Listing of Grants & Fellowships for Journalists and Journalism Students
Seeking a chance to improve your skills and expand your world? Tired of the everyday routine in your newsroom? We regularly update our guide to grants and fellowships. These are programs of special interest to investigative journalists around the world. There are plenty of short-term and long-term opportunities, both for staff and freelance reporters. Follow the links for information on deadlines and background on the various programs.
GENERAL FELLOWSHIPS
Nieman Fellowships at Harvard University offer fellows a chance to study at Harvard for an academic year; Knight Visiting Nieman Fellowships, which last 12 weeks or fewer, are also available for project-based work that will advance journalism in some new way.
Who: Nieman fellowships require at least five years’ experience. No minimum experience for visiting fellowships; visiting fellows may be journalists or other professionals in positions that support journalism, such as publishers, programmers, or designers.
Amount: US$65,000 stipend, with allowances for housing, childcare, and health insurance based on the number and ages of family members. For visiting fellows, a prorated stipend for the length of the fellowship (about US$1,600 per week) and free housing.
John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford allows journalists to spend an academic year working on innovative projects.
Who: Journalists with at least five years’ experience.
Amount: US$65,000 stipend, books, tuition, housing, health care, travel expense and childcare.
American Council on Germany Journalism Fellowship provides opportunities for a cross-cultural journalism exchange.
Who: German or American reporters.
Amount: Varies.
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship is a year-long program hosted by the University of Maryland and the U.S. Department of State.
Who: Non-U.S. journalists.
Amount: tuition, fees, travel, book and computer allowance and room and board.
The Fullbright Program offers research and teaching opportunities both for visiting U.S. and non-U.S. faculty and professionals.
Who: faculty and experienced professionals in a wide variety of academic and professional fields. Journalists from some countries may be eligible for research Fulbrights in the U.S. Teaching Fulbrights are also available to those who serve on faculty at non-U.S. universities.
Amount: varies according to length of grant and location.
The Knight-Wallace Fellowships offer an academic year-long study program at the University of Michigan.
Who: 12 American and 6 international journalists with at least five year’s experience.
Amount: US$70,000 stipend, plus tuition and course fees, travel expenses for news tours and health insurance.
Reuters Institute Fellowship Program offers journalists the chance to study and reflect at the University of Oxford in the UK.
Who: Experienced, mid-career journalists from any country. There are also country-specific fellowships available for Australia, Austria, the Middle East, Norway, South Korea, and elsewhere.
Amount: Awards may include travel expenses (including air travel economy class) and a modest living allowance.
Fellowships in Global Journalism are available through the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs.
Who: 20 “outstanding professionals, scholars, and specialized freelancers from around the world.”
Amount: C$10,000 (about half of tuition). Fellows also get free coaching after the program through monthly online bureau meetings.
Investigative Reporting Fellowship is offered through American University and the Center for Public Integrity, one of the oldest nonprofit investigative centers in the U.S.
Who: U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Amount: Master’s degree awarded and US$28,000 stipend.
The Reporting Award is offered annually by the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute of New York University to support a significant work of journalism in any medium on an under-reported topic in the public interest.
Who: Journalists with a substantial body of work and an under-reported project in the public interest already in progress. Ineligible to apply: journalists with staff positions at established media outlets able to fund such projects on their own. Open to journalists of any nationality.
Amount: Maximum award is US$12,500. The total award comprises US$2,500 on announcement of the winning proposal and up to an additional US$10,000 on completion of the project.
UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program at the Graduate School of Journalism offers year-long fellowships in investigative reporting.
Who: The fellowships are open to all working investigative journalists. Graduates from UC Berkeley’s master’s program in journalism are encouraged to apply.
Amount: Fellows will receive an annual salary of US$54,336 and be eligible for full UC benefits. Fellows will also be provided with office space, basic expenses and up to US$10,000 in funds for approved travel.
Yale World Fellows is a program for mid-career professionals to spend four months at the US Ivy League school “to explore critical global issues and cross-disciplinary studies, sharpen leadership skills and build relationships with other emerging leaders.”
Who: Sixteen “rising stars” in technology, art, finance, politics, social entrepreneurship, journalism, advocacy and more. Open to non-U.S. citizens.
Amount: The Program provides fellows with a travel allowance, housing, healthcare, and a stipend to cover living expenses. Yale also pays for all costs associated with the educational and extracurricular aspects of the program.
The Nonfiction Residency Program of the Carey Institute for Global Good is for creators of longform nonfiction. The program offers residencies of up to three months at its historic estate north of New York City for writers and producers “to complete work of the highest quality which might otherwise never reach the public.”
Who: Authors of nonfiction books, reporters of long-form journalism, and documentary-makers.
Amount: Two weeks to three months of residency, work space, and meals. There is no stipend.
INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIPS
European Journalism Fellowships are for journalists from Eastern and Western Europe and the United States who want to spend two semesters engaging in research in Berlin. They are administered through the International Center for Journalism of the Freie Universitaet Berlin.
