Congratulations to the Ripple Effect – NIH Loan Repayment Program team, awarded a Silver Award during the NIH Celebration of Plain Language and Clear Communication on May 17, 2011.  The team, which included Monika Ellis (Ripple Effect), Margie Beaudry (Ripple Effect), Erica Husser (Ripple Effect), Milton Hernandez (NIH/OER), and Steve Boehlert (NIH/OER), received the award for the LRP Flyer, an introductory document for potential applicants to the NIH Loan Repayment Programs.

The team focused on creating compelling imagery and simple copy to alert health professionals that they can connect with the NIH to pursue careers in research and have assistance with repaying their student loans. The Loan Repayment Program flyer uses imagery and text on the front to immediately convey a message of debt reduction to researchers; on the back side, a succinct summary of program areas, benefits and eligibility with resources for additional information.

The flyer is used by the Division of Loan Repayment in the Office of Extramural Research, and also by the 24 NIH Institutes and Centers that provide Loan Repayment Program support. To learn more about the flyer development, please see our case study.