Those of us working in TB
have never seen a moment like this.

In just the past few weeks: the New England Journal of Medicine's editorial board warned that a proposed OMB rule will severely disrupt TB research. ProPublica reported that TB funding already appropriated by the United States Congress is being held up. And the US government signaled it intends to end PEPFAR support in South Africa.

Each of these is a story the public hasn't heard yet — and each is an opening to make the case, in public, to the people who control what happens next.

The TB community has built real capacity for the inside strategy: meeting with Congress, briefing officials, pushing legislation. That work is well coordinated. But the inside game only works when there's outside pressure creating the conditions for it.

Here's the problem: the TB field has more good science than it has audible voices. We want to change this, starting now.

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What we're building

We're forming a tight working group of established and emerging TB researchers who want to learn, together, how to communicate their work at the highest level — and who want to coordinate their efforts so they have more impact than they could working alone. That includes knowing how to use published op-eds to book meetings, calls, and interviews with news media and on podcasts, and how to embed op-ed strategy within advocacy campaigns, and grant applications.

Every participant has two goals. They're different, and both matter.

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Why op-eds, specifically

A journal article reports findings to other scientists. An op-ed in a major media publication does something different: it takes the meaning of those findings — the "so what" — and puts it in front of the ministers, the funders, the editors, and the public who shape what happens next.

Most scientists never write op-eds, not because they have nothing to say, but because nobody taught them how. It is a learnable skill, and the working group is designed to teach it — practically, not theoretically.

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Who this is for

• →Researchers with important insights who want to reach people with the power to act on them
• →Scientists who want to build an international profile that matches the quality of their work
• →Senior researchers who want to use their experience and standing to shape the direction of the field
• →People who believe the TB community needs more coordinated, high-quality public communication — and who want to be part of building it

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How the group is structured

Duration	3 months, July 23 – Oct 22, 2026
Sessions	10 hour-long sessions: Strategy, writing, coaching and peer review. Live sessions will be Thursdays at 1pm EST. Recordings provided if you are unable to attend.
Size	Limited to 8–10 participants who are committed to communicating publicly.
Coaching	Support from Paul Jensen, Dr. Paula I. Fujiwara, and Carolyn Barnwell through to publication and beyond — pitch strategy, editorial revision, and post-publication follow-through. Sharing bold points of view on visible platforms can be stressful; Carolyn helps participants build the confidence and capacity to handle greater visibility with steadiness and agility.
Output	The group builds a shared bank of insights that feeds a coordinated op-ed effort — members contribute as co-authors, sources, and peer reviewers. Goal: published op-eds that lead to better positioning for funding and partnerships, and a working pipeline beyond the 90 days.
Investment	$5,000 USD Please note: We want this to be accessible to as many voices in the TB community as possible. We know that funding constraints are real — particularly for advocates, independent researchers, and those working in under-resourced settings. We're offering custom terms on a case-by-case basis so that budget is not the reason anyone interested sits this out. To discuss terms, contact Paul directly at paul@et-alia.com.

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Imagine a TB community where the next funding threat doesn't catch us off-guard. Where our op-eds are already running, and our networks are already activated, before the window closes.

You're invited to apply to the TB Editorial Response Group — we start July 23rd!