Early Career Researcher's Prize (ECRP)

The prize gives early career housing researchers an opportunity to showcase their work to a wide and influential audience. The competition is open to those with up to eight years research experience. Candidates with or without a PhD, and those working within academic or non-academic institutions (the voluntary sector, think tanks, membership organisations, the media, housing associations etc) are welcome to apply. Please note that time spent in doctoral-level research study counts as research experience (as such, entrants who spent three years completing their PhD may have up to five year’s further work experience). Co-authored papers are permitted in cases where all authors meet the entry requirements. If there are multiple authors on the paper submitted and not all the authors are entering the prize, please indicate how much of the work was completed by the applicant/s. It is open to UK and non-UK applicants. It is our preference that papers have a focus that matches the broad interests of Thinkhouse.  This is policy publications that cover ways to increase the amount and quality of the UK’s housing stock and the related economic, social and community benefits of doing so.  However, the judging panel will accept papers that they consider are relevant to housing and related issues but please contact us beforehand. We will consider think pieces, review papers synthesising existing evidence and policy analysis, papers sharing the findings of original empirical research or investigative journalism type pieces. Journal articles or other papers already published or under review will be accepted. Your submission should be between 4,000-8,000 words in length and submitted in a MS Word format, which includes the following information: author(s) name(s), institutional affiliation, current job title, email address, paper title, 200 word abstract and word count. The 2026 competition opens for entries in March 2026.  It will close in September and the judges will meet in October. The winner will be announced in November.