Science Communications

Institute for Translational Medicine

Mentor

Sara Serritella, Communications Manager, Institute for Translational Medicine

Background

The University of Chicago Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM) is a member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) consortium that helps convert biomedical research into health improvement. During the last nine years, the ITM has connected more than 1,800 researchers and community organizations with funding, training, and other resources while forging connections across departments, universities, and patient advocacy groups. The ITM supports hundreds of faculty at the University of Chicago and its affiliates at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Rush University, and NorthShore University HealthSystem who are paving the way for breakthrough research and innovative biomedical devices that could have major impacts on patients, doctors, and researchers, as well as the health system at large. The ITM Communications Office translates the research and ITM resources into messages that highlight the impact it has on improving health.

Internship Description

The intern(s) will dive into science communications with hands-on projects, writing and storytelling coaching, and more, walking away with at least five professional, published clips that are a requirement for most communications/science writing job applications. The intern(s) will learn the process of executing a strategic communications plan through journalistic storytelling, multimedia, and other tools. This is an excellent opportunity for a trainee(s) who has already developed an interest in science writing and communications and who now wishes to build skills while exploring careers in this general area.

Specific Objectives

• Learn how to translate complex research into dynamic science stories and other communications.

• Receive training on the elements and structure of storytelling across written, video, social media, and other platforms.

• Receive intensive writing and journalism coaching from an award-winning journalist.

• Develop a strategic eye for finding and pitching unique enterprise science stories.

• Leave the internship with at least five published professional writing samples that can be shown to potential employers to demonstrate their communications skills. Work may be featured across platforms that include:

  • The ITM website, newsletters, ITM Quarterly publications, the ITM Annual Review publication, etc.

  • The platforms of partner organizations, such as: UChicago Medicine and Science Life, NIH’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), national Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS), etc.

Qualifications

The intern(s) must possess basic writing skills, be open to receiving constructive feedback on writing and other communications assignments, be well-versed in Microsoft Office, and be willing to learn new skills. Your application must include a current CV and a cover letter describing why this internship is relevant to your career goals.