Job Advertisement: PhD student in eParticipation

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship in eParticipation funded by the EPSRC. The studentship is a joint appointment between the Social Inclusion through the Digital Economy Hub and the Argumentation Research Group, based in the School of Computing at the University of Dundee. The project will explore how technologies for discussion, debate and participation online can meet the demands of diverse user groups.

About Digital Inclusion: The ability to use new technologies is currently at the heart of social inclusion, with those excluded being left of out of many work, entertainment, communication, healthcare and social benefits. Our goal is to develop interfaces and access methods to systems and services that are appropriate for everyone.  The SiDE Hub research brings together a multidisciplinary team to address a complex set of inclusion issues. For more information, see http://www.side.ac.uk/

About Argumentation Technology: The argument web is a vision for debate, negotiation and critical rationality brought to the digital world. It is a meeting of many dozens of research projects at institutions worldwide which collectively aim to support the analysis, generation, critiquing, evaluation, teaching, and mathematical interpretation of argument, debate, and reasoned interaction online. For more information, see http://arg.tech/

At the most recent RAE, the School’s research was rated fourth in Scotland, with two thirds of its research rated world leading or internationally excellent (4* or 3*). Dundee has been ranked amongst the top places in the world for scientists to work (The Scientist), and has one of the lowest costs of living in the UK.

Stipendary payments are at EPSRC levels (£13, 290 tax-free for academic year 2009/10).  Applicants should meet the EPSRC’s eligibility requirements (see www.epsrc.ac.uk), and should typically have a first class degree in an appropriate subject. Interest in, or exposure to, argumentation and debate in either computational or philosophical settings would be a distinct advantage, as would applicants with skills and interests in HCI, interaction design, ethnography or other approaches involved in creating improved user experiences.

The project and the appointment will run from 1 September 2010 through until 31 March 2014 (42 months).

Further details are available from arg.tech. Applicants should send a CV with a covering letter to Prof. Chris Reed, School of Computing, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, or by email to
chris@computing.dundee.ac.uk, by the closing date, 01 August 2010.