The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (IGGI) offers up to 12 fully-funded PhD studentships to start September 2019 at the University of York and Queen Mary, University of London.
What is IGGI
IGGI is an exciting opportunity for you to undertake a four-year PhD in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence, working with companies and world-leading academics in games.
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,
– data science to understand player behaviour and psychology,
– applied games for learning, wellbeing, and science
– game audio, graphics and animation
– computational creativity: procedural content generation for audio, graphics, gameplay, …
– emotion, immersion, and motivation in games.
IGGI is a collaboration between the University of York, Goldsmiths and Queen Mary, University of London, and the University of Essex. The programme trains PhD researchers who will become the next generation of leaders in research, design, development and entrepreneurship in digital games. They have a diverse group of students and encourage diverse applicants. They are awaiting a final funding decision, 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 apply to IGGI
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, and design.
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.
IGGI gives you the opportunity 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/industr
How to apply
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/supervi
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. Especially welcoming applications from female and minority ethnic candidates as well as other groups that are under-represented in areas related to IGGI.
Expecting 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@iggi.org.uk. Enquiries should be sent to the same email address. The deadline for applications is 31st January 2019, but they strongly encourage you to get in touch with potential supervisors before then in order to craft the best possible application. For full details, see http://www.iggi.org.uk/apply.