Good morning ECRI Advisory Panel,

This week’s "request for feedback" email is a follow-up to our discussion in the last quarterly meeting about panel members' interest in contributing to writing EHP Science Selection articles.

Mentored Writing Opportunity
News Editor Susan Booker Woolard and Associate News Editor Kelly Lenox are offering to mentor early career researchers (ECRs) in writing EHP Science Selections, which are 700-word summaries of select EHP papers. They will coach an ECR from start to finish as they develop or polish skills for writing general science news (as opposed to scientific papers).
 
Here’s How it Works:
  1. EHP Science Editors recommend a paper in press for a Science Selection.
  2. The News Editor assigns the article to one of their science writers, with a due date about three weeks out.
  3. The science writer researches the topic, locates outside subject matter experts (SMEs), conducts interviews, drafts the article, and submits the piece, complete with a list of sources.
  4. The interview process provides insight on key findings, context for the research, and other interesting points.
  5. The News team handles reviews and queries.
  6. Writers can expect to spend an average of 16-20 hours on an article, depending on the topic’s complexity, the writer’s familiarity with the subject matter, and experience level. 
When we discussed this opportunity at the August quarterly ECRI-AP meeting, the panel shared the following:   
  • An interest in practicing science communication.
  • That this could be a good opportunity to network with other researchers (SMEs).
  • The work would be most useful if Science Selection article topics are related to one’s research interest.
  • Publication credit may be useful for advancing in one's career.
The group also communicated an interest in shorter, less time-consuming formats, which the News team will consider in the future.
 
Kelly and Susan are really excited about working with you. If any of you are interested:
  1. Please take a look at some of the Science Selections EHP has published in recent issues (August, July, June) to get a feel for their length, content, and style.
  2. Email Kelly Lenox at kelly.lenox@nih.gov and cc Susan Booker Woolard at susan.booker@nih.gov.
    • Describe your article topic(s) or field(s) preferences.
    • Note any constraints on your availability.
 A few other thoughts: 
  • The News team has no control over when a paper that matches an ECR’s area of interest will be recommended for a Science Selection.
  • Although the News team isn't currently limiting the number of ECRs they will mentor, this may change.
  • The News Editors are offering this opportunity to the Advisory Panel first. Next, they plan to extend it to other ECRs who are interested in serving on the AP. Ultimately, they hope to open this up to any ECR in the environmental health sciences.
Request for Feedback
Please email Kelly Lenox (kelly.lenox@nih.gov) and cc Susan Booker Woolard (susan.booker@nih.gov) by Friday, September 10 if you are interested in being mentored on creating content for EHP Science Selection articles. They would be happy to receive additional feedback from you even if you aren't interested in writing Science Selections right now.

As always, this work is completely optional, and part of our ongoing efforts to share relevant opportunities with this panel.

Weekly Alerts
As a reminder, we plan to alternate our weekly emails to request feedback or provide general information. Next week, we will be following up on writing #TuesdayTips for EHP's social media.

Please note that our Associate Editor's meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday, September 14 and 15, respectively. 


Best,
Kristin and Judy
ECRI Advisory Panel Leads

kristin.inman@nih.gov
judith.thomas@nih.gov