Application for 2026 OBEL Teaching Fellowships: Up to €75,000 to Bring New Voices into Architecture Education

The gap between architectural practice and the academy has long been a subject of frustration — practitioners with hard-won, real-world insight rarely get the time or the platform to teach, while students miss out on perspectives forged outside the lecture hall. The OBEL Teaching Fellowships exist to close that gap. Now in its fourth edition, the programme is open for applications, offering substantial funding for experienced professionals to develop and teach new courses in partnership with a host university.

Here is a full guide to what the fellowship offers, the theme at its heart, who it is for, and how to apply.

What Are the OBEL Teaching Fellowships?

The OBEL Teaching Fellowships are an initiative of the Henrik F. Obel Foundation designed to bring fresh, practice-based voices into accredited academic architecture programmes. For the 2026 edition, the Foundation is granting a teaching fellowship of up to €75,000 and inviting prospective fellows from around the world to apply in partnership with a host institution.

The core purpose is to enrich the dialogue and learning around each year's chosen award theme. By supporting the development of new courses within accredited academic programmes, the fellowship brings new perspectives into academia — reinforcing OBEL's commitment to innovation and its broader mission.

The taught courses will preferably begin in 2027 (or soon thereafter), giving fellows and institutions time to develop something substantial.

The 2026 Theme: "Systems' Hack"

Every OBEL cycle revolves around a focus theme, and for 2026 that theme is Systems' Hack. The aim is to foster deeper exploration, development, and dissemination of knowledge on this topic within the built environment.

At its core, Systems' Hack asks a provocative question: can architecture critically engage with the systems that underpin contemporary society — from infrastructure and energy to food, water, education, and information?

The theme pushes beyond conventional problem-solving. Instead of simply designing solutions, it invites architects to intervene in the very systems on which society and nature depend — to expose, infiltrate, and reconfigure entrenched systems, not by rejecting them, but by transforming how they function. It asks whether architecture can become an active part of ecological and social systems, operate within planetary boundaries, and help reshape the networks of production, governance, and influence it relies on.

As Jesper Eis, Executive Director at OBEL, puts it, the Foundation is seeking fellows who explore how architecture can critically engage with these systems — noting that education itself can work in a similar way: moving beyond conventional problem-solving and instead intervening in the systems on which society and nature depend.

What the Fellowship Is Designed to Achieve

The fellowship's goals reach beyond a single course. The Foundation is looking to:

• Spark curiosity in students about the major issues facing architecture, as reflected in the Foundation's themes
• Support institutions in creating relevant, impactful content and teaching methods
• Open space for new themes and new voices on university faculties
• Bring the professional and academic worlds closer through genuine collaboration
• Give experienced professionals a chance to step back from regular duties to teach and share knowledge through courses they are passionate about
• Build a community and network around the current Systems' Hack focus
• Develop lasting knowledge and learning materials on that focus

In short, the fellowship is as much about transforming the people and institutions involved as it is about delivering a single set of classes.

Key Parameters: How the Fellowship Works

Applicants should understand several important conditions before applying.

Teaching Commitment

Ideally, the fellow should lead or teach two courses at the university during the fellowship period, within accredited university programmes. That said, the Foundation recognises that other models of learning may work too — for example, a single, more intensive subject can also qualify for a fellowship.

The Host Institution Partnership

This is a joint application between a prospective fellow and a host institution; neither can apply alone. Typically, the academic institution signs a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreeing to accept the fellow as a visiting scholar, guest teacher, or professor, and to administer the fellowship funds on their behalf according to the approved budget.

The Foundation is, however, flexible. It understands that local customs and legal requirements may call for funds to be disbursed differently. What matters most to OBEL is the creation and delivery of an impactful course, the genuine commitment of both fellow and institution to the joint project, and the correct, transparent use of OBEL funds.

Residency Requirement

Fellows are expected to remain in the city or region of the university for the duration of the course. The fellowship is not designed for fly-in, fly-out teaching — physical presence and embedded engagement are central to the model.

What the Funds Cannot Cover

There are clear restrictions on how the money may be used. The funds are not to be used for:

• Student trips
• Student stipends
• Promotional publications

Importantly, the fellowships are not intended as a source of funding for current scholars or academics. This is a route for bringing in outside practitioners, not topping up existing academic salaries.

Who Should Apply?

The fellowship is aimed at professionals with at least five years' experience who want to take time away from their regular duties to teach and share their expertise. The ideal candidate has real-world depth in a subject they are passionate about and a desire to translate that knowledge into an impactful course connected to the Systems' Hack agenda.

Crucially, applications must be made jointly with a partnering host institution, so identifying and securing an academic partner is an essential first step.

How Applications Are Judged

A committee formed by the Henrik F. Obel Foundation — including specialists and academics from respected institutions — makes the selection based on:

• The expertise, professional experience, and capability of the proposed fellow
• The promise of impact of the course for students, the institution, and the broader community
• The relevance of the course and its ability to foster the application of knowledge to contemporary challenges and the year's focus
• The integration and clarity of learning objectives and the strategies to achieve them
• The potential for positive impact that goes beyond the subject itself to help transform those involved, the institution, and beyond
• A clear, reasonable budget showing how funds will be spent effectively during the fellowship

Post-Fellowship Requirements

The fellowship's value is meant to outlast the course itself, so reporting is a built-in expectation. Universities and fellows agree to submit:

• A copy of the course syllabus
• A brief report covering the number of students who attended, an honest assessment of the course's successes and weaknesses, its content and suggested modifications, pedagogical method, learning outcomes and impacts — including whether and how the course might continue or feed into other courses

The fellow's final report, including the course curriculum, becomes part of a shared library that other teachers and institutions can consult. Fellows are also encouraged to document the experience visually, so it can be shared for broader impact across OBEL's channels.

Key Dates and How to Apply

• Application deadline: Midnight CEST on 1 August 2026
• Format: Joint application by the prospective fellow and host institution
• Course start: Preferably 2027 (or soon thereafter)
• Funding: Up to €75,000
• Application Link: Click Here to Apply

Applications are submitted through OBEL's official application portal. Frequently asked questions are available on the Foundation's fellowships page, and additional queries can be sent to fellowships@obel.foundation — the team replies directly and may use questions to update the published FAQs.

Final Thoughts

The OBEL Teaching Fellowships represent a rare kind of opportunity: meaningful funding, creative freedom, and an institutional platform for experienced professionals who want to teach on their own terms. For the right practitioner — one with a genuine passion for how architecture can reshape the systems that govern our world — this is a chance to leave a lasting mark on a new generation of students, while contributing to one of the most urgent conversations in the built environment today.

If you have the experience, the idea, and a willing academic partner, the 1 August 2026 deadline is well worth circling on your calendar.