Host organisation: Games and Gaming Lab (GGLab/UofGGamesLab)
Project title: Global Challenges GAming INnovation (GAIN) Internship
Project description

Our Gaming work ranges from building and delivering tabletop crisis simulations or Serious Games/wargames with policymakers (such as the United Nations (UN)) to co-creating educational video games with such world heritage sites as St Giles’ Cathedral.

Games and Gaming Lab (GGLab/UofGGamesLab), based in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Glasgow, hosts cutting edge, award-winning cross-disciplinary projects into gaming Global Challenges (whether physical or digital - board, card, video, or mobile gaming). We have over 300 members, in Subjects from Astrophysics to Veterinary Medicine, and external partners in public, private and non-profit organisations.

This Internship will include the opportunity, both individually and in teams, to co-develop and playtest a research-led game around such Global Challenge areas as impacts of Emerging Technologies, Humanitarian Operations Planning, Heritage preservation strategies, or Environmental Resilience.

The Intern will be able to undertake research into one or more of these areas, organise one or more innovation events, conduct game testing evaluations, and play a significant role in knowledge exchange and public engagement activities.

We will also support the Intern in skills development, networking and developing their own gaming research project.

While potentially beneficial, no prior experience in gaming or simulation is required.

Outputs

We are flexible in discussing the precise scope of outputs and tailoring these to successful candidate strengths.

One example of potential types of outputs (it could be a combination of some of these, depending on scope):

  • Co-design or further development of a physical (board/card/discussion-based) prototype game.
  • Running playtesting for 1 or more prototype game(s).
  • Co-designing and running a gaming innovation event.
  • Evaluation - writing 1 or more report(s) on the above work.
  • Researcher personal project - conceptual work or prototype on the Intern’s own initiative, supported by the Gaming Lab.

Co-designing one or more research-led prototype game(s) or contributing to further development of one or more existing games (whether physical or digital) - such as through development and testing of rulesets/game materials, theoretical and applied research (archival, online searches, and/or experiments into emerging technologies such as generative AI or Augmented Reality), engaging in brainstorming sessions with Lab Co-directors and team members.

Running/supporting one or more prototype game(s) playtests (existing or newly created ones) – running playtests, responding to queries, checking technology is functioning, supervising players, setting up spaces, disseminating information.

Co-designing and running/supporting a gaming innovation event/workshop – event design, hosting, and coordination, including internal and external liaison over such aspects as invitations, hosting, and publicity.

Conducting evaluations – writing one or more reports, gathering data from playtesting/experiments, engaging in observations.

Researcher personal project – the Intern conducting work on their own personal gaming-related project, supported by the Lab, whether this would reach conceptual or prototyping stage.

Location
This internship can be tailored to be in-person, remote or hybrid, depending both on the researcher and the work agreed on. In-person space will be provided by UofGGamesLab at the University of Glasgow as appropriate.
Benefits to the researcher

Alongside applied research and time management skills, this project will be beneficial to the Intern in:

  • increasing their knowledge base and practical experience of creating and adapting research-led games
  • networking opportunities with a range of public, private and charitable organisations
  • better understanding and applying Arts and Humanities research skills in working beyond academia, involving knowledge exchange and public engagement
  • learning about and contributing to the latest techniques in building games and simulations for innovative teaching, research and engagement
  • developing cross-disciplinary skills and experience
  • team-working, improving skills in collaboration and communication
Key relationships

The researcher will have the potential to work with partners from public, private and not-for-profit organisations and groups in the UK and internationally, depending on the mutually agreed areas of work. For example, our existing collaborators range from the UN and St Giles’ Cathedral to Space Engineering companies and Theatre Groups).

Potential partners could also include HE Subject areas across Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, Science and Engineering, and/or Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences.

However, this is indicative of the potential range of opportunities - we are not expecting the Intern to work across all of them and would tailor engagement to the project and to appropriate development opportunities.

Timescale

Start date (or must start by): Flexible

End date (or must end by): Flexible

Work structure: Project can be worked full time, part time or flexibly in blocks

Subject areas

This opportunity would be relevant to all subject areas within the Arts & Humanities.

Person specification

A2. Cognitive Abilities
  • Essential: Analysing; Critical thinking; Problem Solving.
A3. Creativity
  • Essential: Innovation.
B1. Personal qualities
  • Essential: Enthusiasm.
B2. Self management
  • Essential: Time management.
B3. Professional & career development
  • Essential: Responsiveness to opportunities.
C2. Research management
  • Essential:  Project planning and delivery.
D1. Working with others
  • Essential: Team working.
D2. Communication & dissemination
  • Essential: Communication methods.

First published: 9 October 2025

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