Application
Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship
A Media and Policy Initiative
This is the application for the Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship: A Media and Policy Initiative, a fellowship established in 2004 by The Mayday Fund. The fellowship initiative will train physicians, nurses, social workers, scientists, and legal scholars in the pain management community to go beyond their own professional pursuits to become leaders and advocates for change in the pain field. The Fellowship seeks those applicants who have the capacity, time, and passion to become players in the field, and foresee significant impact from their advocacy efforts to improve the lives of people in pain.
The Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship will begin accepting applications on March 3, 2008. The deadline for applying to the 2008-09 program is June 15, 2008. You must submit an application and a letter approving your participation in the program from your immediate supervisor or chairperson. (Download application forms below.)
The Mayday Fund, a New York City-based foundation dedicated to alleviating the incidence, degree, and consequence of human physical pain, is interested in providing new leaders in the field with tools that will enable them to reach the broader public. Mayday established the fellowship to provide leaders with intensive training and five months of coaching in media and policy skills and strategy. Fellows must be available for a four-day training session held in Washington, D.C. in October, 20-23, 2008. Following completion of the session, each fellow will work closely with a communications firm for five months to develop a communications strategic plan based on a goal.
Possible goals include:
- Advancing the pain management field in your institution
- Educating patients and the public about treatment for acute and chronic pain
- Educating the public about alternative treatments to pain medications
- Developing improved pain management curriculum or trainings
- Educating policymakers about the need for improved pain management
Examples of tools for reaching goals could include:
- Writing opinion editorials
- Connecting with local and national media
- Meeting with or testifying before Members of Congress or state legislators
- Inviting media, policymakers or regulators into your institution
- Establishing a public relations committee within a professional society
- Establishing a fellowship or lectureship on pain in your institution
Fellows must meet the following criteria:
- Health care professionals; legal and ethical experts; and behavioral, biological or social scientists are welcome to apply. Priority will be given to researchers and clinicians from academic institutions able to give time and passion to advocacy work. The application is open to persons at different stages of their careers.
- Be affiliated (working with/member of) a United States or Canadian organization, agency or institution such as academic institutions; governmental agencies; or private clinical practices such as hospitals and nursing homes.
- Demonstrate expertise in pain in any of the following areas: clinical practice, research, education, policy and ethics.
- Employees of pharmaceutical companies are not eligible.
- Commit ten-percent of your professional time to the fellowship which means:
- Attending four days training in Washington DC on October 20-23, 2008
- Utilizing five months of one-on-one coaching with public relations firm to pursue media and policy outreach possbilities
- Must be passionate about self-development as a leader and educator about pain with the public, the media and policymakers. Must be committed to making an impact in the pain field.
- A willingness to continue on with your media and policy pursuits on your own and in collaboration with other fellows.
- Must be interested in expanding on your own professional pursuits.
- Must speak on behalf of your work organization, and will not represent The Mayday Fund or Burness Communications.
Download PDF version of application here. Download Word version of applicaiton here.
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There are no tuition costs; travel, seminars, and communications coaching will be covered by the Mayday Fund.