Ph.D. scholarship: Virtual Worlds

The research project "Sense-making strategies and the user-driven innovations in Virtual Worlds" (2008-2011) – funded by the Danish Strategic Research Council, KINO – offers a full, 3-year Ph.D. scholarship. The start date is 1 November 2008. The Ph.D. scholarship will be located in the Research Group, Communication Forms and Knowledge Production, Department of Communication, Business and Information Technologies (CBIT), Roskilde University.

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 computermediated 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 an empirically-oriented Ph.D. project 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 blog: Contact, 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/
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The Ph.D. scholarship entails that the student, 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. 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 @ ruc.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 26 September 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: Helle Falk Jacobsen
Postbox 260, Building. 42.3.
4000 Roskilde
Denmark