The Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden offers a Doctoral Fellowship in Educational Science/Media Education (reference number s26-007) for early-career researchers who want to complete a doctorate at TUD Dresden University of Technology in Germany. The fellowship pays EUR 1,850 per month plus a EUR 150 grant for material costs, runs for 2 years from 1 April 2027 with an option to extend by 1.5 years, and applications close on 24 November 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we went through the full call so you can see the research focus, requirements and every document you need in one place.
What Is the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden?
In the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden, researchers from the Social Sciences and Humanities work together with artists to explore the relationships between technology, science and society.
🏛️ The Lab was initiated by The Schaufler Foundation together with TUD Dresden University of Technology.
🔋 The guiding theme for the upcoming third funding phase (April 2027–September 2030) is "Energy Cultures in Transition".
🔍 The theme is investigated from a humanities, cultural, social and educational science perspective, explored through artistic practice and communicated to the public.
👥 For the third funding phase, the Lab comprises eight doctoral fellowships and an annually changing Artist in Residence program.
Fellowship at a Glance
🎓 Position: Doctoral Fellowship in the field of Educational Science/Media Education
🔢 Reference number: s26-007
📍 Location: TUD Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
🗓️ Start date: 1 April 2027
⏱️ Duration: 2 years, with the option of extension by 1.5 years
👩🏫 Primary supervisor: Prof. Dr. Andreas Spengler, Chair of School Education / Media Education
📌 The fellowship is offered subject to the availability of resources.
How Much Does the Fellowship Pay?
💶 EUR 1,850 per month fellowship payment
📦 A grant for material costs of EUR 150
👶 Where applicable, a family supplement of EUR 315 per child
✈️ Within the limits of the available project funds, the Schaufler Lab will cover the costs of conference travel
📝 Please note: the fellowship does not constitute an employment relationship.
The Guiding Theme: Energy Cultures in Transition
The guiding theme understands energy as a cultural phenomenon deeply inscribed in aesthetic, historical, political, ecological, economic and socio-technological practices and systems.
📈 It builds on the dynamically growing research fields of the Energy Humanities, Science & Technology Studies and the Digital Humanities.
🛢️ The aim is to examine how modern energy regimes, from petromodernity to nuclear culture and post-carbon futures, have shaped not only material infrastructures but also subjectivities, power relations, progress narratives, geopolitical orders, ecologies and knowledge systems, while simultaneously being shaped by them.
🧩 Interdisciplinary perspectives from the social sciences, cultural studies, humanities and educational research represented at the Schaufler Kolleg@TU Dresden make it possible to analyse the multifaceted entanglements of energy, culture and society.
Key Questions of the Theme
🎨 The representation, communication and aesthetics of energy transitions and resource paradigms
💾 Continuities between resource economies and information economies
🏭 The relationships between energy, labor, environment and consumer culture
🌐 The role of colonialism, gender, nationalism, geopolitics, education and social justice in deciding energy futures and navigating collective transformation processes
Research Areas in Educational Science/Media Education
In the field of Educational Science/Media Education, the following research areas and questions are of particular relevance to the guiding theme:
🔎 Re/presentations, relations, practices, utopias and critiques of energy relations and energy transformations from an educational research perspective
📖 The role, significance and changing nature of energy in contexts of self-formation/Bildung, education and socialization
⚖️ Critical perspectives on the relationship between, and production of, energy and transformation in educational and social contexts
What Will the Doctoral Fellow Do?
🧠 Carry out independent research and academic further qualification with the goal of completing a doctorate at TUD.
✍️ Write a dissertation on a topic within the guiding concept "Energy Cultures in Transition" in the discipline of Educational Science/Media Education.
🤝 Show a high degree of willingness to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, particularly with the STEM partnerships of the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden.
🖌️ Conduct joint research with artists within the framework of the Schaufler Residency.
📣 Engage in science communication and outreach.
🗣️ Take part in the Kolleg's English-language training program, which is mandatory.
🏢 Shared office spaces will be made available to the fellows.
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Who Can Apply? Requirements
🏅 An excellent university degree, preferably in Educational Sciences, Media Education with a focus on cultural or media studies, or in comparable, related fields with clear connections to Media Education or Educational Sciences.
📚 Relevant experience in the educational- or socialization-theoretical discourse on the relations between subjects and society and energy transitions, the environment, technology, everyday life and/or work.
👥 A strong ability to work in teams and enjoyment of interdisciplinary collaboration.
🇬🇧 English skills at a minimum of C1 level, as the training program is conducted in English.
