Impact Accelerator Program
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Applications are now open for the May 2027 program
IHPI members are invited to apply to participate in 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 to make meaningful contributions to health policy and health care delivery on the local, state, and federal levels.
You will develop skills to bridge the gap between research and policy through a series of interactive skill-building sessions and practical exercises focused on policy and communications, led by IHPI communications and policy & government relations professionals, faculty members with policy engagement and communications experience, and other U-M experts. The program is designed to prepare you to navigate today’s policy and communications landscape; to frame, translate, and disseminate research findings for greater impact; and to identify and effectively engage with media, stakeholder and policy audiences. Depending on your issue area, key audiences may include health system leaders, payers, provider groups and professional societies, public health leaders, community-based organizations, and others.
Program Details
The program will take place over three days, from May 18-20, 2027, from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens (1800 N. Dixboro Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48105). Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided (by IHPI) each day of the training.
Snapshot of the Planned Programming
Gain key skills and build your communications and policy engagement roadmap through expert-led sessions and workshops:
Reflecting on what "impact" means to you
Understanding today’s policy and communications landscapes
Identifying the key health policies your work could inform
Mapping out your key target audiences and ways to engage with them
Learning how to describe yourself and your work, including honing your online presence on the web and social media
Framing your findings and the resulting real-world implications in a way that resonates with external audiences
Practicing engaging with the media through a mock interview with a public relations professional
Thinking through potential policy-relevant written products, including one-pagers and op-eds
Expected Outcomes
Participants will improve their 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 to build relationships with cohort members, IHPI staff, and other experts, which you can continue to cultivate following the program through follow-up contacts and an annual reunion of all alumni.
You will leave with a refined elevator pitch about yourself, talking points about your research, lists of key audiences and policies connected to your research, dissemination strategies, and initial ideas for potential policy-relevant written products. We will provide a workbook with tools, worksheets, and other resources.
Program Eligibility
Current IHPI members from any discipline, career level, and level of experience with policy engagement and health communications are invited to apply. The training is designed for applicants who have research findings, projects, or a body of work that they are ready to share with external audiences.
Application Timeline and Requirements
Applications are now open for the May 2027 program. The priority application deadline is Friday, November 20 at 11:59 p.m.
Applications received by the priority deadline will receive first consideration for this year’s training and will be notified of decisions in December. Applications received after this date will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all spots are filled. This webpage will be updated once we are no longer accepting applications.
Because space is limited, we encourage you to apply by the priority deadline. Please only apply if you can commit to attending the full three days. Please hold these dates on your calendar when you submit your application.
Please fill out the application on Competition Space. You will be asked to attach your recent CV or NIH biosketch, and fill in:
- A brief description of your research portfolio and any initial thoughts on how your findings could inform policy or practice.
- How participating in this program will help support any goals you have related to policy engagement or health communications.
- Before the program: All selected participants will meet individually with IHPI’s Policy Engagement team in spring 2027. These 30-minute virtual conversations will give us an opportunity to get to know you, learn more about your research and policy engagement goals, and better understand the areas you’d like to explore during the program.
Selection Criteria
Applicants will be chosen based upon the following criteria:
- Demonstrated commitment to policy-relevant health services research.
- Potential for the program to further any goals related to policy engagement or research-informed communications.
- Commitment to attend the entirety of the program.
- Interdisciplinary representation within the cohort.
Thank you for your interest! If you have questions or would like to discuss the program further, please contact Sarah Wang at [email protected].
Testimonials from Past Participants
Geoff Barnes
M.D., M.Sc.
2023 Impact Accelerator participant
Associate Professor of Internal Medicine
“The IHPI Impact Accelerator Program was some of the most high-yield time I spent this past year. I appreciated connecting with key IHPI experts who showed me different ways to increase the visibility and impact of my research. I also like how many of the sessions were “hands-on” and that we got immediate feedback on our ability to tell the story of our research in different venues.
Because of my involvement in the IHPI Impact Accelerator Program, I’m already working with the IHPI Policy Engagement team to develop a policy brief and connect with policymakers at CMS.
I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking to take their research to the policy level as a way of maximizing their impact! I would encourage anyone to set aside the time on their calendar to participate fully – it’s well worth it.”
Kelly Bakulski
Ph.D.
2026 Impact Accelerator participant
Associate Professor of Epidemiology, School of Public Health
“IHPI’s Impact Accelerator program gave me essential and practical skills for communication, and it connected me with experts and resources to make policy engagement a success. Soon after the program, I was able to speak with Congressional staffers about environmental health research in meetings facilitated by and with a message honed in partnership the IHPI team.”
Robin Brewer
Ph.D.
2024 Impact Accelerator participant
Assistant Professor in the School of Information
“The Impact Accelerator program was the highlight of my year. I learned strategies for communicating my research in different formats (in-person conversation, policy briefs) and to different policy audiences (busy lawmakers, advocacy organizations, reporters). This should be required training for any faculty member!”
Daniel Hertz
Pharm.D., Ph.D.
2024 Impact Accelerator participant
Associate Professor of Pharmacy
“The IHPI Impact Accelerator program gave me a whole new perspective on my research. The guided sessions allowed me to focus my message and identify avenues for promoting my research beyond academia. I recommend this program to anyone who wants to maximize the impact of their research on society.”
Cathryn Lapedis
M.D., M.P.H.
2024 Impact Accelerator participant
Assistant Professor of Pathology
“The impact accelerator program was phenomenal. There were so many opportunities to meet and learn from driven and intelligent colleagues doing fascinating work. There were many interactive activities which allowed us to remember why we do this work, and to model how to translate our academic research to the media and how to think about how our work could influence policy. All the faculty and panelists were superstars, and it was such a pleasure to take time out of a busy schedule to reflect, spend some time in nature, and meet fascinating people who could help change how we think about our role and our research.”
Kahli Zietlow
M.D.
2026 Impact Accelerator participant
Clinical Associate Professor of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine
“At the conclusion of the program, I felt I had identified clear next steps that I could immediately pursue to increase my professional presence and better promote my research. As someone who is new to the world of policy, I found the material to be accessible and approachable while still being substantive and impactful. It was an enjoyable experience from start to finish and one of the most valuable resources I have used to support my career advancement!”