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Impact Accelerator Program

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Impact Accelerator Program: Policy and Communications Training logo

No longer accepting applications for the May 2023 cohort

Learn more about the 2023 program and program cohort.

Note: This opportunity is only open to members of IHPI.

IHPI members are invited to apply to join the inaugural cohort of the Impact Accelerator Program: Policy and Communications Training. 

The goal of the Impact Accelerator Program is to help IHPI members expand the reach and visibility of their work in order to make meaningful contributions to health policy and practice discussions, debates, and decisions.

It is designed to prepare IHPI members to understand today’s policy and communications landscape; learn how to identify and effectively engage with media and policy audiences; and frame, translate, and disseminate research findings for greater impact.

Participants will develop skills to help bridge the gap between research and policy through interactive skill-building sessions, practical policy and communications learnings and tools, and an interactive faculty expert panel to learn how other members have engaged firsthand with policymakers and the media. Sessions will be led by IHPI communications and policy & government relations professionals, IHPI faculty members, and external experts.

 

Program Details

The program will take place over three days from May 16–18, 2023, 9:00am–4:00pm each day. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided. On May 16 an optional networking happy hour will follow the day’s sessions, concluding at 4:30pm. In order to promote collaboration and connection among the cohort and presenters, the program will be held in-person on the U-M Ann Arbor campus (location to be determined). However, a final decision about in-person versus remote will be made based on public health guidelines at the time of the event.

 

Snapshot of the Planned Programming

Day One:
May 16
  1. Kick-off and introductions
  2. Leading with your why and asking policy-relevant questions
  3. Understanding the policy landscape and key players
  4. Reflecting on policy levers and windows of opportunity
    1. Activity: Charting out policy levers and opportunities
  5. Who needs to hear about your work?
    1. Activity: Identifying and mapping out your target audiences
  6. Branding yourself
    1. Activity: Half-life your professional identity
    2. Creating your best public profile for journalists and policy audiences
 
Day Two:
May 17
  1. Understanding the communications landscape and key players
  2. Translating findings for policy and media audiences
    1. Framing, messaging, and the importance of words
    2. Framing policy options
    3. Activities: Develop talking points and key messages; Half-life your research
    4. Designing visual communications
  3. Incorporating dissemination strategies into grant proposals
  4. Engaging with policy audiences, and a primer on key products: one-pagers/issue briefs, testimony and comment letters
  5. Engaging with U-M and external media professionals, and promoting your research using social media
 
Day Three:
May 18
  1. Workshop: Deep dive into creating a brief or one-pager
  2. Mock activities:
    1. Interview with a reporter
    2. Meeting with a policymaker
  3. Optimizing your online researcher profiles
  4. Workshop: Deep dive into op-eds and other opinion pieces
  5. Faculty panel: Experiences and best practices for policy engagement and communications
  6. That’s a wrap!
 

 

Expected Outcomes

Members of the cohort will come away with an improved understanding of how to translate, package, and amplify policy-relevant work for policy and media audiences. There will be opportunities to practice new skills through workshops and activities, and connect with other members of the cohort and IHPI staff.

Participants will develop an elevator pitch about themselves, talking points about their research, lists of key audiences and policy levers, dissemination strategies, and initial ideas for products such as one-pagers/issue briefs and op-eds or other opinion pieces. A workbook with tools and handouts will be provided.

Program Eligibility

IHPI members from any discipline, career level, and level of experience with policy engagement and health communications are invited to apply.

For IHPI Clinician Scholars: Because the CSP curriculum includes similar training in policy and communications and given the limited spots available for this opportunity, current scholars are not eligible to participate in the Impact Accelerator program.

Space is limited, so only members who can commit to attending the full three days should apply. Please hold the time on your calendar when you submit your application.

Application Requirements

Apply Here

Applications are due by November 18, 2022 at 11:59pm. Members will be notified of acceptance in December 2022.

Please fill out the application online, including:

  1. Brief responses to (up to 700 characters for each):
    1. Provide a brief description of your research interest area.
    2. Why are you interested in participating in this IHPI program?
    3. How will participating in this program help support any goals you may have related to policy engagement or health communications?
  2. Upload a recent NIH biosketch or CV.

Selection Criteria
Applicants will be evaluated based upon:

  1. Commitment to policy-relevant health services research.
  2. The ability to meet the time commitments of the program.
  3. Interdisciplinary representation within the cohort.

Note: This opportunity is only open to members of IHPI.

Thank you for your interest! If you have any questions or would like to discuss the program further, please contact Sarah Wang.