Computer Science EPSRC Intern

Games are engaging challenging interactive and dynamic experiences that require a complex combination of cognitive and motor skills. Game players have different skill levels tolerances for difficulty and motivations for playing. Game user research continues to explore how players engage with games requiring a mix of qualitative and qualitative insights 1.

Game streamers are increasingly exploring brain and physiological monitoring technologies to engage audiences by revealing details of their arousal and mental state during exciting or frighting game play. However there are an increasing number of braincontrol interfaces and very simple games that involve socalled braincontrol to manipulate discrete and continuous game inputs.

This EPSRC summer internship will combine ongoing work in the Mixed Reality Lab into the use of BCI in a range of consumer contexts with our work on serious games and game design to produce an example of a novel braincontrolled game 2.

It will demonstrate how brain data can be used as a material for game design for example in a social or multiplayer context through feedback loops and as a game mechanic for example through dynamic difficulty adjustment. The internship will work with existing lab members research projects and groups to produce a standalone braincontrolled arcade game that can support planned public engagement activities and open days.

1 Zhao L. Knierim M. T. Wilson M. L. Dickinson P. & Maior H. A. 2025 April). Work Hard Play Harder: Intense Games Enable Recovery from High Mental Workload Tasks. Presented at CHI 25: CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Yokohama Japan

2 Wetzel Richard Khaled Bachour and Martin Flintham. Tensions within the ministry of provenance: Reflections on cocreating a research game together with artists. Simulation & Gaming 50.3 2019: 329358.

Start Date:23/06/2025
End Date: 19/09/2025
Working Hours:36.25 hours per week
Pay Rate: 12.50 per hour plus holiday pay
Location: School of Computer Science
Dress Code: Casual

Skills and experience required for the role:

• Game Development familiarity with Unity/Unreal Engine or equivalent basic 3D modelling and asset creation
• Interest in Game Design experience or interest in games and gaming experience in game design is not required but desirable
• Interest in Brain Data and Neurotechnology enthusiasm for working with brain signals and learning how devices like Mendi fNIRS work. No prior experience with brain data is required but a willingness to learn is important.
• Good problemsolving and analytical skills ability to think critically about data quality model performance and limitations.
• Communication and teamwork ability to share progress ask questions and work independently and collaboratively with supervisors and partners.

What you can expect to gain during this role:

• Access to a range of cuttingedge and consumer level BCI hardware
• Engagement with industry partners e.g. Mendi National Videogame Museum
• Applied game design / Unity development

Application Instructions:

The EPSRC Internship is open to Current 2nd Year Students (BSc and MSci) and Current 3rd Year Students (MSci) who are studying Computer Science at the University of Nottingham.

Please note that candidates must also fulfil at least one of the following criteria:

• Identify as having Black Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) ethnicity
• Identify your gender as being female or nonbinary
• Be in receipt of a University of Nottingham core bursary or Nottingham Potential bursary
• Have a declared disability
• Most recent school or college was a state school
• Be a mature student 21 or over at the start of your undergraduate course)
• Have spent more than three months in local authority care
• Be under 25 and estranged from their family
• Be a carer
• Have refugee status from the Home Office
• Have been in receipt of UK government funded free school meals (FSM) during any period in your secondary education
• The home address used on your UCAS application is in an area where people are less likely to go to university*

* You can check your postcodehere to see if this criteria applies to you (please note that the postcode checker is for Contextual Admissions and if it says You may be eligible for a contextual offer then you would fulfil the criterion for this application too)

Application Closing Date: Monday 12th May 2025

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Further information:

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