PhD Studies in New Zealand : Digital Media, Culture+Context and Industrial Design

CALL FOR PHD APPLICATIONS

The Design Research Innovation Lab at Victoria University of Wellington's (NZ) School of Design is pleased to announce we are currently accepting applications for students interested in pursuing a PhD in Design. The application deadline is 1 March 2011.

Call for Candidates
 
Victoria University of Wellington's Design Research Innovation Lab invites applications for PhD candidates. Prospective candidates with exceptional creative and analytical skills seeking to study design from philosophical, cultural and practice-led perspectives are encouraged to apply. Potential candidates will be expected to make a substantial contribution to design knowledge, extending current understanding within the discipline and discourse of design research.

The DRIL PhD programme emphasises the advancement of interdisciplinary knowledge and supports practice-led research through its emphasis on creativity as a process of investigation, culminating in an original design composition and a substantial written exegesis critically analysing the methodology, process, and documentation of the final creative composition.

The program has three areas of concentration: Digital Media, Culture+Context and Industrial Design. Our current areas of research focus and expertise include:

• Design-Led Futures for Science, Technology & Energy
• Digital Image Cultures & Digital Media Design
• Historical & Cultural Studies of Design
• Interaction Design & Emotion

DRIL is a dynamic research group driven by the interests and expertise of outstanding research faculty as well as the research projects of participating PhD students. The DRIL programme fosters a vibrant and collaborative interdisciplinary research environment that cultivates respect for different perspectives and emphasises a willingness to explore new and challenging ways of thinking, doing and making. While particular research strands are identified above, innovative collaborations are encouraged and new researchers will be supported through the development of research partnerships both within the University and externally with industry and public organisations. To support a variety of research interests and activities, students have access to excellent facility resources including multimedia computers and software, an electronics lab, woodworking and metal workshops, laser cutters, CNC routers and 3D rapid-prototyping facilities.

Through the Design Research and Innovation Lab students also have the opportunity to actively participate in professional academic life. Our diverse faculty provide collegial mentorship in research activities from reading groups and proposal writing workshops to preparing conference presentations, exhibitions and publications. DRIL also supports the School's research-led teaching efforts, and postgraduate students have the opportunity to deliver design-related courses as part of our Bachelor and Master of Design Innovation programmes. Scholarships and doctoral assistantships are available to exceptional students on a competitive basis, and further funding opportunities may be available through faculty research projects.

We hope that you are inspired to learn more about our programme and faculty (http://www.vuw.ac.nz/design/) and we look forward to hearing from you.

For details on how to apply, please visit: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/fgr/prospective-phds/applying.aspx

For information on scholarships, please visit: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/admisenrol/payments/scholarships/

For further information, please contact

Dr Anne Galloway                               
Chair, Research Sub-Committee          
School of Design                               
Victoria University of Wellington              
PO Box 600                                     
Wellington 6140, New Zealand                   
(T) +64 04 463 6230                            
(E) anne.galloway@vuw.ac.nz

Dr Leon Gurevitch
Postgraduate Research Coordinator
School of Design                               
Victoria University of Wellington              
PO Box 600                                     
Wellington 6140, New Zealand
(T) +64 04 463 6207    
(E) leon.gurevitch@vuw.ac.nz
 
Documents required for PhD application

1. A portfolio of creative work demonstrating the breadth of the applicant?s prior experience in design or related creative discipline.
2. A statement of research interests.
3. An example of academic writing.
4. Two referees' reports provided on the correct VUW template, sent by the referee only from a verifiable institutional email address, or as a signed hard copy.
5. Verified transcripts and certificates for each national and/or international degree earned and, if from an EU country, the Diploma Supplement. (International students must also include grade conversion tables.)

Research www.designculturelab.org