Faculty researcher named Jisc Community Champion for 2026
A researcher from the University of Leeds’ Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures has been named by Jisc – a not-for-profit digital body for education and research – as one of 15 Community Champions
A researcher from the University of Leeds’ Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures has been named by Jisc – a not-for-profit digital body for education and research – as one of 15 Community Champions for 2026.
Helen Thornham, Professor of Feminism, Technology and Society at the School of Media and Communication, has received the award in recognition of her leadership in collaborative, values-driven digital research across the education and research sector.
The Jisc Community Champions programme celebrates individuals who share knowledge and technical expertise beyond their own institution, bringing people together to solve shared challenges and create positive impact for colleagues and students.
Selected from 43 nominees by a panel of former champions and Jisc representatives, the 2026 cohort highlights leading contributors to sector-wide innovation and collaboration.
Professor Thornham was nominated for her work within the EPSRC-funded INCLUDE+ Network, a five-year NetworkPlus exploring and fostering social and digital environments in which everyone can thrive. Through INCLUDE+, she has mobilised interdisciplinary partnerships spanning academia, the third sector and public bodies, embedding feminist and digital justice principles across the programme’s activities.
Professor Thornham’s leadership has supported the co-development of the IN+ Principles with practitioners and communities, created secondment opportunities that enable mentorship and knowledge exchange, and secured funding to advance grassroots innovation. Collectively, this work has contributed to new systems, services and practices that address digital inequality while generating tangible social impact in areas including civic culture, wellbeing, precarity and digital rights.
Irene MacIntosh, Mhor Collecctive, said:
“Helen has mobilised interdisciplinary networks across academia, third sector, and public sector bodies, embedding feminist and digital justice principles into every strand of the programme. Her actions included co-developing the IN+ Principles with practitioners and communities, designing secondment packages to foster mentorship and knowledge exchange, and securing escalator funds to support grassroots innovation.
“The result is a thriving, values-led ecosystem that doesn’t just research digital inequality—it intervenes in it. INCLUDE+ has produced new systems, services, and practices that are actively taken up by organisations, enabling critical reflection and structural change. Helen’s leadership has catalysed real-world impact: from civic culture and wellbeing to precarity and digital rights... she is reshaping the politics, values and practices of digital society itself.”
Professor Thornham said:
“It is very humbling to be nominated by some exceptional people and organisations and it has been such a privilege to be able to learn from them. The work of INCLUDE+ is only possible because of the amazing team at the University including the phenomenal Rosie Wilkinson and Alicja Pawluczuk, and importantly Mel Flynn, Lucy Gosling and Mona Eane who are teaching us that it is totally possible to embed equity and inclusion in our own research structures in the university and prioritise collective care and reparative justice.”
As part of the award, Professor Thornham will attend Jisc’s flagship Digifest conference in March, where the 2026 Community Champions will meet, network and celebrate their achievements.
Jisc supports the UK tertiary education, research and innovation sectors through digital infrastructure, technology solutions and sector-wide collaboration, helping institutions make effective and secure use of digital technology and data.
