We are delighted to announce the 2026 edition of Textile Intersections will be hosted in London, UK by the Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London with a Doctoral Consortium to be held on 16 September 2026. The Textile Intersections 2026 Doctoral Consortium provides a dedicated space for doctoral researchers to present, discuss, and critically reflect upon their PhD research within the context of this year’s conference theme: Material Intelligence.

Textile Intersections provides a platform for original research that focuses on the interdisciplinary, cross-disciplinary and transdisciplinary nature of textiles research. It encourages critical dialogue and new perspectives on textiles research and its adjacent areas of interest. The Doctoral Consortium offers selected doctoral candidates the opportunity to engage in in-depth dialogue with peers and senior researchers working across interdisciplinary textile research.

The Doctoral Consortium is conceived as a mentoring environment and a site of conceptual formation for the field. Participants are invited to articulate how their research contributes to and expands the evolving understanding of Material Intelligence in textiles. This encompasses a wide range of interpretations, from broad definitions of materials that are used in textile production/fabrication, to the exploration of ‘Intelligence’ as contextualised by AI, advances in biotechnology, and explorations of multi-species and more-than-human intelligence.

About the Theme: Material Intelligence

The 2026 conference theme, Material Intelligence, encompasses diverse interpretations of intelligence in relation to textiles, including but not limited to:

• Intelligence embedded within materials and textile technologies
• Human–machine collaboration and computational systems
• Biological and more-than-human forms of agency
• Craft-based, embodied and tacit knowledge
• Social, ecological, and systemic textile practices
• Commons, communities, and material knowledge transmission

Doctoral Consortium submissions should demonstrate how the concept of Material Intelligence is understood, situated, and operationalised within the candidate’s thesis research.

Who Should Apply

We invite applications from doctoral candidates whose research engages textiles and textile design through interdisciplinary, cross-disciplinary, or transdisciplinary approaches.

Applicants should:

• Be currently enrolled in a PhD (or equivalent doctoral programme) at the time of submission
• Have a clearly defined research direction
• Be at a stage where feedback from the community can meaningfully shape their thesis development

Candidates from diverse methodological traditions are welcome, including practice-based research, design research, HCI, engineering, craft studies, biofabrication, sustainability, social sciences, and critical theory.

Submission Guidelines

Applicants are asked to submit a 2,000–3,000 word paper (excluding references) structured around the following components using the below tempate. Please submit via our submission platform ConfTool: https://www.conftool.net/textile-intersections-2026/.  

1. Thesis Overview (approx. 1,200–1,800 words)

• Abstract (250 words)
• Short bio (50 words),
• Research context and motivation
• Research questions and objectives
• Methodological approach
• Current progress and anticipated trajectory

2. Articulating Material Intelligence (approx. 600–800 words)

A focused reflection addressing:

• What is your current understanding of Material Intelligence?
• Where does intelligence reside or emerge within your thesis (materials, systems, agents, practices, infrastructures, ecologies)?
• How is this intelligence enacted, constructed, or contested through your research?
• What tensions, uncertainties, or critical questions remain unresolved?
• This section should be grounded in your research rather than purely theoretical.

3. Feedback Sought (approx. 200–300 words)

• What specific questions or challenges would you like feedback on during the Doctoral Forum?

4. Supplementary Materials

• 1-page academic CV including name of supervisor(s) and institution.

 

Review Process

Submissions will be reviewed by the Doctoral Consortium Chairs.

Evaluation criteria include:

• Clarity and coherence of the doctoral research
• Strength of engagement with the theme Material Intelligence
• Ability to critically articulate the relationship between concept and practice
• Potential to contribute to cohort dialogue

Submissions for the Doctoral Consortium are not anonymised.

Format of the Doctoral Consortium

The Doctoral Consortium will be structured as an intensive full day session, including:

• Short presentations by each participant
• Peer-led discussion (each participant will serve as discussant for another submission)
• Moderated thematic roundtables
• Collective reflection on Material Intelligence across doctoral projects

Participants are expected to read all accepted submissions in advance and actively contribute to discussions.

Proceedings

The Doctoral Consortium will be published as a single article in the conference proceedings, issued under one DOI. The publication will be introduced by a short editorial from the chairs and will include each participant’s short abstract and bio.

Key Dates

• Doctoral Consortium submission deadline: 8 May 2026
• Notification of acceptance: 8 June 2026
• Doctoral Consortium: 16 September 2026

Contact

For enquiries regarding the Doctoral Consortium, please contact the Doctoral Consortium Chairs at: ti2026@thedrs.org