Regarded as one of the top Art and Design colleges in the UK, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) continues to be at the forefront of creativity and innovation – both on a local and global platform. With world-wide credibility for first-class teaching and research, a plethora of accolades and a proud tradition of producing graduates who go on to be experts in their field, DJCAD offers a strong academic and creative culture that supports and encourages personal development in teaching and scholarship.

OpenDoTT is a joint PhD training program from DJCAD at the University of Dundee and Mozilla, which aims to develop future researchers and leaders capable of designing and advocating for a more trusted Internet of Things. The program is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Initial Training Network.

The University of Dundee is recruiting five Early Stage Researchers (ESRs), who will receive full PhD scholarships to undertake research in this area, spending time based at both the University of Dundee and at Mozilla Berlin, where they will receive training around design research, internet advocacy and open technology.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 813508.

OpenDoTT ESRs will undertake training and conduct research towards the award of a PhD, taking a design-led approach to the Internet of Things. Available PhD topic are:

There are five ESR positions available, each of which will explore these issues around one of the following broad topics:

● Wearables and the Self: Connected devices are forming increasingly intimate relationships with our body and identity and can collect personal data that is entangled in our health, personal lives and sense of identity. How do we address issues of trust while supporting more expressive notions of personal identity?

● Smart Homes: The rapid proliferation of home devices, including voice assistants, has raised issues around how personal data is being utilised and interoperability between different mainstream devices. How can people remain in control of the technology in their homes?

● Communities and Neighbourhoods: The increased availability of cheap, DIY platforms places IoT within the realms of possibility for grassroots communities of makers and activists at a local scale. What opportunities exist for IoT at this scale and how can communities be supported in making the best use of it?

● Smart Cities: Technology is fundamentally changing how cities work, but these smart cities are most often determined in a top-down fashion, with little transparency or accountability in how data influences the workings of the city. Can we create cities that are not just smarter, but kinder, fairer and more citizen-centred?

● A Trust Mark for IoT: This topic will work across the other four to provide a holistic view on what makes for trusted IoT, exploring the interplay between policy, design and technology. How can we develop a set of guidelines and properties that define a “trusted” device?

Essential:

● A passion for improving people’s lives through better technology and a keen interest in the role of technology in society.

● A relevant background and experience in either design (e.g. product design, interaction design, craft), technology (e.g. computer science, human–computer interaction) or society (e.g. internet advocacy, policy, law).

● A Masters degree or good Bachelors degree (1st class or 2:1 equivalent).

● Excellent people skills, including the ability to run workshops, co-design activities, etc.

● Ability to work both independently and as part of a team to conduct and deliver high quality research.

● Excellent communication skills.

● Meet the eligibility criteria listed below.

Eligibility

To be eligible for funding under the project, you must meet the following criteria:

● You must have less than four years of research experience since you gained the degree that qualifies you for this post (UK bachelors degree or equivalent) and must not already hold a PhD.

● You must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to your recruitment.

Please ensure that this information is clear on your CV.

Application Process

Applicants should submit:

● A CV, which should include details of your eligibility (research experience and residency).

● A covering letter explaining your interest in pursuing a PhD through OpenDoTT, which of the above topic(s) you are interested in and why.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview in March 2019 and teleconference interviews will be available.

Enquiries can be directed to j.rogers@dundee.ac.uk and n.x.taylor@dundee.ac.uk. For eligibility queries, please include a summary CV.