Birmingham City University
Birmingham, United Kingdom

General Description
Birmingham City University is offering a fully funded PhD studentship for the project “Playing in Public: Game-Based Interventions for Sustainability, Community and Environmental Engagement,” with an expected start date of September 2026. This interdisciplinary research opportunity sits within the CreaTech research area and is led by Dr Poppy Wilde.

The project explores socio-economic and environmental challenges faced by local communities, contextualised through local histories and examined via playful, game-based interventions. It focuses on the role of creative technologies (CreaTech), including emerging areas such as virtual, augmented, and extended reality (VR/AR/XR), to design and test public-facing interactive experiences.

This research aims to investigate how game-led media arts and public play can:

• Engage diverse audiences with sustainability challenges

• Foster social cohesion and reduce social isolation through gamified public spaces

• Incorporate data-driven insights to improve understanding of hyperlocal urban changes

• Examine how public play practices have evolved since pre-2020

• Enhance wellbeing and environmental awareness through engagement with nature and creative technologies

The project emphasizes site-specific public engagement, leveraging playful interventions as tools for community interaction, environmental awareness, and participatory urban experiences. It contributes to growing research in sustainable cities, community engagement, and interactive media arts.

Eligibility Criteria

• A strong academic background in a relevant discipline such as media arts, game design, digital media, urban studies, environmental studies, or related fields

• Typically a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject area

• Demonstrated interest in interdisciplinary research combining technology, sustainability, and community engagement

• Ability to undertake independent doctoral research

Required Expertise/Skills

• Knowledge or interest in game design, gamification, or interactive media

• Familiarity with sustainability, environmental engagement, or urban/community research

• Understanding of creative technologies (e.g., VR/AR/XR or digital media tools)

• Strong analytical, research, and critical thinking skills

• Ability to design and evaluate participatory or public-facing interventions

• Effective communication and collaboration skills

Salary Details

• Fully funded PhD studentship (funding typically includes tuition fee coverage; additional stipend details not explicitly specified in the source)

Application Deadline

• Not explicitly specified in the source

Application Link

More opportunities link here!