PhD studentship: Virtual Realities

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Media and Communications,Communication Studies,Media Studies

Short info about job

Company: University of Bath

Department: Department of Psychology

Hours: Full Time

Type / Role: PhD

Phone: +44-1340 1902801

Fax: +44-1360 6034484

E-mail: N\A

Site:

Detail information about job PhD studentship: Virtual Realities. Terms and conditions vacancy

Apply for this fully-funded PhD studentship to research emotional and physiological responses of audiences to Virtual Reality (VR) documentary experiences.

Background

This is an exciting opportunity within a larger collaborative team. Virtual Realities – Immersive Documentary Encounters is a two and a half year EPSRC research project, a collaboration between the Universities of Bristol, Bath and UWE Bristol. The overarching research question is ‘How might the affordances of Virtual Reality for immersion and interaction take forward documentary's mission for storytelling about our shared world?’

This multi-disciplinary research project, which is also in collaboration with industry partners including BBC R&D, the Guardian and Aardman Animation, combines audience study, production study and experimental study.

The research project

This PhD position will enable the successful candidate to explore one or more of the following themes:

  • the user experience of different VR platforms for non-fiction
  • spatial storytelling and the contribution to the work of documentary for witnessing ‘the real’ compared with traditional documentary forms
  • how the feeling of presence contributes to a knowledge of, and engagement with, the people and situations reflected within virtual environments
  • the ethical implications of virtual encounters with images of real people and places.

The focus of the evaluation will be on emotional and physiological responses and will require a good grounding in appropriate methods.

If successful, you will conduct your research under the supervision of Professor Danae Stanton Fraser and Dr Michael Proulx.

The PhD project will be conducted in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath with a secondment to the BBC.

Training in the use of appropriate equipment is available through the Department of Psychology.

Research environment

Over the last few years the University of Bath has made substantial investments to infrastructure including multi-million pound state-of-the art facilities for the Department of Psychology.

Last year the Department moved into a dedicated building which consists of eleven labs (including an EEG lab, a cross modal lab, a VR facility and an HCI lab: the CREATE Lab).

Funding requirements

To be considered for this funding you must:

  • fulfil the entrance requirements for a Department for Psychology PhD
  • have expertise in a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods

The award

If successful, you will be supported for three years. Funding includes:

  • a £14,553 (2017/18 rate) per annum stipend
  • Home/EU tuition fee
  • an annual Training Support Grant

Apply for this funding

You can apply for this funding through the University of Bath.

Deadlines

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 12.00 noon (BST) on Wednesday 6 September 2017.

Interviews will be held at the University of Bath on Wednesday 13 September 2017.

Enquiries Informal enquiries

Professor Danae Stanton [email protected]

Dr Michael [email protected]

Application [email protected]

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