Shawna at the USC Network Culture Project sent around a call for interested students to participate in a paid summer internship in Second Life. Sounds like a great opportunity for an undergrad or graduate student interested in virtual worlds:
The USC Network Culture Project at the Annenberg School for Communication is accepting applications for undergraduate or graduate students interested in a paid research internship. Responsibilities include observing habits and activities in Second Life and require diligent note-taking about the experience. Please encourage students who you know to be competent in Second Life to apply—they must be comfortable with talking to other residents and moving around in world. Students will spend 15 hours per week both in-world interacting with and interviewing a specific group of selected residents and then writing field notes. A USC doctoral student will oversee and train the students on observational techniques.
To apply, please have the student write a 350-word description of their qualifications and include a glowing letter of recommendation from you. We are looking for highly reliable, self-directed students who can commit to 15 hours per week between June 10th and June 30th and who might be interested with continuing past that time. We require mandatory attendance for group meetings in Second Life every Tuesday from 10am – 11am PST. In addition to the educational and professional experience, we are offering $10 per hour.
Send applications to shawnake@usc.edu before May 16th, 2008.