Research

Advanced Research Associates of the Planetary Collegium are selected from applicants wishing to pursue post-doctoral or advanced practice research within the Planetary Collegium community. Applicants are accepted on a twelve-month basis. ARAs are fully involved, along with all current doctoral candidates, in each of three ten-day Composite Sessions throughout the twelve month period following the date of their registration. University certification of status as Advanced Research Associate of the Planetary Collegium is provided for the period involved. Associates can negotiate access to the resources of the University at any time within the year of their registration, and may be resident at the University during the whole or part that period..

Application is by email addressed to the Director roy at planetary-collegium dot net and copied to the Research Administrator, Mrs. Carole Watson c.watson at plymouth.ac.uk. A full cv and names of two referees should be included.

The Doctoral Research Programme

Online Research Online doctoral candidates attend three mandatory ten-day face-to-face Composite Sessions each year. Typically, each session involves three days of individual research updates presented for discussion by the group; a three stage critique by all members of the group in respect of each others work; individual supervisory tutorials; a two-day public symposium; and a one-day cultural visit. Online candidates are required to attend all nine sessions over three consecutive years.

Onsite research Onsite doctoral candidates are required to be resident in the University of Plymouth or host institution of the Node for a continuous three year period, to meet regularly at research seminars, and individually with their supervisors, in the development of their independent research, and to participate in the Collegium’s annual public conference. They may from time to time be able to participate in composite sessions of the Online programme.

Research Reporting Procedures

In addition to reports to their supervisors, doctoral candidates are required to submit progress reports to the University of Plymouth Research Committee at regular intervals. Principal amongst these reports, and additional to annual progress reviews, is the Transfer Report (5,000 words) which, accompanied by an External Assessor’s Report, is presented the University Research Committee, to support the transfer from MPhil to full PhD status. At the conclusion of each Composite Session, candidates submit to the Director their Research Update (ppt.) and Critical Response (Word.doc). After a minimum of three year’s research a candidate is eligible to submit a thesis for Final Examination, which includes a viva voce examination. The final submission may consist in either a written thesis of 80,000 words, or a thesis consisting in two parts: a digital portfolio of practical work which has been initiated, researched and developed exclusively within the research period, and a linked narrative of no less than 35,000 words. The Examining Board includes an External Examiner (appropriately qualified and experienced in the UK at the doctoral level), and an expert from within the University of Plymouth. The candidate’s Director of Studies and Supervisor(s) may attend the examination.

http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=5281

Composite Sessions

The Collegium is regularly invited to hold its Composite Sessions at universities and media centres abroad. These sessions and conferences have been hosted by 

Artspace Media Centre, Dublin, Ireland (1997)

La Beneficia Cultural Centre, Valencia, Spain (1998)

CYPRES, Marseilles, France (1999); Federal University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1999)

ITAU Cultural Centre, São Paulo, Brazil (1999)

University of Arizona, Tucson, USA (2000)

Ecole National Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France (2000) Fondazione Fitzcaraldo, Turin, Italy (2001)

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain (2001)

University of California DARNet, Santa Cruz and Los Angeles, USA (2001). 

University of Arizona, Tucson, USA (2002)

Curtin University, Perth, Australia (2002)

IAMAS, Ogaki, Japan (2002). 

Hochschule fuer Gestaltung und Kunst, Zurich, Switzerland (2003)

Image Technology Center, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – at Paraciutu and Fortaleza, Brazil (2003)

Ciberart, Bilbao, Spain (2004). 

School of Software, Peking University, Beijing, China (2004). 

Texas Women’s University, Dallas, USA (2005).

University of Plymouth, Plymouth, England (2005)

Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey (2005). 

University of Arizona, Tucson, USA (2006). 

University of Plymouth, Plymouth, England (2006).

SESC, São Paulo, Brazil (2006).

Hexagram/University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada (2007)

Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milan and Centro per l’Arte 

Contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato, Italy (2007)

La Laboral, Centro de Arte y Creacion Industrial, Gijon, Spain (2008).