PhD in Design for Scarcity, Extreme Conditions and More-than-Human Cooperation Eindhoven University of Technology in United Kingdom

Join Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) for a fully funded PhD position in design research focused on scarcity, extreme conditions, and more-than-human cooperation. The project is embedded in UnEXTRA (Horizon Europe), which explores how design can contribute to a new model of European competitiveness in contexts where resources are scarce, environments are extreme, and collaboration between humans and more-than-humans becomes increasingly important.

This PhD is positioned at the methodological and empirical core of the project. The work will combine conceptual research, community-centered design, qualitative analysis, co-creation, and design-oriented knowledge curation. The successful candidate will engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including policymakers, design practitioners, informal communities, and more-than-human constituencies, with attention to uneven representation, contested priorities, and how community input reshapes design concepts in practice.

You will be based in the Making With cluster within TU/e’s Department of Industrial Design and work closely with partners across the UnEXTRA consortium, including the University of Bologna, the Oslo School of Architecture and Design, and the Dutch Design Foundation. The research is strongly oriented toward justice-oriented, community-led design research and STS-informed methods, and it offers a solid basis for a future career in academia, the creative and cultural sector, or policymaking.

Key responsibilities include a literature review and conceptual synthesis; stakeholder mapping, recruitment, and engagement; design and delivery of workshops, interviews, and participatory processes; qualitative data collection and analysis across local and cross-site activities; translation of fieldwork findings into community-accountable concepts and knowledge infrastructure; contribution to consortium outputs and the dissertation; and support for teaching and student coaching in the department.

Applicants should hold a master’s degree in design, though candidates from humanities, education, social sciences, engineering, business, and related areas are welcome if they can demonstrate affinity with design research. The post requires experience with qualitative methods, a research-oriented mindset, fluency in English at C1 level, and interest in interdisciplinary collaboration. Dutch language skills are helpful for fieldwork in the Netherlands.

The position is full-time for four years with an intermediate assessment after nine months. Funding is provided through the EU-funded Horizon Europe project UnEXTRA. Salary follows scale P of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, with gross monthly pay from €3,204 to €4,051, plus a year-end bonus and vacation pay. The application deadline is 2026-08-31, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.