Who: Journalists from Eastern and Western Europe, United States.
Amount: Tuition, plus monthly stipend for living expenses based on fellowship level.
Knight International Journalism Fellowships are for journalism trainers to use digital tools “to instill a culture of news innovation and experimentation worldwide.” They are administered through the International Center for Journalists.
Who: Reporters with at least 10 years experience.
Amount: living costs, travel fees, health insurance, paid vacation and honorarium.
World Press Institute Fellowship provides reporters from around the world the opportunity to travel for three months and learn about journalism in the United States.
Who: Non-U.S. reporters working outside the United States with at least five years full-time employment in print, broadcast, or online journalism.
Amount: Travel costs, food and lodging.
The International Reporting Project offers a variety of reporting and travel fellowships that change year to year. Recently, it has given opportunities for journalists to cover topics on health/development, religion and nuclear security in other countries. Fellowships are intended to provide in-depth coverage of important, under-covered international issues.
Who: Depends on the fellowship from year to year.
Amount: Travel to destination country and a stipend.
Persephone Miel Fellowship is offered by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and provides an opportunity for reporters to work cross-borders.
Who: Non-United States reporters.
Amount: up to US$5,000 for reporting costs.
Abe Fellowship for Journalists supports reporters working on projects about security, trade and social issues involving Japan and the United States.
Who: Japanese or U.S. reporters with at least five years experience.
Amount: The stipend is $23,500, which includes one round-trip air ticket.
Open Society Fellowship seeks “idea entrepreneurs” from across the world. Project themes should cut across at least two areas of interest to the Open Society Foundations: human rights, government transparency, access to information and to justice, and the promotion of civil society and social inclusion.
Who: Journalists, activists, academics, and practitioners in a variety of fields.
Amount: stipend of US$80,000 or US$100,000, depending on work experience, seniority, and current income, plus a travel budget.
Netherlands Fellowship Programmes are offered in various subjects by the Radio Nederland Training Centre (RNTC), a Netherlands-based training institute. Courses include Investigative Journalism, Narrative Journalism, and Using Media for Development.
Who: “Young and mid career journalists, programme-makers, print and online media professionals as well as media trainers and senior managers.”
Amount: varies.
European Fellowships and Grants for specific countries and regions are listed by Journalismfund.eu. Also see Guide To Funding Opportunities for Cultural Journalists in Europe. Although focused on journalists covering arts and culture, there are useful tips about funding sources.
Asia-Pacific Fellowships are offered by the East-West Center for journalists from Asia and Pacific Rim countries. Includes the Jefferson Fellowships, health fellowships, and exchange programs for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Pakistani, and U.S. journalists.
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowships are funded by the U.S. Congress to support democratic activists, scholars, and journalists from around the world to undertake independent research on democratic challenges. Fellows spend five months in residence at the National Endowment for Democracy in downtown Washington, D.C.
Who: “Democracy activists, civil society leaders, human rights defenders, journalists, and others who work on the front lines of democracy.”
Amount: A monthly stipend, health insurance, office space, research support, and round-trip travel to Washington, DC. Financial aid is not available for family or other dependents.
Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships is a 30-year-old program placing talented international journalists in U.S. newsrooms.
Who: Open to journalists from developing countries and emerging markets.
Amount: Living expenses for the duration of the six-month program.
Arthur F. Burns Fellowships offer opportunities for Americans, Canadians, and Germans to report and travel in each others’ countries. The program is managed by the International Center for Journalists, which also sponsors a U.S.-Austrian journalism exchange.
SPECIALTY FELLOWSHIPS
GIJN Fellowships are available to attend the biennial Global Investigative Journalism Conference and Asian Investigative Journalism Conference. Next fellowships will be offered in 2017 for GIJC17 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Participants must write a story or do a presentation in their home country following the conference.
Who: Investigative journalists with a proven track record of digging out stories and data, and are based in developing or transitioning countries.
Amount: Airfare and hotel accommodations to the GIJC, which is held in a different city every two years. Recipients are responsible for their own meals and local transportation.
Investigative Reporters and Editors Training Grants are fellowships and scholarships to allow professional journalists or students the chance to attend training events.
Who: Journalists and students who otherwise could not attend IRE training events.
Amount: Typically includes a one-year IRE membership, conference or seminar registration fees, and reimbursement for hotel and travel expenses.
Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT offers an academic-year fellowship for reporters interested in deepening their knowledge of science and technology.
Who: Full-time reporters with at least three-years experience. English-language ability.
Amount: US$70,000, health insurance and research travel expenses.
Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists is a one-week training on environmental and science reporting offered through the Metcalf Institute in Rhode Island.
Who: early- to mid-career journalists.
Amount: room, board, tuition, and up to US$500 in travel support (up to US$1000 for international journalists traveling from outside the US).
EGU Science Journalism Fellowships are offered by the European Geosciences Union (EGU) for “innovative proposals to report on geoscientific research not yet in the public sphere.” The aim is to promote excellence in geoscience reporting.