Examples of Relevant Research Contexts
The call names the following contexts as examples of the relevant experience it is looking for:
🎭 Cultural Studies in Education
🖼️ Cultural-Aesthetic Media Education
🪞 [Educational] Research on Subjectivation
📜 [Educational] Studies on Governmentality
📺 Media Criticism in Media Education
⚙️ Science & Technology Studies
Language of the Dissertation
🖋️ In accordance with the doctoral regulations of the Faculty of Education, the dissertation may be written in either German or English.
🇩🇪 If you choose to write it in German, corresponding German language skills are required.
💬 Beyond this, German language skills are desirable but not mandatory.
What the Schaufler Kolleg Offers
🎯 The opportunity to pursue a doctorate within the Schaufler Kolleg with a structured qualification program and integration into an interdisciplinary research project.
💻 A fully equipped office workspace on the premises of TUD.
🧪 Access to an excellent research infrastructure, including participation in Research Studios and writing retreats.
🧑🎓 Numerous further training and qualification opportunities through the Graduate Academy and other central institutions of TUD.
🧳 Coverage of conference travel costs, within the limits of the available project funds.
Inclusion and Equal Opportunities at TUD
TUD embodies a university culture characterized by cosmopolitanism, mutual appreciation, thriving innovation and active participation. For TUD, diversity is an essential feature and a quality criterion of an excellent university, and it welcomes all applicants who would like to commit themselves, their achievements and productivity to the success of the whole institution.
🌏 Applications are welcome from people regardless of gender, origin, sexual orientation, worldview or disability.
👩🔬 TUD strives to employ more women in academia and research and expressly encourages women to apply.
👨👩👧 TUD is a family-friendly university.
♿ Applications from candidates with disabilities are welcome. If multiple candidates prove to be equally qualified, those with disabilities or with equivalent status pursuant to the German Social Code IX (SGB IX) will receive priority.
🔗 TUD is a founding partner in the DRESDEN-concept alliance.
Application Documents
Your detailed application can be written in German or English and should contain:
🖥️ The completed online application form
💌 A letter of motivation
📄 A curriculum vitae in tabular form, including an account of your academic career
🪪 A copy of your most recent university degree certificate
🗂️ An exposé of your research project, including a work and time schedule (max. 20,000 characters)
👪 Where applicable, details of your family situation
How to Apply
📎 Send your application documents, including the online application form, as a single PDF file.
🏷️ Quote the reference number s26-007.
🔒 Applications are preferably sent via the TUD SecureMail Portal to the Schaufler Lab email address; applications can also be sent by post to the address in the links section below.
⏰ The stamped arrival date of the university central mail service or the time stamp on the email server of TUD applies.
📑 Please submit copies only, as your application will not be returned to you.
🚆 Expenses incurred in attending interviews cannot be reimbursed.
🛡️ Information about your data protection rights and the purpose for which your data will be processed is available on TUD's data protection page.
Explore more research and doctoral funding in the Fellowships section on Youth Works Hub →.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Schaufler Lab Doctoral Fellowship in Educational Science/Media Education?
The fellowship pays EUR 1,850 per month, plus a grant for material costs of EUR 150. Where applicable, a family supplement of EUR 315 per child is added, and conference travel is covered within the limits of the available project funds.
How long does the fellowship last and when does it start?
The fellowship starts on 1 April 2027 and runs for 2 years. There is an option to extend it by 1.5 years.
Is the fellowship an employment contract?
No. The call states that the fellowship does not constitute an employment relationship.
Do I need to speak German?
No, German is desirable but not mandatory. You need English at a minimum of C1 level because the training program is in English, and the dissertation may be written in German or English; German skills are required only if you choose to write it in German.
Who supervises the doctorate?
Primary supervision is provided by Prof. Dr. Andreas Spengler, Chair of School Education / Media Education at TUD.
What should the research exposé include?
The exposé presents your research project within the guiding theme "Energy Cultures in Transition" and must include a work and time schedule. It may be at most 20,000 characters long.
Which reference number should I quote?
Quote the reference number s26-007 when you send your application documents, including the online application form.
Can I apply by post?
Yes. Applications are preferably sent as a single PDF via the TUD SecureMail Portal to the Schaufler Lab email address, but they can also be sent to the postal address of the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden. Only copies should be submitted, as applications are not returned.
Deadline
⏳ 24 November 2026
Links
Online application form: https://tu-dresden.de/gsw/schauflerlab/schaufler-kolleg/phase-3/anmeldung-registration
Application email: schaufler.lab@tu-dresden.de
TUD SecureMail Portal: https://securemail.tu-dresden.de
Postal address: TU Dresden, Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden, Prof. Dr. Andreas Spengler, Helmholtzstr. 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany
Official call (s26-007): https://www.verw.tu-dresden.de/StellAus/stelle.asp?id=13050&lang=en
Data protection information: https://tu-dresden.de/karriere/datenschutzhinweis
