Fellowship

Boston University School of Public Health students are an integral part of Public Health Post, a daily population health magazine. With more than 325,000 page views, 7,500+ social media followers, and a weekly newsletter that reaches 14,000+ people, PHP works to advance conversations about health and social justice in the United States.

2023 Fellows (from left to right): Kara Schmidt, Caroline Dignard, Adna Jaganjac, and Sean Hagan

Each year, a small group of on-campus MPH students are selected to spend a year cultivating their public health writing and communication under the direction of editors, Jennifer Beard, Michael Stein, and Mallory Bersi.

You do not need a writing background to become a PHP fellow. You are an ideal candidate if:

  • You are interested in increasing awareness about pressing public health topics for diverse audiences;
  • You are excited about advancing your communication skills;
  • You want to contribute to the national conversation on public health, but you may not know where or how to start.

Weekly writing workshops and editorial meetings, monthly individual check-ins, and group social opportunities form the basis for the fellowship’s supportive and collaborative culture. PHP fellows are guided by their individual interests, and are encouraged to explore topics and projects that resonate with them.

The 2024-2025 fellowship runs from February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025, and fellows receive a $15,600 stipend, distributed weekly throughout the year.

Writing Fellows (3-4 students selected)

Each week, writing fellows pitch story ideas that break down health research, explain data graphics, or present original interviews with leaders in the field. Their stories are published on a weekly basis.

Writing fellows work approximately 15 hours per week. Their work includes researching topics, pitching story ideas, writing, editing, rewriting, meeting weekly publishing deadlines, sharing their work on social media, and attending (and eventually facilitating!) writing workshops. By the end of the fellowship, you will have published 35+ original articles and established a robust online writing portfolio.

Multimedia Fellow (1 student selected)

The core responsibility of the multimedia fellow is to translate PHP written content to social media through static image posts, eye-catching infographics, and short-form video content. The multimedia fellow will also have the opportunity to conduct original reporting on current topics in the news using PHP content as a source.

You do not need advanced video or photography skills to apply. If you are comfortable creating content for Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc., you are qualified for the multimedia fellowship.

The multimedia fellow works approximately 15 hours per week. Their work includes creating, scheduling, and posting content across PHP’s social media channels daily; working on PHP’s monthly podcast, PHPod (if interested); collaborating with writing fellows to develop social media content; preparing regular data analytics reports; and attending weekly editorial meetings and writing workshops.

Requirements

Fellowship candidates are on-campus MPH students at Boston University School of Public Health who can commit to 15 hours per week and are graduating in or after January 2025.

Application Process

Applications for the fellowships are now open and will close October 6, 2023.

Complete the following via Google Form.

  • Select the fellowship you are applying for (writing or multimedia)
  • Upload your resume
  • Provide a Personal statement: Let’s get to know you in 400 words or less. Tell us what you would bring to Public Health Post, and why you want this yearlong writing fellowship. How does working as a PHP fellow fit with your goals? What would your voice add to PHP?
  • If applying for the writing fellowship:
    • Write a paragraph (about 100 words) about the strengths and weaknesses of one article published in 2023 on publichealthpost.org. Please include a link to the article you choose.
    • Write a two-sentence summary of any recent academic public health journal article (published within the past year or two). Please include a link to the article you summarize.
  • If applying for the multimedia fellowship:
    • Create a sample IG infographic/carousel post OR IG reel that is 90 seconds or less that translates a recent PHP article for social media. Be creative! Please include a sample caption, as well.

Please reach out to Mallory Bersi (mbersi@bu.edu), managing editor, with any questions.

 

SHARES