Connectionists: Fully-funded PhD studentships in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (IGGI)

[Diego Perez Liebana]

EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (IGGI)
Up to 12 fully-funded PhD studentships to start September 2019
Covers fees at Home/EU rate and a stipend for four years
IGGI is an exciting opportunity for you to undertake a four-year PhD in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence, working with top games companies and world-leading academics in games research. We currently have 60 students conducting interdisciplinary research in areas such as:

·         Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to create interesting, fun, believable game agents,
·         interaction and user experience design for games,
·         ML and data science to understand player behaviour and psychology,
·         using games for learning and wellbeing,
·         game audio, graphics and animation
·         games with a purpose/games for good: citizen science and gamification,
·         computational creativity: procedural content generation for audio, graphics, gameplay, …,
·         emotion and immersion in games,
·         AI-assisted game design and testing.

IGGI is a collaboration between the University of York and Queen Mary, University of London. The programme trains PhD researchers who will become the next generation of leaders in research, design, development and entrepreneurship in digital games. We have a diverse group of students and encourage diverse applicants.

We are awaiting a final funding decision (expected December 2018), which will give us 12 studentships available for 2019/20 entry (starting September 2019), which will fund full fees (at a Home/ EU rate) plus a tax-free living stipend, for a 4-year PhD programme. Could you join our large and growing group of games researchers in the world’s largest games research programme?

Why IGGI?
IGGI gives you the opportunity to work with our industry partners, allowing you the possibility to contribute directly to the future of games. You will have the opportunity to undertake industrial placements during the IGGI programme, giving you first-hand experience of the games industry. These placements will contribute to your research, ensuring its relevance, as well as giving you the skills needed to succeed in a career in the games industry or games research.

Our students have completed, or are currently on, placements with partner companies such as Sony Interactive Entertainment, Bossa Studios, Google, Bloomberg, PROWLER.io, Media Molecule, BT, Splash Damage, and MindArk. Other partners include organisations such as Electronic Arts, Creative Assembly, Rebellion, Revolution, AI Factory and over 50 games companies and organisations which use games in creative ways (see <http://www.iggi.org.uk/industry-partners/> http://www.iggi.org.uk/industry-partners/)

Your research work with partners like these will advance the creation of more fun and profitable games that exploit research advances, and help to increase the use of games as tools for research in behavioural science and for societal benefit.

You’ll also learn through teamwork and inspiring events such as:

·         the IGGI Game Jam, a 48 hour game development challenge as part of the Global Game Jam, enhancing your skills in game design, development, and teamwork;
·         the IGGI Conference, showcasing student research alongside industry and academic speakers;
·         student-led events such as the IGGI Game Creator’s Club, research seminars, games evenings.

You’ll receive focused skills training from a range of academic research leaders, covering topics including Games Development, Games Design and Research Skills as well as a range of optional topics in areas such as AI, HCI, graphics, audio and design.

Apply for IGGI
If funded, we will have 12 studentships to award to outstanding students which cover fees and an annual tax-free stipend of £14,777 (plus London weighting if studying at Queen Mary) for four years (at 2018/19 rates - this is likely to increase for September 2019 starters). Even if not funded we will have more than four standard PhD studentships, though we are hopeful following positive reviews and a positive final interview.
An IGGI application should consist of your statement of planned research, proposed supervisor(s), your CV and a covering letter explaining your motivation and suitability for the IGGI programme. You will also be asked for evidence of your programming skills during the application process, either through your qualifications, previous employment or examples of games you have developed.

You can contact potential supervisors directly (see <http://www.iggi.org.uk/supervisors/> http://www.iggi.org.uk/supervisors/ for a list), or contact us at the email address below and we can help you to choose a principal supervisor from York or Queen Mary based on your interests and background.

IGGI students are a diverse group, and admission judgements are made exclusively on the basis of experience and potential to do excellent research and contribute to IGGI’s goals. We especially welcome applications from female and minority ethnic candidates as well as other groups that are under-represented in areas related to IGGI.

We expect substantial competition for IGGI studentships and we encourage good students to submit applications as early as possible. The deadline for applications is 23:59 (GMT) on Thursday 31st January 2019. Interviews will take place at Queen Mary University of London on Friday 15th March 2019.

Please email your CV, covering letter, supervisor information and statement of planned research to apply at iggi.org.uk<mailto:apply at iggi.org.uk>. Enquiries should be sent to the same email address. The deadline for applications is 31st January 2019, but we strongly encourage you to get in touch with potential supervisors before then in order to craft the best possible application.



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Diego Pérez Liébana

Lecturer in Computer Games and Artificial Intelligence
School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
Queen Mary University of London (UK)
email: diego.perez at qmul.ac.uk<mailto:diego.perez at qmul.ac.uk><mailto:dperez at essex.ac.uk>
web: http://www.diego-perez.net<http://www.diego-perez.net/>

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