ideas
matter

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.

Questions? Drop us a line at contact@ideasmatter.co

8-week fellowship

8 hrs/week

2 edited pieces

access to experts

network of peers

The Why

Writing is the best way to manifest ideas...

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.

Speakers and Guests​

John Rennie

Quanta Magazine

Saloni Dattani

Works in Progress

Ed
Boyden

MIT

Christina Agapakis

Ginkgo Bioworks

Nick
Lane

University College London

Elliot Hershberg

Not Boring, Century of Biology

Eli
Dourado

Utah State University

Emily
Mullin

Wired

Alexey Guzey

Apply Now

Cohort 1: Jan 8 - MAR 1, 2024

Sign up

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.