via the University of Tampere’s electronic recruitment system by 15:00
pm. on 24 September 2018. (Link below)

The following documents should accompany your application:

- A CV (excluding publications, max 4 pages, recommended format:
http://www.tenk.fi/en/template-researchers-curriculum-vitae).

- A list of publications compiled preferably according to the Academy
of Finland guidelines
(http://www.aka.fi/en/funding/how-to-apply/appendices-required/curriculum-vitae-guidelines/).
Please indicate (by e.g. bold text) most important publications (max.
10).

- A letter of application (max 2 pages) in which you set out the
reasons why you are applying for the post and why you are particularly
suited to it.

- A research plan (max 3 pages), outlining your proposed research
within the CoE research themes.

- The names, positions and contact details of two referees who can
support your application

The CoE UTA team will hire at this point 2-4 researchers, to the
levels of postdoctoral or senior research fellow (‘university
researcher’), typically to periods ranging from one to four years (up
to negotiation). The researchers will be placed in Tampere, and work
closely with other CoE research teams at three participating
universities, across institutional and disciplinary boundaries. The
hired researchers would start their work in the CoE at the beginning
of 2019, or as agreed.

Enquiries that concern these positions can be directed to the CoE
director, prof. Frans Mäyrä (frans.mayra at uta.fi), and the University
of Tampere team leader, prof. Olli Sotamaa (olli.sotamaa at uta.fi).

For queries related to the application process please contact Head of
Admin, Kirsi Aalto, kirsi.m.aalto at uta.fi.

If deemed necessary, the University of Tampere reserves the right to
leave the post unfilled and extend the application period.

Deadline for applications: 24 September 2018, at 15:00 hours (Finnish time).

Official job announcement:
https://uta.rekrytointi.com/paikat/?jgid=1&jid=1239&o=A_RJ
Also at: https://coe-gamecult.org/

Application submissions system ink:
https://uta.rekrytointi.com/paikat/?o=A_A&jid=1239&rspvt=7lxylcb2x38ks0o0g4oc8wc880o8sss#login_form

Best regards, — Frans
-- 
   Frans Mäyrä, Professorial Fellow, IASR (1.8.2018-31.7.2019)
   Director, Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies
   ** mail: IASR, 33014 University of Tampere, Finland **
   ** frans.mayra at staff.uta.fi / fransmayra at gmail.com **
   www.fransmayra.fi www.unet.fi https://coe-gamecult.org/