The "Award for Interdisciplinary Research on Real Estate Development" aims to promote and recognise the importance and added value of interdisciplinary research in real estate. Despite the increasing dominance of financial and econometric approaches, it is essential to support innovative and holistic research perspectives that integrate various disciplines.

Developers bear a great deal of responsibility for the built environment and must address complex urban challenges. Their task is to make buildings and neighbourhoods in the urban cityscape more livable, healthier, productive, and environmentally friendly. The award will honour holistic research that, through its interdisciplinary approach, provides new insights and practical solutions for real estate project development.

Award Details:

1. Funding and Duration: The award is endowed with €5,000, making it the highest-funded prize in real estate research. It will be awarded over a period of 10 years, with an evaluation after 5 years to assess its effectiveness and impact. The award is sponsored by Stephan Bone-Winkel, Honorary Professor for Real Estate Development at the University of Regensburg, Germany.

2. Eligibility: The award is open to participants of the European Real Estate Society (ERES) and the International Real Estate Society (IRES) conferences and their affiliates. It is aimed at both academics and practitioners.

3. Jury and Selection Process: The board of ERES will nominate the jury, which will consist of renowned experts from various disciplines who will independently decide on the award. To avoid conflicts of interest, Stephan Bone-Winkel will not be part of the jury.

4. Submission Criteria: The submission scope and expectations will be clearly defined. Submitted works must:

   • Exhibit a strong interdisciplinary component that integrates multiple scientific disciplines.

   • Offer relevant and innovative approaches to addressing challenges in real estate development.

   • Have theoretical and practical significance for the advancement of the real estate industry.

   • Include an empirical study, e.g., case studies or practical examples. An emphasis on statistical methodology and data-driven analysis is not required.

5. Possible fields of research:

   • Comfort, reversibility and longevity of buildings and their changing uses

   • The application of artificial intelligence to optimise stakeholder expectations, streamline processes, and enhance decision-making in real estate development.

   • Adapting methodologies from other industries (manufacturing, aircraft- and shipbuilding, software) or project management like scrum, lean or kanban to real estate development

   • Exploring the benefits of cross-disciplinary collaboration in enhancing project outcomes and stakeholder satisfaction

   • Interdisciplinary research on affordable housing developments

   • Investigating the impact of sustainable building practices and materials on long-term cost efficiency and environmental impact, aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

   • The assessment of the social and economic implications of development projects on local communities and overall urban dynamics, with a focus on contributing to the 17 SDGs.

6. Application Process: The deadline for submissions is 31 March of every year. Papers can be submitted by email to: bjoern.kurzrock [at] rptu.de.

The "Award for Interdisciplinary Research on Real Estate Development" aims to stimulate innovative research and diversify methodological approaches in the real estate sector.