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The Association of Commonwealth Universities | ACU
‘Writing for the Media’ training with Universal Impact / The Conversation

Applications open: 4 February 2025
Applications close: 8 April 2025 3PM UTC 

Ever wondered how to communicate your research to a lay audience and how to pitch and write for the media?  

What does this training offer? 

This tailor-made training course will provide you with the skills to pitch to and write for the media. Facilitated by Universal Impact / The Conversation, the course will be held online, over two, two-hour sessions and will cover:  

  • The importance of research communication 
  • Examples of reach and impact 
  • The media landscape and the type of stories researchers can write 
  • What makes a good story (with examples) 
  • Language, structure and tone 
  • How to avoid being misrepresented 
  • How to pitch successfully  

At the end of the training sessions, you will be asked to write a 250- to 350-word media pitch and obtain individual feedback during a one-to-one online session.  

Twenty places are available for this training course. For the top scoring candidates, only one place will be offered per ACU member university. 

How to apply  

  • Be an early- or mid-career researcher and staff member at an ACU member university (minimum PhD candidate level).
  • Submit an application through the online application form. 
  • If you already have a MyACU account, you can access the grant application form when applications open.
  • If you do not already have a MyACU account, please ensure that you first register for an account here and then follow the instructions in the registration email to log in to the system before accessing the application form.

Application guidance

  • Explain the reasons for your interest in joining this training.
  • Explain why you think your research topic should be featured in the media. What could be the benefit for society about learning about your research through the media.
  • Explain how the training will benefit yourr career and professional development.
  • Explain how the training will benefit your institution.
  • Explain how you will share the knowledge gained by participating in the training.