Application

 Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship:
A Media and Policy Initiative

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 pain field with tools that will enable them to reach the broader public.

In 2004, Mayday established the Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship: A Media and Policy Initiative, a fellowship program to train physicians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, basic, translational and clinical scientists, policy experts 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 in the United States and Canada. 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 1, 2010. The deadline for applying to the 2010-11 program is now Thursday, July 1, 2010. You must submit: 1) an application and 2) a letter approving your participation in the program from your immediate supervisor or chairperson. The letter should include confirmation that you can devote 10 percent of your time to the Fellowship, and provide supporting background about your candidacy for the Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship.

Finalists will be involved in a phone interview with some of the Mayday Fellowship Advisory Committee members. Six fellows will be selected by the Committee in early August 2010.

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 and key stakeholders with messages about pain management and the need for improved pain treatment and care. Mayday established the fellowship to train dozens of leaders, and provide them with intensive training and five months of coaching in media, policy and leadership. Fellows must be available for a four-day training session to be held in Washington, D.C. on October 25-28, 2010. Following completion of the session, each Fellow will be required to spend 10 percent of their time working closely with Burness Communications for five months (November 2010 – March 2011) to develop their own outreach strategy and implement elements from the strategy.

Possible strategic goals include:

• Advancing the pain management field in your institution
• Educating patients and the public about treatments for acute and chronic pain
• Translating new science to the public
• 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
• Improving the legal environment for effective pain management

Examples of tools for reaching goals could include:

• Writing opinion editorials and guest blog posts; providing commentary
• 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, training program, or lectureship on pain in your institution

 Fellows must meet the following criteria:

• Be a health care professional, legal, policy or ethics expert, and/or a behavioral, biological or social scientist. Priority will be given to researchers and practitioners from academic institutions who are able to give time and passion to advocacy work. The application is open to persons at different stages of their careers. Employees of pharmaceutical and medical device companies are not eligible.
• Be affiliated with or a member of a United States or Canadian organization, agency or institution—such as academic institutions, government 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, law, policy, and ethics.
• Commit 10 percent of your professional time to the Fellowship which means:
  • Attending four days training in Washington DC on October 25-28, 2010
  • Utilizing five months of one-on-one coaching with a public relations representative to pursue media and policy outreach possbilities
  • Continuing to pursue advocate activities beyond the training and coaching period to the best of your ability.
  • Staying connected to all Mayday Fellows through the Mayday Fellowship listserv to seek opportunities to advocate and collaborate for improved pain treatment and care.
• 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.
• Speak on behalf of your work organization, and will not represent The Mayday Fund or Burness Communications.

                                                                                      
      MAYDAY FELLOWS APPLICATION                        MAYDAY FELLOWS APPLICATION

Questions? Please read our frequently asked questions.

Please visit success stories from previous Fellows.

There are no tuition costs; travel, seminars, and communications coaching will be covered by the Mayday Fund.