Science Blogging

University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences Development

Mentors

Elise Wachspress, Senior Communications Strategist, Principal Gifts
Bethany Hubbard, Senior Associate Director, Digital Communications

Background

Medicine & Biological Sciences Development is a 70-member team of fundraising professionals whose responsibilities range from building individual relationships with donors and working with faculty to identifying funding opportunities, to conducting research on donor interests and capacity, hosting events, and stewarding gifts. A strong subset of this group are communications professionals who specialize in strategic writing (both for individual donors and the public), social media, and design.

Internship Description

The intern will learn the broad outlines of development communications and social media while also developing a series of scientifically based blog posts for a public audience. Through the internship, s/he will understand how to research, evaluate, and read her prospective audience, recognize the considerations of representing the University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences to a public audience, learn the many opportunities that arise from a sophisticated understanding of philanthropy, and become more confident in scientific writing ability for a public audience.

The focus of the blogs will be neuroscience (https://neuroscience.uchicago.edu/neuroscience-news) and/or the interface between the microbiome, immunology, and genetics (https://voices.uchicago.edu/dfiwellnews/) . Bloggers can expect that the best of these articles will be picked up for a new, university-wide Alumni & Friends website soon to be launched.

Learning Objectives

Identify scientific innovation and newsworthiness, what topics are likely to be of interest within the constraints of institutional objectives; become familiar with news outlets and news aggregators, to quickly build a repertoire of broad science knowledge and the current landscape.
Learn how to navigate a complex organization (the University of Chicago) to interview principal investigators and others about their research, gain faculty trust, and disseminate new ideas gathered from various disciplines.
Learn how to write about complex scientific concepts for a public audience.
Learn to work closely with an editor and understand the many levels of editing and sign-off critical to writing for a first-tier university.
Learn the power of philanthropic funding to change the course and speed of scientific discovery; spend time with members of Medicine and Biological Sciences Development to become familiar with best practices and potential for careers in development.
Learn the institutional tools that can help establish independence as a writer.
Learn the skills needed to create and promote digital content, including components of online publishing and social media best practices.
Become familiar with community resources in public science communication: MATTER, 1871, the Polsky Center, C2ST, Chicago Science Writers, etc.
Consider how to deploy these growing skills in public relations/advocacy/non-profit management, critical to securing the future of scientific funding.

Deliverables

Articles: The intern will write 3-4 blog posts for the Duchossois Family Institute WellNews and/or the Neuroscience Institute website over the course of the 10-week S/he will research and draft these articles and revise them together with the mentor. S/he will reach out to faculty to ask permission to report on their research and request their help in vetting the article after it has been fully vetted by the mentor. (These posts will provide the beginning of a portfolio that can help the intern advance to the next levels of scientific communications.)
Social Media and Digital Strategy: S/he will learn about sharing digital content on social media and how to craft a post for different platforms including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. From sourcing public domain images to using the right hashtag to tracking post success through Google analytics, s/he will gain a better understanding of how to publish and promote content in the digital
Networking: S/he will spend time with Development professionals at the University of Chicago. S/he will be exposed to the scope of the work there: from crafting donor strategy, to stewarding donor gifts, preparing for cultivation events to using polished and high-impact design to help make persuasive arguments. S/he will also attend (virtually) science- and health-related events and showcases in venues like those noted above.