Dear AoIRers, Some months ago, Christian Fuchs introduced a new international research network titled Dynamics of Virtual Work (more formally known as COST Action IS1202) to this list. As the leader of the Early-Stage Researchers Subgroup of this network, I'm happy to introduce a summer school that is now being organised under its auspices. A good amount of funding is available to cover participants' travel expenses. The application deadline is this Friday already, but the application process itself is light. I would encourage applications from all doctoral students and postdocs from eligible countries (see link below) who are interested in topics such as prosumer work, crowdsourcing, microwork, virtual teams and avatar-mediated collaboration. Warm regards, Vili IS1202 TRAINING SCHOOL ON VIRTUAL WORK Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to the Study of Virtual Work University of Malta, 16-20 September 2013 Travel grants available - application deadline *May 24th* http://www.um.edu.mt/events/is1202training2013 Information and communication technologies have given rise to new types of paid and unpaid 'digital' or 'virtual' labour. They range from online prosumer work and service co-creation to game labour and the exploitation of global wage differences through digital microwork. These new forms of labour exemplify shifts in the borderlines between 'play' and 'work', as well as in 'employment' and 'entrepreneurship', and have significant implications to private life, global development and the nature of work in general. Because of the gender division of labour, they also affect women and men differently. The objective of this training school is to prepare doctoral students and postdocs from a variety of disciplines to carry out successful research in the cross-disciplinary field of virtual work studies. Virtual work is a multi-faceted phenomenon: in addition to one's own disciplinary background, successful researchers must also understand key contributions from neighbouring disciplines. In this training school, participants will obtain grounding in the most important theoretical perspectives, as well as receive instruction in cutting-edge methodological approaches. Participants will also present their own work, network with other emerging scholars and some of the preeminent scholars in the field, and discuss publication venues, funding strategies and other building blocks of a successful academic career. The Training School on Virtual Work takes place at the University of Malta and its beautiful Mediterranean surroundings. The school is funded by the IS1202 COST Action on the Dynamics of Virtual Work. Funding for travel and participation is available to eligible doctoral students and postdocs. Major theoretical approaches: • Labour Sociology - Professor Jörg Flecker, University of Vienna, Austria • Social Psychology of Organizations - Dr Marko Hakonen, Aalto University, Finland • Political Economy of Communications - Professor Katharine Sarikakis, University o Vienna, Austria (tbc) • Microeconomics and Behavioral Economics - Assistant Professor John Horton, Stern School of Business, New York University, United States • Gender Studies - tbc Important Dates: 24th May 2013 - Deadline for applications for funding 30th May 2013 - Notification of grant selection results. Each applicant will be contacted personally about the outcome of his/her application. 16th September 2013 - Training school commences Organising committee: Dr Vili Lehdonvirta, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford Dr Mark Micallef, Department of Computer Science, University of Malta Contact: is1202training2013@um.edu.mt http://www.um.edu.mt/events/is1202training2013 -- Dr Vili Lehdonvirta Virtual economies and digital work Research Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute http://vili.lehdonvirta.com -- Twitter: ViliLe -- Skype: vlehdonv -- Tel. +44 7456 420012