Welcome to DECADOCS!

DECADOCS (MSCA-JD Action, funded by the European Commission under Grant Agreement 101227176) is the first European doctoral network dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of decadence, bringing together 27 partners—including 10 leading universities, museums, and archives—across 8 countries. The network seeks to rethink decadence beyond traditional associations with decay and decline, exploring new dimensions such as sustainability, transnationalism, and sensoriality across fields like architecture, fashion, food, tourism, and immersive media.

Perceived as ubiquitous in 2025, decadence is linked to a rich and still evolving set of meanings and associations cutting across European societies. Its persistent link with crises and their recurrence has a continuing valence today and explains the current interest in decadence studies.

As a research and training programme, DECADOCS develops a more nuanced view of decadence, envisaging it as a valuable tool to enrich our understanding of contemporary artistic, media, entertainment, and sociocultural practices. 

Firmly anchored in decadence studies as a field of the humanities, DECADOCS’ research programme ambitions to train a cohort of doctoral fellows, notably by addressing non-literary and underexplored areas of study, embedding different disciplines into a coherent research program with bespoke network training activities emphasizing digital dissemination, open access, and outreach to various audiences. Tailored intersectoral training delivered by the most appropriate associated partners (museums, archives, libraries, galleries, and SMBs in fashion conservation and translation) during substantial periods reinforces the research programme’s scientific and societal impacts. 

We are currently recruiting 9 doctoral MCSA fellows (online interviews will take place between 17 and 22 November 2025). Our job offers appear here for your information and the site will be constantly updated to provide you with all needed details.