ISU – Institute for Sustainable Urbanism
With around 16,000 students and 3,800 employees, the Technische Universität Braunschweig is one of Germany´s leading institutes of technology. It stands for strategic and performance-oriented thinking and acting, relevant research, committed teaching, and the successful transfer of knowledge and technologies to the economy and society. We consistently advocate for family friendliness and equal opportunities.
Our research focuses are mobility, engineering for health, metrology, and city of the future. Strong engineering and natural sciences are our core disciplines. These are closely interconnected with economics, social and educational sciences and humanities.
Our campus is located in the midst of one of the most research-intensive regions in Europe. We work successfully together with over 20 research institutions in our neighborhood as we do with our international partner universities.
Starting from January 12, 2026, the Institute for Sustainable Urbanism (ISU) is looking for a
Research Associate in Urban Design at ReSpace! Research Group (d/f/m)
(EG 13 TV-L, full-time)
The position is limited until September 30, 2028 with the potential option to extend, subject to availability of funds.
ReSpace! – Connected Response-able Spaces and Infrastructures for Sustainable Living is a cutting-edge research group at TU Braunschweig dedicated to reimagining spatial futures under the impact of climate change. We advance excellence in interdisciplinary methods and transformative knowledge to reshape urban and rural spaces and infrastructures addressing resource constraints and societal transformation in the complex interplay of global and local impacts.
We are looking for a highly motivated doctoral researcher (d/f/m) in Urban Design to join our team at the SpACE Lab at ISU – Institute for Sustainable Urbanism in the subproject “Response-able Spatialities – Sustainable Space Types and Dynamics.” Within the subproject “Response-able Spatialities – Sustainable Space Types and Dynamics” you will engage in the design of radically new spatial futures that respond to climate risks, resource scarcity, and systemic transformation. Central to your role is the development of speculative architectural and urban design prototypes that explore “response-able” spatial configurations across scales. You will work at the intersection of visionary design and scientific inquiry, contributing to a long-term spatial foresight framework.
Your tasks
Your Qualifications
We offer
About ISU
With ISU, we offer a motivating setting for intellectual and professional development at one of Germany’s leading Institutes of Technology. ISU with its research unit SpACE Lab at ISU is a research-based think tank, design and planning lab headed by Prof. Dr. Vanessa Miriam Carlow. We are a team of around 30 researchers, lecturers and student assistants from different backgrounds, disciplines and career stages. The diversity of our ISU team enables us to take a multi-perspective, unconventional approach to research questions, teaching and knowledge transfer. We are intensively involved in the international discourse on sustainable urbanism. As part of the TU Braunschweig’s core research area FUTURE CITY, we work with scientists from a wide range of disciplines and cooperate with more than fifty cities and NGOs worldwide. As part of our international network, we are also involved in running the research presence of TU Braunschweig in Singapore: TU BS Singapore. Professor Vanessa Miriam Carlow is speaker of ReSpace!.
Further notes
We welcome applicants of all nationalities. At the same time, we encourage people with severe disabilities to apply. Applications from severely disabled persons will be given preference if they are equally qualified. Please attach a proof of disability to your application. We are also working on the fulfilment of the Central Equality Plan based on the Lower Saxony Equal Rights Act (Niedersächsisches Gleichberechtigungsgesetz—NGG) and strive to reduce under-representation in all areas and positions as defined by the NGG. Therefore, applications from women are particularly welcome in this case.
The personal data will be stored for the purpose of processing the application. By submitting your application, you agree that your data may be stored and processed electronically for application purposes in compliance with the provisions of data protection law. Further information on data protection can be found in our data protection regulations at https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/datenschutzerklaerung-bewerbungen .
Application costs cannot be reimbursed.
Deadline for applications is November 2, 2025
Please include a cover letter, letter of motivation, resume and comprehensive documents including a portfolio.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Technische Universität Braunschweig
SpACE Lab at ISU – Institute for Sustainable Urbanism,
Prof. Dr. Vanessa Miriam Carlow
Pockelsstr. 2, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
isu-opportunities(at)tu-braunschweig.de / +49 531 391-3537
spacelab-isu.org | tu-braunschweig.de/respac
from: 10.10.2025
valid until: 02.11.2025