Call: EXCITE 2026 – Initiative of the Faculty of Architecture and Planning

The EXCITE program of the Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning focuses on promoting outstanding and inspiring projects in teaching and research, and in particular in the combination of teaching and research. Funding is provided for cross-disciplinary initiatives and projects that contribute to the further development of the faculty in terms of content and structure, for example in the context of doctoral programs, the setting of priorities in the area of interdisciplinary and internationally networked research activities, or through the development and testing of innovative didactic models in research-led teaching. The program also addresses projects in the context of the third and fourth missions of TU Wien and the faculty, especially those that test and strengthen new forms of knowledge transfer, social integration, or cooperation with non-university partners.

The focus is on projects and initiatives with a distinctly innovative character that are suitable for providing sustainable impetus for the further development, visibility, and profile building of the faculty. Projects are expected to go beyond existing activities, test new thematic, methodological, or structural approaches, and contribute to strengthening the faculty's scientific performance and strategic positioning in the medium term. In this context, explicit reference is made to the operational goals and projects defined in the target agreements, which form the strategic framework for the application and must be taken into account in the design of the projects.

Only early-career researchers from the Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning, including pre-docs, post-docs, senior scientists, senior lecturers, senior artists, assistant professors, and associate professors, are eligible to apply. The aim is to strengthen this group in particular in the development of independent research, teaching, and transfer initiatives and to support them in raising their scientific profile. Cooperation with external scientists and partners from research, practice, cultural institutions, administration, or civil society is possible and expressly desired, provided that it adds value to the proposed project and contributes to the expansion of existing networks or the development of new areas of cooperation.

Funding framework

The total funding volume of the program is €100,000. Individual projects can be funded with €25,000 or a maximum of €50,000, whereby the amount of funding requested must be proportionate to the scope, objectives, and duration of the project and must be justified accordingly in the application. The funds are to be used for specific projects and serve to provide targeted support for clearly defined projects with realistic implementation plans and comprehensible prospects for results. All funded projects must be completed by August 31, 2028, at the latest; a transfer or extension of the funds beyond this date is excluded.

The funding can be used flexibly to finance project-related personnel costs and material resources, including in particular costs for publications, exhibitions, events, prototype developments, materials, or other investments necessary for the implementation and visibility of the project. The aim is to enable conceptual as well as experimental and implementation-oriented projects. However, it is not possible to increase PreDoc positions beyond a working time of 30 hours per week.

Application

• Abstract with a maximum of 450 words (3,000 characters).
• Informal application of no more than 10 pages (appropriate to the scope of the project, excluding appendices) with a detailed description of the project and its relevance to teaching or research (1), the project sponsors and cooperation partners (2) the objectives and innovative nature (3), the methodology and working methods (4), the expected results (5) the structural effectiveness and contributions to the profile of the Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning (6) and the dissemination strategies (7)

Appendices

• Curriculum vitae and publication lists of the persons involved
• Cost breakdown and schedule
• Statement from the heads of the participating faculties and institutes

The application can be submitted in either German or English.

Selection committee

After a preliminary assessment by the dean/deans of studies, applications that meet the formal requirements are presented, discussed, and commented on by the applicants at a public faculty event. The final decision is made by a selection committee consisting of the dean and the deans of studies, as well as the Vice Rector for Research and Innovation and the Vice Rector for Teaching at TU Wien, and representatives of the AKG and the HTU.

Quality

• Quality of the argumentation for the specific project
• Scope and level of detail of the submission

Innovative character

• Originality in terms of content, scientific methodology, and/or didactics
• Interdisciplinary and/or transdisciplinary, international character

Structural effectiveness

• Impact on the faculty profile and on the ZV 2025-2028
• Contribution to organizational, scientific, and career development at TU Wien (including consideration of gender and diversity)

Coherence

• Plausibility of the time and cost plan
• Comprehensible relationship between the resources to be expended and the expected results

Applicants

• Professional competence
• Potential individual development/career impact of the project

Submission

All documents must be bundled in a single PDF file and uploaded to the TU Cloud (password: EXCITE2026):
https://tucloud.tuwien.ac.at/index.php/s/iPmGmHFiD5GqYbp

Dates

Colloquium
March 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., hybrid via ZOOM: https://tuwien.zoom.us/j/61579506306 (Meeting ID: 615 7950 6306) or faculty conference room, staircase 6, 4th floor