PhD Research Fellowship in Interaction Design at University of Oslo in Norway, 2015

Applications are invited for PhD research fellowship in interaction design at the Department of Informatics (IFI). The PhD candidate will focus on design of tangible, interactive installations in public spaces, leading to engagement and participatory cultural evolution among youth. The fellowship requires admission to the PhD program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The position is for a period of maximum 4 years. No one can be appointed for more than one fixed-term period at the same institution. The application deadline is 27 January, 2015.

Study Subject(s): Fellowship is awarded in the area of interaction design at the Department of Informatics (IFI).
Course Level: Fellowship is available for pursuing PhD research program at University of Oslo.
Scholarship Provider: Creative Europe EU project People’s Smart Sculpture and the Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
Scholarship can be taken at: Norway
Accreditation: University of Oslo is an accredited university. University of Oslo is accredited by the EUA.

Eligibility:
-The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition of being a leading research faculty. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.
-The PhD candidate will focus on design of tangible, interactive installations in public spaces, leading to engagement and participatory cultural evolution among youth. Thus, the candidate needs to have broad competence in design and development of new technology, in particular, related to tangible interaction design. Solid background in participatory design, experience design and other new media design is required, both from design disciplines perspective and technical interaction design. Furthermore, the candidate needs to demonstrate good skills in design-oriented research.
-Formal Requirements: Applicant must hold a bachelor degree in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and a master degree in interaction design or equivalent. If equivalent, the candidate must have had subjects related to design of interactive installations, embedded systems and interaction design. The candidate must submit a portfolio of his/her designed and implemented interactive installations in public spaces, and at least three research articles from international conferences and/or journals.

Scholarship Open for International Students: Norwegian and international candidates can apply for this PhD research fellowship.

Scholarship Description: The candidate will carry out research related to the design and the use of technology intended to support wide participation and engagement in the evolution of culture among networked urban youth. The project is part of 11 creative experiments of participative art and culture-oriented participatory design for the “City of the Future”. The 12 European project partners will implement 11 experimental sub-projects and conduct a European study about new, technology-enabled forms of participation. While some projects shed light on the way we perceive our city space through creating speculative city environments, others analyse problems, identify challenges and explore interdisciplinary solutions together with the citizens. The approaches reflect the diversity of people, skills, urban art, technologies, social processes and urban development. The candidate’s research will draw on local findings as well as lessons learned from other approaches used in the project.

Number of award(s): Not Known

Duration of award(s): The position is for a period of maximum 4 years. No one can be appointed for more than one fixed-term period at the same institution.

What does it cover? Pay grade: 50 â€" 57 (NOK 429 700 â€" 482 800 per year).

Selection Criteria: Candidates who demonstrate experience with research based design work, including but not limited to rapid ethnography and participatory design, will be preferred. Some experience with youth will also be evaluated positively. Furthermore, a practical experience of at least 3 years from industry in interaction design will be viewed as positive (as this experience implies work with clients, work in multidisciplinary teams, meeting deadlines and making real-world solutions that work across different platforms).

Notification: Not Known

How to Apply: Applications should be submitted online. The application to the PhD program must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. The application must includes:
-Application letter (this should include a brief statement of why the candidate finds the position to be of special relevance/interest to her/him).
-CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work â€" scientific publications)
-Copies of educational certificates, transcript of records and letters of recommendation
-List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
-Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)
-Documentation of English proficiency
-Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University’s grading system. Please remember that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Scholarship Application Deadline: The application deadline is 27 January, 2015.

Further Official Scholarship Information and Application