PhD Studentship in Game Artificial Intelligence:
IGGI invites applications for up to 12 studentships available for 2021/22 entry (starting September 2021) at the University of York or Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL). We also welcome self-funded applications throughout the year. All accepted IGGI students start at the beginning of the academic year in September.
University:
Queen Mary University of London
Degree level:
PhD Research degree
Subject areas:
Gaming, Artificial Intelligence
Scholarship Award:
Studentships fund full fees plus a tax-free living stipend, for our 4-year programme.
Nationalities:
All Nationalities.
Eligibility Criteria:
UK, EU, and international students are eligible to apply and receive a stipend and tuition based on EPSRC rules. We will update this page with information as soon as it is released by the government. International students will need to apply for a Tier 4 visa.
Applicants normally hold a masters degree enabling them to do games research in their chosen research area (e.g. computer science, HCI, psychology, game design and development), although we do accept exceptional candidates with a fitting undergraduate degree. We also expect applicants to bring the requisite basic technical skills to succeed in our training modules in game design and development. Prior practical experience in making games is not required but a definite plus.
Application procedure:
To complete your application, by or before the deadline of 23:59 GMT on 31st January 2021, email IGGI at [email protected] with the following documents as attachments:
(1) Academic transcripts of previous degrees. Please include degree certificates and formal transcripts of your academic record, providing full details of the degrees, classes, grades you have obtained and the units you have taken. If your degree result is still pending, please include an interim transcript.
(2) Your project proposal, that identifies a potential supervisor and one of the research themes stated above. Your statement of planned research needs to outline the nature of your proposed study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. You can find the template for the research proposal here:
Research Proposal Template: Word version 2.0, PDF version 2.0.
It must be in English and be your own words. We invite but do not require an additional, more fully developed proposal (up to 10pp., with references).
(3) Your CV, to give further background information on your prior experience and qualifications. Please include your telephone number, an online ID for Skype or another platform and state/country.
(4) Evidence of your technical skills: As noted, we expect applicants to bring the requisite technical skills to succeed on the programme. These can be evidenced e.g. through your academic transcripts, certificates of online learning programmes, or a portfolio of work, which can include examples of source code you have written. Specifically we are looking for:
- a) Basic programming skills for our Game Development module, which involves working as part of team to make a game in Unity. We are looking for technical aptitude rather than specific skills and, typically, any kind of prior programming experience suffices, e.g. data analysis in R, audio programming in Max/MSP/Jitter, Javascript web development. Several of our students joined IGGI as self-taught programmers, and we welcome less experienced programmers who have prepared themselves e.g. by taking a relevant MOOC.
- b) Any technical skills required to conduct the specific research you propose. For example, if you are proposing to advance machine learning in games we would look for evidence of solid knowledge in that area. If you are proposing research on design patterns or player experience may we would look for different skillsets.
(5) If you are an international applicant, please include evidence of your English language ability. We have set a minimum English language proficiency level of 6.5 in the IELTS test, with at least 6.0 in each component, or a TOEFL score of 92, with a minimum of 21 in each component. If you hold a degree from a university in a majority-English speaking country and no more than 2 years have passed since you have been taught on the degree, you may not need to provide such evidence. The regulations differ between York and QMUL and you will have to meet the requirements of the institution at which your intended supervisor is based. Please contact us if in doubt.
(6) Please complete the IGGI Recruitment Diversity Monitoring Form
Once your application has been received, we will contact you within two working days to confirm receipt and advise the next steps and timing of the ongoing application process.
If you need to contact us directly, further contact details can be found on our contacts page.
Apply Now
Application Deadline:
31st January 2021
