Editor's update: The call for applications for this fifth cycle of the IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program has now closed. We thank everyone who applied for the program and plan to disseminate decision notifications on 31 August 2022. In the future, be on the lookout for information regarding the sixth cycle of the IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program!
IASP and PRF are happy to announce that the registration fee to attend the 2022 World Congress on Pain (either in-person or virtually) will be waived or reimbursed for each of the applicants selected for this fifth cycle of the IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program!
The IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program is a unique scientific communication training program that provides early career pain investigators – including undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers – with the knowledge, skills, and best practices needed to communicate science effectively to a wide range of pain researchers, patients, and the greater public.
This particular cycle will focus primarily (but not exclusively) on providing coverage for the upcoming IASP 2022 World Congress on Pain, taking place in Toronto, Canada, 19-23 September 2022.
Working closely with the PRF editors, successful applicants will gain valuable science communication experience by:
- conducting interviews with pain researchers;
- writing news stories or summaries of talks;
- creating other content, such as blog posts.
All content generated by participants will be published on the Pain Research Forum and/or RELIEF News, PRF’s companion site for the general public.
By participating in the IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program, you will:
- improve your oral and written communications skills;
- develop the ability to write for a wide range of audiences;
- learn how to effectively revise and edit your work;
- generate content for publication on PRF and/or Relief News;
- share ideas and disseminate knowledge of pain research to experts and non-experts alike;
- gain skills that are relevant and transferable to other types of science communication;
- acquire the tools you need to make science communication part of your future career;
- have the potential to write for PRF and Relief News after the program has concluded;
- increase your visibility as a science communicator with diverse publications.
Program Requirements
Participants in the IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program must be available to:
- attend two conference calls over the course of the program;
- conduct an interview with a pain researcher (published as a written interview or podcast);
- write a news story or a meeting lecture summary, or create a data visualization;
- write a series of blog posts.
All assignments will have specific deadlines that all participants will be expected to meet.
The program will last approximately 2-3 months and is designed so that you can complete it alongside your research and other obligations.
Application Process
To apply for the IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program, please submit a brief description (500 words maximum) explaining why you are interested in this opportunity and how it will contribute to your professional development, along with a resume or CV. Additionally, please specify whether you will be attending the IASP 2022 World Congress on Pain, either in-person or virtually (those who cannot attend the IASP 2022 World Congress on Pain are encouraged to apply, as this information will have no effect on your application).
Your rationale for wishing to become an IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondent is the most important part of the application. We are interested in candidates aiming to incorporate science communication into their pain research/clinical care careers. Those who are considering careers in science communication are also highly encouraged to apply.
Applications can be submitted via email to Gregory.Carbonetti@iasp-pain.org.
Who Can Apply?
Applicants MUST be a trainee member of IASP (an undergraduate student, a graduate student, or a postdoctoral researcher) prior to the application deadline.
Applications are welcome from basic, translational, and clinical investigators working in any area of pain research, as well as those working in clinical care. Five applicants will be accepted into this cycle of the program and can be based anywhere in the world. Those who have applied during previous cycles but were not accepted are encouraged to reapply. Non-scholarly writing experience can be helpful but is not required.
Note: Accepted participants in previous versions of the IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program are not eligible to apply.
Deadlines
Application Cycle 5
Call for applications opens: 3 August 2022
Application deadline: 24 August 2022
Notification deadline: 31 August 2022
For any questions about the IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program, please contact the PRF senior manager Gregory Carbonetti, PhD, at Gregory.Carbonetti@iasp-pain.org.
The IASP-PRF Virtual Correspondents Program has grown with support from the Rita Allen Foundation.