Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026 is now open at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), offering a fully funded 4-year doctoral position within the Department of Industrial Design. This PhD role focuses on envisioning housing consumption corridors through participatory design fictions and is embedded in the international Living in Consumption Corridors research project, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
The fellowship is ideal for candidates with a master’s degree in Interaction Design or a closely related discipline, along with hands-on experience in qualitative research and participatory or co-design methods. Applicants should have a strong interest in design fiction or speculative design, familiarity with sustainable design concepts, solid academic writing skills, and experience in prototyping while collaborating with diverse stakeholders.
Benefits of Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026
- Full-time employment for 4 years (1.0 FTE)
- Monthly gross salary ranging from €3,059 to €3,881 (Dutch University salary scale P)
- 8.3% year-end bonus and 8% holiday allowance
- Pension scheme, parental leave, and other benefits under the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement
- Access to high-quality doctoral training and professional development
- Opportunity to work in an international, interdisciplinary research team
- Excellent campus facilities, commuting, and remote-work allowances
- Immigration and tax support (including 30% tax facility) for international candidates
Eligibility Criteria for the Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026
- Eligible Countries: All countries
- Acceptable Course or Subjects: The scholarship will be awarded in fields related to:
- Interaction Design
- Industrial Design
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Participatory / Speculative Design
- Sustainability-oriented Design Research
- Admissible Criteria: To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Hold a Master’s degree in Interaction Design or a closely related discipline
- Demonstrated experience with qualitative research methods and participatory/co-design
- Strong interest or experience in design fiction and speculative design
- Familiarity with sustainable design, consumption, and/or rebound effects
- Experience with (interactive) prototyping
- Proven ability in academic writing and publishing
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, including work with diverse households and stakeholders
- Fluency in English (spoken and written)
- Dutch language skills are an advantage for local engagement, but not mandatory.
How to Apply for the Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026?
- Visit the official Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) vacancy page for the Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026
- Read the PhD position details carefully, including research focus, requirements, and expectations
- Prepare your academic CV, highlighting relevant research, design, or interdisciplinary experience
- Write a clear and focused motivation letter aligned with participatory design fictions and housing research
- Gather required academic documents, such as degree certificates and transcripts
- Arrange contact details of referees if requested in the application guidelines
- Submit your complete application through the TU/e online application system before the deadline
- Check your email regularly for updates or interview invitations from the selection committee
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026 is a four-year research position exploring sustainable housing consumption corridors using participatory methods, design fictions and stakeholder engagement to imagine equitable living futures while producing academic outputs.
What is the Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026?
The fellowship is a four-year PhD position that explores how sustainable ways of living in housing consumption corridors can be envisioned and designed using participatory design fictions, engaging people in imagining equitable future housing practices.
Who is hosting the Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026?
Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026 is hosted by an internationally oriented technical university in the Netherlands, embedded in a multidisciplinary research project focused on housing consumption and participatory design, and collaborating with partners in multiple European cities.
What is the main aim of this PhD project?
The main aim is to understand how environmentally and socially sustainable living in housing consumption corridors can be imagined and planned by combining social practice theories and design fiction methods to engage diverse participants in creative exploration.
Where will the PhD candidate be based during the Participatory Design Fictions PhD Fellowship 2026?
The candidate will be based in the city where the leading host institution’s campus is located, working locally and engaging with housing contexts in both that city and a partner city as part of the research on sustainable consumption corridors.
What are the core research activities in this PhD?
Activities include exploring sustainable consumption concepts, conducting interviews and surveys with households, organizing participatory workshops, developing design fictions collaboratively, and facilitating deliberations to inform housing transition proposals.
What timeline does this fellowship follow?
This fellowship runs for four years beginning around mid-2026, during which the candidate is expected to refine their research plan early on, engage in iterative participatory research, publish work, and complete a PhD thesis at the end of the period.
What kinds of methods will be used in the project?
The project uses an iterative mix of methods including literature study, qualitative fieldwork, participatory workshops with diverse stakeholders, creative role-play and design fiction development to explore sustainable housing futures.
What engagement with communities does this fellowship involve?
The candidate will engage with local households, architects, urban planners, and other stakeholders through interviews, workshops and deliberative events to co-create design fictions and discuss what sustainable housing within consumption corridors might look like.
What are expectations for dissemination and impact?
The candidate is expected to publish in relevant scientific venues throughout the project, contribute to workshops and outreach activities, and produce knowledge that helps stakeholders and communities deliberate about desirable, fair housing futures.
How does this fellowship contribute to sustainable housing research?
By combining participatory design fictions with social practice theory, the fellowship contributes new ways of imagining and debating sustainable housing that respect environmental limits and social justice, offering insights for planning and policy.
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