Cell Press and its first ever science writing internships

Cell Press is offering three rounds of internships. I believe the first round has ended but there are opportunities to enter the second round, from the Cell Press Newsroom webpage,

Science Writing Internship @ Cell Press

In 2016, the Press Office of Cell Press is offering its first science writing internship program. Three paid positions will be available:

+ Winter (16 weeks, Feb-May, M-F, $15/hr) for grads/post-grads
+ Summer (10 weeks, June-August, M-Th, $12/hr) for undergrads; recent college graduates are also eligible
+ Fall (16 weeks, September-December, M-F, $15/hr) for grads/post-grads

The internships willl be extremely hands-on, giving interns the full experience of being a press officer at a major publishing operation. In addition to public relations experience, interns will also be assigned journalism-type pieces to be published on Cell.com and in the print issues of Cell. Interns will also learn about the entire production process of how a scientific paper goes from the laboratory to a story in a major media outlet and have the opportunity to collaborate with other business teams, including marketing, commercial sales, editorial, and production.

Summer internship application available in March
Finalists will be asked to take a short editorial test and to provide three writing samples, and the contact information for two references.

Summer Internship
Meant for an individual who is looking to explore science communications as a career. Experience not necessary, just a proven interest in writing/public relations/science .

The undergraduate Science Writing Intern will report to Media Relations Manager Joseph Caputo and will be located in the Elsevier Cambridge, MA office. This will be a 10-week internship over the summer of 2016. The internship will be 4 days per week, Monday through Thursday, 9-5, and will be paid at an hourly rate of $12. The internship spans Monday, June 6, 2016 – Thursday, August 11, 2016.

The Internship will provide the intern with 10+ clips including press releases, news blurbs, blog posts, and original reporting. Tasks will include:

+ Responding to inquiries in the press inbox.
+ Writing press releases about research published in Cell Press journals, distributing press releases, and pitching to relevant journalists.
+ Pitching and developing Cell Press news, CrossTalk blog, podcast, and Elsevier Connect content.
+ Developing and posting Cell Press social media content.
+ Completing miscellaneous projects as assigned by Media Relations Manager.

At the end of the internship, the intern should add to their working knowledge of how to strategize, develop, and execute PR campaigns for various audience segments, write compelling PR content for the web/social media, and measure and analyze campaign outcomes.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate for the internship will:

+ Be studying for or have completed a Bachelor’s in Public Relations, Journalism, or Biology.
+ Have experience preparing and telling a story (specifically pitching, conducting interviews, and writing pieces of journalism or public relations materials).
+ Have proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
+ Have work experience within an office environment.

Be comfortable working alone as well as with a team, know how to juggle many time-sensitive tasks, be able to proactively seek information to complete a project, and maintain a friendly attitude while dealing with the high number of requests received from journalists and institutions from around the world.

Internship Position and Timing

Location: Cell Press’s office at 50 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA. No housing or relocation assistance will be provided.
Timing: Start date June 6th, end date August 11th.
Hours/Schedule: 7 hours per day, 4 days per week, Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Internship Supervisor: Joseph Caputo, Media Relations Manager
Remuneration: Paid – $12/hr – Contractor

No permanent position is available at the end of the internship, although candidates will be considered for available positions should they apply and performance/circumstances warrant it.

In case you missed it in that welter of information, an application for the second round will be available in March 2016.  I imagine you could use the following contact information although they don’t seem to be encouraging questions,

Joseph Caputo
Media Relations Manager
Phone: +1 (617) 397-2802
Cambridge, MA, USA
E-mail: press@cell.com; jcaputo@cell.com

There is no word yet as to when the third and final round will be opened up but it is intended for graduate students.

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