Burness Health and Science Advocacy Institute

The Challenge

You’re an expert in science or health, and you have something important to say – something with the potential to move policy, create social change, or save lives. 

But how do you communicate effectively, so that people not only listen but act? What techniques can you use to engage diverse audiences, inform policy debates, and generate support?

The Solution

To drive social change, it’s essential to capture the attention of those positioned to act – to be “memorable” in a sea of boring PowerPoints, flat presentations and dull interviews.

Effective communicators wield compelling messages, deliver thoughtful messages to tough questions and know how to control an interview. The Burness Health & Science Advocacy Institute helps experts find their voice – developing clear, effective messages and the skills needed to influence media, policymakers, foundations, and professional advocates.

Workshop Sessions

We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Each of our courses is designed to meet your objectives and match your interests. The Institute will work with you to create a curriculum tailored to your organization’s goals and needs.  

And to extend the lessons of the training, we give participants a resource book containing valuable guidance on putting what they’ve learned into practice. Interactive sessions can be arranged on any of these topics:

• Message Crafting
• Message Rehearsal
• Media Training
• How to Work with Policymakers
• Op-Ed Writing & Placement
• How to Embark on Your Own Public Relations Outreach
• How to be an Effective Advocate
• How to Build a Communications Strategy
• Role-Playing with Reporters and Producers
• Role-Playing with Policymakers
• The Changing Media: Engaging in Social Media

Click here to view a sample workshop agenda.

Individual Coaching

In addition to our workshops, which equip scientist and researchers with the tools to become advocates on their own, we also offer “coaching” services.

 Trainees can practice what they’ve learned in our workshops with the support of a public relations coach, and a strategic plan developed between coach and expert.    

Our flagship coaching effort is with the Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship, a program that starts with a four-day session in Washington, DC for six fellows who are experts on pain management.  We provide ongoing counsel and assistance through in-person meetings and conference calls with the Fellows providing writing, editing, messaging assistance.  Fellows are paired with a coach, their main point of contact, but our coaching model includes the support of a team with diverse areas of expertise—media relations, public policy, digital media, etc.—in order to provide the best possible support for whatever activites the Fellows choose to pursue. 

After the five month coaching period, one Mayday Fellow told us, simply, “I wish I could do this full time.”  

Our Faculty

Burness Institute staff are driven not only by their passion for science and health issues, but also by the dedication of the scientists and researchers who do important work.  Some of us have studied science or public health, or have worked as journalists or policymakers in the past.  

And as communicators, we know the value of delivering important, clear messages to people who are poised to create change.

Click here to view staff biographies.

Case Study: Dr. Lonnie Zeltzer

Dr. Lonnie Zeltzer, a leading voice in pediatric pain care at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, had two goals: to improve her interviewing skills and hone her message by becoming more memorable — so that those who mattered to her would pay attention.

Following advocacy training from Burness, she conducted a radio tour and several interviews for TV news broadcasts, including ABC’s “Good Morning America.” She also contributed to the creation of a pain-themed episode of the NBC television program “Scrubs” because she learned about the impact of hard-hitting, accurate health story lines on television.  And she co-chaired a national committee on policy solutions to the chronic pain epidemic.

Dr. Zeltzer’s proudest accomplishment is creating a non-profit National Children’s Pain Center. She says, “I couldn’t have done it without the advocacy skills that I gained from Burness.” 

Read more...