Aarhus University

Apply here: https://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/open-and-specific-calls/phd-call-2026-9

The Graduate School at Arts, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, in collaboration with the European Research Council and the Department of Media and Journalism Studies at Aarhus University, invites applications for a fully funded PhD fellowship in PAY4PLAY: Entrepreneurial Organizing in the Platform Society provided the necessary funding is available. This PhD fellowship is available as of 1 September 2026 for a period of up to three years (5+3).

It is expected that candidate awarded the PhD fellowship will be able to commence the PhD degree programme on 1 September 2026. 

PAY4PLAY is an interdisciplinary, large-scale investigation of organizing in the creator economy concerned with how creators and their communities come together and create value. The project is premised on the idea that organizing is essential to understand how creators—and people more broadly—both exploit and challenge the growing power of digital platforms. The project approaches creator organizing from three perspectives (culture, infrastructure, policy) and compares three industrial sectors (gamers, VTubers, adult content creators). In so doing, the project will map the industrial conditions of the creator economy, develop a new theory of organizing and platform power, and provide policy recommendations for platforms and regulators.

The PAY4PLAY team includes the principal investigator Blake Hallinan, a postdoctoral researcher, and three PhD fellows working on the sub-project “Cultures of Participation within and among Creator Communities.”

This PhD fellowship focuses on video game creators making content in English and, preferably, Spanish, as the second largest language on the livestreaming platform Twitch. The project design is flexible but should investigate organizing within (i.e., how creators, co-producers, volunteers, and audience members relate to each other) and among creator communities (i.e., how creator communities form alliances to shape industrial conditions). The PhD fellow will also have the opportunity to collaborate with team members working in other sectors and in the projects focused on infrastructure and policy, as well as with an international network of advisors and collaborators.

The PhD fellowship will be supervised by Blake Hallinan, Assistant Professor in the Department of Media and Journalism Studies, and co-supervised by Pablo Velasco, Associate Professor in the Department of Digital Design and Information.

Tasks and responsibilities

The candidate will:

• Design and conduct studies of organizing within and among gaming creator communities across social media platforms (e.g., Twitch, YouTube, Discord, Patreon, TikTok)
  
• Conduct interviews with members of gaming creator communities
  
• Observe creator community organizing at industry events (e.g., TwitchCon, Gamescom)
  
• Observe creator community organizing online using relevant methods (e.g., digital ethnography, digital methods analysis of social media data)
  
• Collaborate closely with supervisors, the postdoctoral researcher, and fellow PhD researchers on the PAY4PLAY project
  
• Present research at international conferences
  
• Publish PhD research in international publication venues
  

Requirements

• Master’s degree (120 ECTS) in a relevant field (e.g., media studies, communication, anthropology, sociology, cultural studies)
  
• Experience with studying digital platforms and/or online communities
  
• Ability to speak and write in English at an academic level
  

Desirable assets

• Ability to conduct research in Spanish (reading documents, interviewing participants)
  
• Domain expertise in the creator economy
  
• Theoretical sophistication, as reflected in the project description
  
• Experience with collaborative, interdisciplinary, and/or international research projects
  

Enrolment and place of work

The PhD student must complete the studies in accordance with the valid regulations for the PhD degree programme, currently the Ministerial Order of 27 August 2013 on the PhD degree programme at the universities: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/thephddegreeprogramme/

Description of the graduate school’s PhD degree programme: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/phdstudystructure/

Rules and regulations for the PhD degree programme at the Graduate School at Arts: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/thephddegreeprogramme/  

The PhD fellow will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Graduate School at Arts, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University, with the aim of completing a PhD degree at the School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University.

The PhD student will be affiliated with the PhD programme ICT, Media, Communication and Journalism.

The PhD student’s place of work will be the School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University. In general, the student is expected to be present at the school on an everyday basis.

The PhD degree programme is expected to include a lengthy research stay at a foreign institution, cf. Description of the graduate school’s PhD degree programme.

School of Communication and Culture’s research programme: http://cc.au.dk/en/research/research-programmes/

5+3 programme

When you apply for a 3-year PhD fellowship (5+3), you must have completed your two year Master’s degree (120 ECTS) no later than 31 August 2026.

The PhD fellow will be employed as a PhD student at the Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University. The terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations, as well as with the protocol to the agreement covering staff with university degrees in the state sector (see enclosure 5). The agreement and the protocol including amendments are available online: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/thephddegreeprogramme/

Salary: https://phd.arts.au.dk/4-4-part-b-and-5-3/salary-and-employment

How to apply 

The application must include:

Motivation/cover letter (statement of motivation and research interests, max one A4 page of 2,400 characters including spaces)

CV (including a complete list of education, positions, publications and other qualifying activities)

Project description outlining how the candidate envisages completing the work to be undertaken during the course of the term of appointment.

The overall project description (excl. list of project literature/bibliography/reference list and timetable) must not exceed 12,000 characters including spaces, tables, diagrams, footnotes, endnotes and illustrations (5 A4 pages of 2,400 characters each)

Project literature/reference list

Timetable (mandatory form)

Cover sheet (form stating your degrees)

Copies of educational certificates (Bachelor and Master’s degrees). The diplomas or diploma supplement/transcript of records must state: name of university, education (Bachelor or Master), duration (number of years, full-time), courses, marks and (if given) ECTS credits.

Please see a detailed description of the requirements for the application in the guide for the application facility: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/how-to-apply/ 

Application

If you require professional guidance regarding your application for the PhD fellowship please contact the PhD programme director at ICT, Media, Communication and Journalism:  http://phd.arts.au.dk/about-us/contact/

For further information, please contact Assistant Professor Blake Hallinan, School of Communication and Culture, bhallinan@cc.au.dk, + 45 93 99 75 01.

The application must be submitted in English.

All applicants must provide documentation of excellent communication skills in English which are considered essential, and you must therefore be able to read, write, and speak academic English fluently. English language requirement is comparable to a minimum of TOEFL 83 or IELTS 6.5. Please see this page for further information: http://phd.arts.au.dk/applicants/english-test/

Child protection certificate

In accordance with Ministerial Order no. 554 of 23 May 2023, Aarhus University is obliged to obtain a statement of no previous convictions in respect of children in connection with the appointment and employment of staff whose work will involve direct contact with children under the age of 15. If you, in connection with your PhD project, will be in direct contact with children under the age of 15 who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian, childcare professional or teacher, you will be covered by the requirements of the ministerial order.

If you are covered by these requirements and read Danish, please complete the section “Samtykkeerklæring” (declaration of consent) in the police form and upload the file under “Other information to consider” in the application form. You can download the form here: https://politi.dk/-/media/mediefiler/landsdaekkende-dokumenter/straffeattest/brneattest-p274.pdf

If you are covered by these requirements and do not read Danish, please upload a brief statement with the headline “Child protection certificate needed” under the field “Other information to consider” in the application form.

Applications for the PhD fellowship and enrolment in the PhD degree programme can only be submitted via the application form in Aarhus University’s web-based facility.

Deadline for applications: 1 April 2026 at 23.59 Danish time (CET/CEST).

Reference number: 2026-9

During the assessments, Aarhus University can conduct interviews with selected applicants.