Application for Cohort 1 is closed. Sign up to be notified when the next application opens.
A WRITING fellowship FOR scientists
Cohort 02: Announcing soon
Co-created by:
Learn to
tell stories
that grow
ideas.
The What
Ideas Matter is a free, 8-week, digital fellowship for aspiring writers who want to reach a wide audience, mainly through blogs, newsletters, and essays. Our first cohort is focused on biology. Apply by October 30th.
Fellows receive access to professional editors, discretionary funds for reportage or travel, and complete two edited pieces for inclusion in a published anthology. Fellows commit to 2 hours of scheduled lessons, and about 5 additional hours of unstructured writing time, each week. Fellows learn from expert speakers and critically examine their writing with peers.
It’s a way to turn thoughts into reality. Great stories can help build teams and raise money to actualize ventures. Writing is a way to clarify our own confusion, to win money, or to gain fame. And yet, scientists rarely learn how to communicate to non-technical audiences.
Biology, and the engineering of living organisms, has the potential to transform our world, but the public is largely unaware of how, or why. The Ideas Matter fellowship aims to catalyze good writing about biology (initially) in the public domain by nurturing, discovering, and connecting promising writers.
The who
You are enamored by biology and its possibilities for humanity’s future. You write in your free time, perhaps for a blog or in private. You have things to say, but need help to say them clearly. You want to learn from other biology writers and contribute to an ecosystem of new ideas.
Timeline
Cohort 1: Jan 8 - MAR 1, 2024
week one
Finding Great Ideas
week two
The Elements of Great Writing
week three
Storytelling Structures
week four
From “Nebulous Thoughts” to Clear Prose
week five
Reading Like an Editor
week six
Nurturing a Growth Mindset
week seven & eight
Writing and Editing
The final two weeks are unscheduled. Editors are available to help you improve your writings to publication quality.
Application for Cohort 1 is closed. Sign up to be notified when the next application opens.
Co-created by:
Niko McCarty
Co-creator, Ideas Matter
Niko McCarty is a biotechnology writer dedicated to bridging the gap between complex biological advancements and the general public. By making intricate biotechnological developments accessible to everyone, he hopes to collectively drive towards a brighter, informed future.