DMRC Summer School
11-15 February 2019, Brisbane, Australia | #dmrcss19
Building on the success of the 2017 and 2018 DMRC Summer Schools, we are looking forward to welcoming another cohort of participants from all over the world to Brisbane next February. This diverse group of PhD students and early career researchers will come together to share their knowledge and to develop new skills and critical methods for studying for our rapidly changing digital media environments and increasingly datafied societies.

While some popular platforms, like Twitter, have been extensively studied by social science and humanities researchers and offer established methodologies, emerging digital media phenomena are creating new ethical, methodological, and conceptual challenges – from Facebook and Instagram’s changing API access to the influence of algorithms, the dynamics of cross-platform cultures and private messaging, the black boxing of platform governance, and the growing prevalence of visual media. The summer school will inspire and challenge participants to seek new approaches to sociocultural research, and to engage critically and creatively with the practices, platforms, technologies and economies of digital media communication.
Program information
Digital methods workshops
Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a number of workshops delivered by DMRC and guest facilitators. The #dmrcss19 workshops page lists the workshops we will be offering next year, and will be progressively updated. Once accepted into the program, participants will have the opportunity to indicate their preferences from among these workshops.
Other activities
In addition to the week-long program of hands-on digital methods workshops, participants will be able to get feedback and mentoring on their own projects, to work on new collaborations, and to learn how to engage with industry, government and community stakeholders.
As the program and schedule develop, updates will be provided both on this page and via email to accepted participants. You might also want to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
Location
The 2019 DMRC Summer School will be held in Brisbane, Australia, at Queensland University of Technology’s Creative Industries Precinct, part of the Kelvin Grove campus. The Creative Industries Precinct is a comfortable walk from the city centre.
Brisbane is the state capital of Queensland, on the Pacific coast of Australia. Queensland is home to the world-famous Great Barrier Reef, the beaches of the Sunshine and Gold Coasts either side of Brisbane, and the rainforests and coastal adventures of far-north Queensland. February is summer in Australia, and if you’re based the northern hemisphere, we strongly recommend you shake off winter by coming to visit us for the summer school and staying to experience all the region has to offer.
Fees and accommodation
The fee for the week-long program is $1500 (Australian dollars). The fee covers daytime catering, staff support and social events. In order to maximise the diversity of the cohort, we will be offering up to two fee-free places to successful applicants who score highly in the selection process, with preference given to applicants from non-OECD countries.
All participants will be responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel and accommodation, as well as for arranging visas if required. There is a range of affordable accommodation options, both on and close to the Kelvin Grove campus, which is a short drive or comfortable walk from the city centre. Specific information on accommodation options will be provided to successful applicants later in the process.
How to apply
The Summer School is open to advanced PhD candidates (those who will have progressed to full candidature/confirmation by March 2019), and early career researchers who received their PhD within the past three years. Simply complete the application form by 30 September 2018. If you are unable to access Google Forms from your location, please write to us at dmrc@qut.edu.au and we will provide you with a Microsoft Word version that you can complete and return via email. Applications will be assessed by the DMRCSS19 Program Committee and participants will be selected based on a combination of: likely benefit of participating, research quality and alignment, and principles of diversity and inclusion.
Key dates
- Applications open: 29 August 2018
- Applications close: 30 September 2018
- Applicants notified: 8 October 2018
- Registration and payments due: 30 November 2018
- Summer School: 11-15 February 2019
Questions?
Please contact us at dmrc@qut.edu.au if you have any questions about the Summer School.