Media Studies School of English, Film and Theatre Vice Chancellor's Strategic Research Scholarships 2004/2005 for a scholar working on Digital Media in New Zealand in relation to New Zealand Media Policy and Audience Media Studies at Victoria University of Wellington is a new and rapidly expanding programme with a range of research interests. The programme wishes to expand on its current research strengths by offering a strategic PhD scholarship for research on digital media, the formation of government digital media policy and its relationship with New Zealand audiences and media users. The digital media form will depend on the research interests of the scholarship awardee and the availability of staff for supervision, but may include: digital television, electronic gaming, or the Internet. Policy concerns may include regulation of ownership, accessibility, censorship or other areas. Digital media and its impact on both state policy and audiences involves examinations at the cutting edge of media development, and is central to understanding the evolution of contemporary media in New Zealand. The research project will - assist in understanding the rhetoric around public debates on digital media and policy in cultural and historical terms - contribute to understanding the role of audience in discussions of digital media policy - provide an analysis of the predicted impact of the growth of digital media on New Zealand audiences For further information on the Media Studies Programme at Victoria University of Wellington, see http://www2.vuw.ac.nz/seft/top/mediastudies.htm For further information on the Strategic Research Scholarship in Media Studies, please contact: Associate Professor Roy Shuker, Director of the Media Studies Programme School of English, Film and Theatre +64 4 463 6821 roy.shuker [at] vuw.ac.nz