OPPORTUNITIES
Possible opportunities for (under) graduates
The Dis-Play lab for Ludic Design and Spatial Play is a new interdisciplinary research lab at the intersection of playful simulation, architectural and urban inquiry and critical interaction design. We explores the opportunities within videogames’ constructed worlds, virtual and augmented environments, and generative urban AI to critically reflect on our inhabited spaces. Our work critically engages with the implications of techno-capitalism on the production of both physical and digital spaces. We examine how these digital and simulated environments allow us to confront and dissect algorithmic biases and the colonial structures deeply embedded in the fabric of our cities. Through this lens, we aim to investigate the ways in which technology shapes, mediates, and perpetuates systemic narratives, while seeking to reimagine more inclusive and equitable spaces.
We invite graduate students whose work engages with the intersections of spatial practices, participatory design, game design, and questions of social and spatial justice. Our research explores themes such as:
Critical and experimental game design | Player movement analysis | Urban issues and territorial ludic imaginaries | Crowd simulation | Social Movements | City simulation in videogames & PCGs | Climate and environmental immersive design | Data-driven cities and digital domesticity | Critical geography GIS, and urban surveillance | Game-based approaches to participatory design | Microcontrollers for ludic spatial interaction
If your research aligns with these themes or expands upon them in new directions, let’s get in touch.
Please include a CV, a portfolio (PDF, personal website, or GitHub), and for graduate applicants, please add your transcripts (unofficial are fine) along with a short statement describing your current or prospective research
Prospective Graduates Students
You can join dis-play lab by being accepted into one of the following programs at Carleton University- Ph.D. in Information Technology
- Master of Applied Science: Digital Media
- Master of Human-Computer Interaction
Note on Funding:
- Domestic Students are typically eligible for a combination of funding opportunities, including Teaching Assistantships (TAs), Research Assistantships (RAs), and a range of internal and external scholarships. RA funding is generally tied to faculty research grants, while TA positions are assigned based on program needs and student eligibility.
- International Students at the Master’s level are not guaranteed TA positions and are generally expected to secure a fully funded research project or apply for external scholarship. PhD-level international students are typically offered a Teaching Assistantship, and may also qualify for scholarships and research funding, depending on the strength of their application, GPA, and alignment with faculty research projects.
RA-Ship for Undergraduates
Prospective undergraduate students can apply to join our lab for short-term research projects, working on experimental and proxy projects in various ways.- NSERC USRA | Full-time research project for 16 weeks. Apply in February.
- Directed Studies | 4-month research project equivalent to a 0.5 credit course for BIT-Students. Fall or Winter term. Apply in August or December.
for international students, please check MITACS Globallink Research Award for potential collaboration.
Internal Call for Research Assistant @Carleton University
Start Date: flexible
I’m looking for undergraduate research assistants (short-term) to work on a project focusing on the representation of crowd in videogames. You must show at least one (ideally 2) of the following skills in your portfolio (e.g., a course project completed at Carleton or an indie-developed project)
#1 Natural Language Processing and Sentiment Analysis | Has worked with Python and text-based datasets (e.g., spaCy, NLTK). Familiarity with tools like the Steam Web API is a plus.
#2 Game Development With Unity | Has developed C# projects with Unity and is expected to be familiar with Python. Familiarity with the Unity ML-Agents framework is a plus.
#3 Crowd Simulation and Agent-Based Modelling | Understanding of rule-based or grid-based systems (e.g., cellular automata, flocking boids), frameworks like Recast/Detour and/or experience working with software such as NetLogo, or other crowd simulation software and frameworks.
If you have experience in any of the areas listed above and are interested in working on this project, please email me at hamza.bashandy[at]carleton.ca
Be sure to include your CV and a portfolio (PDF, personal website, or GitHub).