Have you ever involved patients in your cancer research? We want to hear about it! Submit an article for the EACR Science Communication Prize 2026, which we have launched in September in honour of World Cancer Research Day 2026.
The winner, and shortlist, will be published here in The Cancer Researcher online magazine. The winner will also receive a free registration to an EACR conference of their choice.
What does patient involvement in cancer research really look like? We want to hear from cancer researchers sharing personal case studies of patient involvement in cancer research. When we recently asked EACR members about the importance of involving patients in research, the vast majority agreed that it’s important, but many also told us that they do not know where or how to start. We’d like to share your experiences and best practice for what patient involvement really looks like, and the difference it can make.
Why does it matter? Patient perspectives shape research at every stage – not only how care is delivered, but what gets researched in the first place. Patients can help set priorities in basic and translational work by pointing to questions with clinical relevance and highlighting gaps in current treatments that researchers may not see from the bench. Downstream, their input also improves how trials are designed and communicated, and sharpens focus on quality of life, symptom management, and treatment side effects.
What can I write about? Submissions can take many forms – for example a case study of a specific project, told from your own perspective as the researcher; a before-and-after account of how patient input changed your approach, methods, or priorities; or a piece written jointly with (or centring the voice of) the patients/advocates you worked with. We’re looking for concrete, specific stories over general reflections.
How to enter
- Ensure you have read and understood the Terms and Conditions at the bottom of this page
- Write a short blog post on the theme Patient Involvement in Cancer Research using the above guidance
- Suggested length: around 400-600 words
- Include a 50-100 word ‘About the author’ section, and an optional photo of the author
- Don’t forget to send pictures, drawings or even GIFs, to illustrate your article
- Please submit your entry to us by email by 09 November 2026
Evaluation
We will choose the winner and shortlist based on what we judge to be the best article. We’re looking for authentic, original accounts of patient involvement in cancer research, written in your own words and reflecting your own experiences and insights. Originality, authenticity, and personal insight will be prioritised over a ‘perfect’ writing style.
As stated in the Terms and Conditions, AI tools must not be used to write entries. While AI-generated articles can appear impressive in isolation, entries that rely heavily on AI often resemble one another when reviewed alongside many submissions. We read all entries together, making recurring patterns, language, and structures much more apparent. Articles that lack a distinctive personal voice or rely on generic examples and conclusions are unlikely to be competitive.
The winner will be announced by the end of November 2026, with the shortlist being published over the next few weeks.
Who can enter?
Anybody who has experience of involving patients in research. It does not matter whether you’re a first year PhD student or a senior Professor – this is a prize with no limit on your research experience, though we do expect your submissions to be well-researched and informed.
If you would like some inspiration, then please see the library of shortlisted articles from our previous Science Communication Prizes.
We’ve previously published several articles on the topic of patient involvement in cancer research, which you can read here. Perhaps our recent podcast episode on the topic of patients shaping cancer research will inspire you also.
Submit your entry to us by email by 09 November 2026. Any questions? Email us!
Terms and conditions
- You should be the original author of the blog post you submit.
- There is a noticeable difference between blog posts and articles written by humans, and those generated by AI. You may use AI tools for limited assistance, such as proofreading, grammar checking, or translation. However, you must not use AI to write, rewrite, or substantially draft your article. We value originality and personality and the final work should be your unique voice as a cancer researcher and a human, and should not be authored by AI.
- Co-authors are allowed but one person should be listed as the lead author. The prize is limited to one free conference registration. This would be offered to the lead author, who can choose to pass it to a colleague. All co-authors should give their consent to enter the article in the competition.
- You can enter more than one post.
- You can submit a post that you’ve already used elsewhere as long as you acknowledge this on entry.
- If you choose to send accompanying images please make sure you have the rights or permission to use them. Please indicate if an image was generated with AI.
- We will publish the winner and shortlisted entries on The Cancer Researcher, and we may make selective edits with the author’s final agreement. The authors will be fully credited and will retain all copyright.
- The prize of one free registration is for any EACR virtual or in-person conference held before the end of 2027. It must be redeemed by the end of 2027.
