The Awards
The Elly Jansen Award has two categories: the Award for Original Articles and the Award for Research Proposals. The criteria for both are outlined below, along with information on how to submit your entry.
Who can enter the awards?
Anyone with experience of living or working in therapeutic communities or the field of relational practice can enter the Award. For example, practitioners, researchers, people with lived experience, activists, students, and volunteers.
We use the term 'lived experience' to refer to individual experiences of therapeutic communities. However, we acknowledge that 'lived experience' can have different meanings, depending on variations in language, expression and culture. We encourage anyone with lived experience - however they may define it - to consider making a submission to the Award.
To ensure accessibility, the Award Committee can offer support to authors who struggle to meet the entry criteria. For example, to provide support or guidance around the translation of articles.
Contact the Committee at ejaward@cht.org.uk to discuss your requirements or find out more.
Award categories
The Award for Original Articles
This Award is for new writing on to subject of therapeutic communities or relational practice, including case studies, a personal experience, an academic paper, or a book review.
The winner will receive a cash prize of £1,000, will have their work published and shared through the Elly Jansen Award website and newsletter, and will be invited to present their article at the prestigious TCTC conference in the UK, organised by our friends at The Consortium of Therapeutic Communities, which is anticipated to take place in November 2026.
Two runners-up will be awarded a cash prize of £500. Their articles will be shared with our international audiences through the Elly Jansen Award website and newsletter.
The closing date for entries is midnight (GMT) on Sunday, 3 May 2026. The winner will be notified by email by mid-July and and will be formally announced on 1 August 2026.
The Award for Research Proposals
This Award is given to an original research proposal into the effectiveness or practice of Therapeutic Communities.
The winner of the Research Proposal Award will receive a cash prize of £5,000.
They will also have their proposal published and shared through the Elly Jansen Award networks, and will be invited to present their initial findings at the TCTC conference, organised by our friends at The Consortium of Therapeutic Communities, which is anticipated to take place in November 2026.
The closing date for entries is midnight (GMT) on Sunday, 3 May 2026. The winner will be notified by email by mid-July and and will be formally announced on 1 August 2026.