XR Brain Jam, by Games for Change -

The 6th Annual

A meeting of the minds between researchers and xr creators

New York City · JULY 14-16, 2023

Presented By

With Support From

Applications for the 2023 XR Brain Jam have closed.

what it is

How can the work of research biologists be applied to virtual reality experiences? What if a social science researcher teamed up with a team of AR developers? What happens when you take virtual reality expertise and apply it to neuroscience problems?

The XR Brain Jam is an innovative, collaborative event that pairs researchers with xr game developers and digital creatives, and charges them with exploring the intersection of their domains together.

Teams work together for an intense weekend to learn, discuss, explore, and create experiences that tackle questions like these. And when it’s all done, their work and lessons learned are shared at the Games for Change Festival.

"The most challenging and worthwhile jam I've attended. Anyone seeking to blend diverse industries & fields to have meaningful impact on worldwide issues through XR technology—apply!"

"XR Brain Jam gives developers the best chance to work with subject matter experts that they would otherwise not have access to. The immersive XR experiences that come out of the teaming up of crossdisciplines will definitely be instrumental in shaping the future."

"The XR Brain Jam was an inspiring, pure delight. This jam is for anyone who wants to make XR experiences that push against the norm and have the potential to help others. You get to work with professionals from fields of which you don't normally have access."

"...an amazingly organized, mind-expanding, technically challenging, and enjoyable experience--one of the highlights of my year so far!"

"The XR Brain Jam is a fascinating experience that pushes the collaborative frontiers of scientific research and XR. New ideas and applications really do emerge."

"The XR Brain Jam is a unique opportunity to participate at the intersection of games and science to create something meaningful. A good brain jam participant is a passionate doer who doesn't mind sacrificing a weekend for the greater good."

"This is a phenomenal experience where genuinely diverse groups can collaborate miles beyond their silos to produce things bold and beguiling."

How it works

XR developers and digital creatives interested in creating XR experiences that drive meaningful impact are paired with domain experts focused on addressing a specific issue (medical, environmental, education, etc). These cross-discipline teams are led through a structured workshop experience designed to accelerate the prototyping process. This workshop period is followed by a multi-day jam, where teams develop a working prototype of their concept.

Then teams are invited to share their work with a curated panel of experts. These experts are chosen from a variety of fields to give teams maximum value feedback, including funding, design, distribution, marketing, and development.

The 2023 XR Brain Jam will begin with an online pre-jam workshop on July 8th. Then on July 14th – 16th all participants will gather in NYC for a weekend of in-person collaboration and development.

The prototypes created at the XR Brain Jam will be presented at the 2023 Games for Change Festival on July 13-16th.18-20th.

"XR Brain Jam is a magical container with amazing humans collaborating and creating in the XR for change impact space that you do not want to miss!"

"Meet new people, make cool stuff, expand your brain."

"The XR Brain Jam is a fascinating experience that pushes the collaborative frontiers of scientific research and XR. New ideas and applications really do emerge."

"Whether you're an SME, researcher, educator, developer, designer, artist, technologists, content creator.. or anyone in between—XR Brain Jam @ G4C is definitely the ultimate platform to leverage your knowledge and skills for diverse and inclusive social impact awareness via XR activism!"

2023 Research PRompts

In the past five Brain Jams, teams have tackled a variety of interesting areas of research, including neuroscience, teen anxiety, grief, sensory processing, Parkinson’s disease, physics education, mosquito population management, and traumatic brain injuries. Each year XR Brain Jam selects a small set of research prompts that highlight areas of focus for the jam. Teams then choose a specific topic of their choice when they begin collaborating in July.

The 2023 Research Prompts

Diverse & Resilient Communities
Research about strengthening human institutions and bonds across different intersections
Human Health and Wellness
Research about the human body, how it works, and how we care for it
Sustainable Ecosystems
Research about natural and human-made ecosystems
Artificial Intelligence
Research about AI and its implications for society
Next-Gen Education
Research about new ways of learning and teaching

Who should apply?

Subject Matter Experts

Researchers, Scientists, Graduate Students, and Educators in fields that resonate with our yearly areas of focus

XR and Game Creators

Visual Artists, Audio Designers, Producers, Writers, Programmers, and Designers

Subject Matter Experts

We are looking for a diverse group of subject matter experts across our target problem spaces. If you are a researcher, scientist, or other expert working in any of our areas of focus and are excited about applying cutting-edge interactive technology to your discipline, please apply!

XR and Game Creators

If you work as a digital creative writing code, making art, designing audio, managing dev projects, telling stories, or designing game experiences, you are welcome to apply. Each year we have a mix of studio-based teams that apply together as well as individual applicants. Creators will be paired with other disciplines to build robust development teams.

Some of the institutions and company affiliations of previous XR Brain Jam attendees:
The Graduate Center (CUNY) · NYU CREATE Lab · Iowa State University · Teacher’s College · Object Normal · NeuroStorm Studios · SlingshotVR · VR Institute of Health · SoundVR · play4REAL Lab, Yale Center for Health & Learning Games · Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy @ UCF · University of Washington · Facetank · Schell Games · Universidad de los Andes · Knight Lab @ Northwestern University · The Glimpse Group · Immersive Health Group · Normal VR · Stuido Studios · Ubisoft · USC · Georgia Tech Research Institute · Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory · Mokuni Games · THiNK Immersive · Media Rez · SIR-VR

Applications for the 2023 XR Brain Jam are open! Apply by May 14th, 2023.

Do I need Access to or Experience with XR Tech?

Experience with XR technologies specifically (virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, input peripherals, etc) is not required to participate in the XR Brain Jam. One of the jam’s goals is to expand exposure to this technology to researchers and developers. However, if you have experience working with these platforms, particularly for tech developers, this is a plus.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own XR equipment. We will also provide XR hardware on site for teams’ use during the jam.

"Anyone that is involved in XR in any capacity should participate and experience this amazing ride"

"XR Brain Jam was a 10/10 experience."

"You should attend the XR Brain Jam if you love XR, love our community, love the world, and want to work with people who want to do the same this as you- make a difference. I had the best time at this jam; I met people who really expanded my worldview, showed me things I never would have thought of and ways of thinking I've never seen before. I'll come back every year if I can!"

"There is a spot open to anyone at the XR Brain Jam that is willing to be a team player. Don't let your fear of lack of development skills or expertise in XR technology stop you from applying! Your point of view and skillset is valuable in any way to the research, social impact, and diversity of the XR community."

Can’t Join us this year?