February 27, 2019 In Open positions By Juho Hamari

Gamification Group is hosting and coaching MSCA-IF candidates with the goal of providing 2-3 year postdoc positions

EU H2020 Marie Sklodowska Curie Action Individual Fellowship provides opportunities to researchers of any nationality to acquire and transfer new knowledge and to work on research and innovation in Europe (EU Member States and Horizon 2020 Associated Countries) and beyond. The goal of the Individual Fellowships is to enhance the creative and innovative potential of experienced researchers, wishing to diversify their individual competence in terms of skill acquisition through advanced training, international and intersectoral mobility.

Gamification Group (GG) / Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences / Tampere University lead by Professor Juho Hamari, acts as a host for aspiring MSCA-IF candidates. During the past two years, Tampere University has been committed to fund in addition to the two years of the EU funded fellowship a third years salary for successfully completed European Fellowships.

The Gamification Group backed up by Tampere University will jointly develop a competitive MSCA IF proposal with the applicant. To that end, Gamification Group will offer a fully funded visit (up to one week) to Tampere, Finland. The visit aims at jointly developing of a competitive MSCA IF-proposal together with the selected applicant Experienced Researchers and the supervisor, Professor Dr. Juho Hamari at Gamification Group/TAU. Moreover, the applicants will receive professional coaching in proposal writing. The University’s Research Services will facilitate the visit.

Important dates:

  • 15 April: Expression of Interest
  • 17-19 June: Paid MSCA-IF Master Class (optional but highly recommended!)
  • 11 September: Horizon 2020 MSCA-IF proposal submission deadline

Salary for successful MSCA-IF candidates will roughly vary between 4500€ – 5300€ per month depending on several factors (specified in more detail in the MSCA-IF program and which will be otherwise be explained during the orientation period).

Researchers interested to perform their research at GG/TAU should verify that they fulfil the respective eligibility criteria and then send an Expression of Interest as soon as possible (but no later than 15th of April), by email to: preaward@tuni.fi and juho.hamari@tuni.fi with the following reference: “MSCA IF “your last name“. You can also make inquiries to Juho Hamari beforehand.

Expression of Interest must be in PDF-format and consist of the following:

  • Brief motivation letter (max.2 pages) of the applicant including: short description of the research project and research interests
  • Indication of willingness to participate the MSCA-IF masterclass
  • CV of the applicant (max. 5 pages) – showing clearly the eligibility of the applicant*

 

Master Class participation is highly recommended for all applicants. The Master class is free of charge. Candidates living outside Finland can apply for travel grant that covers reasonable travel and accommodation costs during the master class. Approximately 10 – 15 candidates will be awarded the travel grant.

Horizon 2020 MSCA-IF eligibility criteria:

  • Applicant has a doctoral degree or at least four years’ full-time research experience by the time of the call deadline. (Full-Time Equivalent Research Experience is measured from the date when a researcher obtained the degree entitling him/her to embark on a doctorate, either in the country in which the degree was obtained or in the country in which the researcher is recruited, even if a doctorate was never started or envisaged.)
  • The applicant must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Finland for more than 12 months during the last three between 11.9.2016 and 11.9.2019.

 

Gamification Group’s research covers several forms of information technologies such as games, gamification, game-based learning, persuasive technologies, social networking services, online video streaming, eSports, sharing economy, crowdsourcing, virtual economies, virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. GG has published several seminal empirical, theoretical and meta-analytical scholarly articles from perspective of consumer behavior, human-computer interaction, game studies and information systems science. GG is the most internationally published research group especially on the topic of gamification, but pursues several topics related to games and novel information technologies. http://gamification.group

Possible topics (but not limited to) that would have a great fit with the Gamification Group are e.g. the following

  • Users: e.g. engagement, player motivations, player experience
  • Education: e.g. serious games, game-based learning,
  • Media: e.g. eSports, streaming
  • Commerce: e.g. business models, free-to-play, gambling, gamification as marketing
  • Work: e.g. organizational gamification, gameful work, gamification in leadership
  • Technology: e.g. virtual reality, augmented reality
  • Toys & play: e.g. toy play, toy design/creation, toys in education, Internet of Toys
  • Health: e.g. quantified self, games for health
  • Culture: e.g. the gamification of everyday life

 

“I witnessed one of the best experiences as a supervisee while preparing my application for MSCA-IF. Together with my four colleagues from different parts of the world, we were guided by the research services of Tampere University in a 2-day grant-writing workshop followed by a pleasant dinner in Tampere. Still, the workshop was only the hands-on part of this longitudinal support as I had been continuously and rigorously supervised by Juho Hamari, supported by the experts in research services and also by the colleagues in Gamification Group. As a result of this process, GG now hosts three successful MSCA-IF grantees who will also be of help for future applicants.”

— Oğuz Turan Buruk, MSCA-IF grantee with the project WEARTUAL.
“Coaching is a fundamental asset for any MSCA application. While I was writing my project at Tampere University, researchers and staff have been invaluable advisors: inspiring me and helping strengthen my project both from a practical and methodological perspective. (…) At the Gamification Group I found a dynamic and supportive environment to develop ReClaim, a place full of stimulating discussions and great research opportunities.”

— Mattia Thibault, and MSCA-IF grantee with the project ReClaim.

 

Tampere is one of Finland’s fastest growing urban centres and a popular city to live and study in. It is a home to more than 200,000 people. Tampere University (TAU, Tampereen korkeakoulusaatio sr,) was created on 1 January 2019 as a merger of Tampere University of Technology (TUT) and University of Tampere (UTA). The multidisciplinary, foundation-based Tampere University is Finland’s second-largest university with 20.000 students and 330 professors.

The University operates in the form of a foundation and conducts scientific research in technology, health and society and provides the highest education within these fields. It has also a long-standing tradition of collaboration with other research institutions and business life. We actively contribute to the creation of new business opportunities, companies and jobs arising from our research. We strengthen the industrial competitiveness and export industry of Finland.

In recognition of development activities related to research careers and the position of researchers at the University, the European Commission awarded university the right to use the HR Excellence in Research logo. Fellows will have access to transferable skills trainings and if suitable, they will be seconded to industry all with the purpose for further development of their careers in the academic and non-academic sector. We aspire to be the best university employer in Finland.

Welcome to join us at GG @ TAU!

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