Call for Applications: New Social Housing Programme for Doctoral Candidates

Open Call Research School New Social Housing 2026

New Social Housing Programme for Doctoral Candidates 

We are excited to announce an open call for applications to the Research School New Social Housing Programme for Doctoral Candidates at TU Wien. We invite highly motivated doctoral students with diverse disciplinary backgrounds —architecture, spatial planning, social sciences, and beyond—to contribute to this evolving field and engage in cross-disciplinary research and collaboration. Join us in advancing the future of housing studies, policy, and practice and build your international research network!

Highly dynamic political, social, ecological, and political transitions bring a number of challenges to the provision of housing today. As a complex research field, housing includes the design of buildings, housing as a form of practice, and housing regimes and policies but, also, an ideological and epistemological component. Housing studies at the intersection of basic and applied research require new transdisciplinary methodological approaches and perspectives across positions of Global North and South. To pursue these challenges and requirements, this international and interdisciplinary programme for doctoral candidates (starting Summer Semester 2026) seeks to establish an ‘open-minded dialogue across scales and positions’ (Powell & Simone, 2022) on the topic of New Social Housing.

The thematic focus of the programme will be social housing in its broad definition as common good and transdisciplinary methodological approaches in housing studies. In particular with regard to the Sustainable Development Goal 11 'Sustainable Cities and Communities' with SDG 11.1 'Safe and Affordable Housing', we will develop new formats for knowledge transfer and cooperation, available for all programme participants. The proposed programme brings added value through the inter/transdisciplinary approach and peer-supervision & learning. The didactical approach of the programme – with cross-disciplinary workshops focussed on problem-based-learning and collaborative research settings – seeks to develop a peer-culture in doctoral education. During the programme, you will be part of an international doctoral group with peers from TU Wien, other Viennese Universities and international partners as collaborators for transdisciplinary exchange.

Programme structure

The programme offers courses (webinar series, 2-4 ECTS) for the doctoral curriculum of TU Wien or complementary activities for other home universities of the doctoral students. It is to be considered as additional support for the doctoral students’ research career. Complementary teaching activities, courses and scientific exchange (in English language) include:

·        Research-led teaching: The webinars are offered as a course to doctoral students to advance in housing research, methodologies in housing studies etc. by international scholars and housing practitioners, additional courses in connection with international research projects (Starting in Summer Term in March 2026 and continuing in Winter Term in October 2026)

·        Vienna International Summer School on New Social Housing: In the framework of the Vienna International Summer School on New Social Housing doctoral students are invited to present their research progress to a broader research community with other participants of the summer school. Through field trips offered by the Summer School, the participants get insights into the Viennese housing system and establish contact to institutions and practitioners. (September 2026)

·        On-site meeting: Public symposium with lectures by international scholars. The on-site workshop is dedicated for an internal, interdisciplinary exchange in classroom sessions amongst the doctoral programme participants and invited scholars (peer-learning). A subsequent writing retreat only for the doctoral students allows immediate implementation of review comments. (foreseen in February/March 2027 at TU Wien or international partner universities)

The programme is structured as an intensive first part in the year 1 (with monthly webinars and courses during the summer and winter term) and a subsequent second part along year 2 and 3 with half-year activities (symposium and progress report workshops).

Responsibilities and expectations:

Participants / doctoral students will:

-      participate in all activities (on-site workshops, webinar series and summer school),

-      present work progress and get multi-disciplinary feedback from renown scholars,

-      co-organize peer-learning sessions and acquire new transferable skills,

-       submit paper for the summer school,

in the first year and then subsequently will participate in the symposium and meetings every six months.

Costs

For selected doctoral students, the participation in all events of the programme is free of charge. Travel and accommodation to on-site meetings at the partner university will be partially covered by the programme. Participation in the Vienna International Summer School on New Social Housing is supported by the City of Vienna, MA50.

Selection procedure

Submission requirements:

+ Motivation letter also stating the current stage of the doctoral research (max. 1 page)

+ Statement of the supervisor’s support to participant in the programme (max. 1 page)

+ Exposé stating the context, aim, leading questions and methodology of the research (max. 3 pages)

Doctoral students need to be recently enrolled or willing to enrol in the summer term 2026 with a supervisor at TU Wien or be enrolled at another Viennese university. Additionally, a limited number of international doctoral candidates of members of the Research Center for New Social Housing Soundingboard can apply upon invitation. The selection for the New Social Housing doctoral programme aims at maintaining a balance between students from different disciplines, ensuring a diverse cohort that reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the programme.

Deadline: 20 January 2026 via email to newsocialhousing@tuwien.ac.at (one single PDF document)

Coordinators of the Doctoral School New Social Housing:

Dr. Bernadette Krejs, Research Unit Housing and Desigh, Institute for Architecture and Design, E253-02
Dr. Judith M. Lehner, Research Center for New Social Housing, future.lab RC E285-01

Contact:  newsocialhousing@tuwien.ac.at

More information: https://futurelab.tuwien.ac.at/research-center/new-social-housing/doctoral-programme