Who: Professional, active journalists
Amount: Up to €5000 to cover expenses related to their projects.
Innovation in Development Reporting Grant Program is offered by the European Journalism Centre with support by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Who: Media outlets and their affiliates based in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Amount: Average grant is €20,000. Deadline: Sept 7, 2016.
Soros Justice Media Fellowship funds projects about the criminal justice system.
Who: full-time reporters.
Amount: US$50,000 or 70,000 stipend plus reporting expenses and health benefits.
Knight-Bagehot Fellowship at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism offers an academic year of courses in business and economics journalism.
Who: Open to full-time editorial employees of newspapers, magazines, wire services, digital media and broadcast news organizations as well as to freelance journalists, with at least four years experience.
Amount: US$55,000 and housing.
Dart Fellowship Programs are offered through Columbia University in New York City, including the Ochberg Fellowship on trauma and conflict and the Dart Asia Pacific Fellowship to train reporters in Asia on how to report on tragic events.
Who: Open to those with at least five years experience.
Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism Fellowships are offered through Ohio State offers a one-week intensive training on using public records, data and social media.
Who: reporters with at least five-years experience. English-language ability.
Amount: travel stipend, room and board.
UC Berkeley-11th Hour Food and Farming Journalism Fellowships are offered by UCB’s Graduate School of Journalism. They are looking for ambitious long form stories on food systems, from agricultural and nutritional policy and the food industry to public health tied to food and farming. The program gives preference to U.S. focused stories, but will also consider international stories with a strong U.S. angle or connection.
Who: Eight fellowships. On average, program fellows are about two to seven years into a career as a journalist; they have published or placed stories in national publications or broadcast outlets; they show great promise and talent but are not yet well known to national editors.
Amount: US$10,000 per fellowship.
Michael Hastings National Security Reporting Fellowship is a Buzzfeed News year-long program for “proven journalists” to focus on a U.S.national security topic such as the American military, foreign policy, and counterterrorism.
Who: “Proven journalists with strong sources and major stories to their credit.”
Amount: A stipend of US$85,000, plus benefits and related expenses for one year.
McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism at the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism supports in-depth coverage of business and the global economy. The fellowship provides editorial and financial support to journalists who need the time and resources to tackle complex, time-consuming stories. The program is accepting applications for in-depth text, video or audio pieces, and taking advantage of more than one storytelling form to create a multimedia package is encouraged.
Who: Freelance journalists, as well as reporters and editors working at news organizations, with at least five years experience, may apply. International journalists are also eligible as long as their reporting is published in English in a U.S.- based media outlet.
Amount: Fellows will receive US$5,000 a month for three months.
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute Fellowships invites proposals from people and institutions to collaborate on innovative ideas and projects to improve the practice or understanding of journalism. There are three types of RJI Fellowships for 2017-2018: residential, nonresidential and institutional. Special consideration is being given this cycle to ideas and projects focused on solving problems created by filter bubbles, fake news and mistrust of the news media; but other submissions are also welcome.
Who: Open to U.S. citizens and foreign journalists.
Amount: Residential fellows receive an $80,000 stipend and a $10,000 one-time housing or relocation allowance. Nonresidential fellows receive a $20,000 stipend, plus research and travel support. The institutional fellowship stipend — $20,000 — is paid to the company or institution and can be used for salary relief or for another purpose to best ensure the success of the fellowship project. Deadline: Feb 1, 2017.
Transatlantic Media Fellowship, presented by the Transatlantic Media Network, arranges visiting fellowships for European journalists to travel in the United States and broaden their understanding of America and Americans for up to three months. Fellows start and end their fellowship in Washington DC but otherwise follow their own individual itinerary that reflects his or her own interests. Fellowship includes visits to prestigious universities and schools of journalism.
Who: European journalists with a solid career base in journalism and work for influential media in their own country. Applications considered on a rolling basis.
REPORTING GRANTS
The Fund for Investigative Journalism offers grants for individual story research and reporting. FIJ is the oldest fund of its type, founded in 1969. Over four decades, the Fund has awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to freelance reporters, authors and small publications, enabling publication of over 700 stories and broadcasts and 50 books.
Who: The Fund accepts applications from freelancers, book authors, and other professional journalists for projects on U.S. and international issues. The judges look for stories that break new ground and expose wrongdoing – such as corruption, malfeasance, or misuse of power. All entries must be in English. The Fund board meets three times per year to consider proposals. Stories must have a U.S. angle and published in English.
Amount: FIJ grants average about US$5,000 each, largely for out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, document collection, and equipment rental. The Fund also considers requests for small stipends.
IRE Freelance Fellowships are offered by Investigative Reporters and Editors to independent journalists working on investigative projects.
Who: Freelance professional journalists.
Amount: For 2015, first place will win $2,500; second place will get $1,500, and third place will get $1,000.
Journalismfund.eu story grants offer funding for individual stories for journalists based in Europe. The fund was founded in 1998 as an independent non‐profit organisation established to promote quality cross-border and in-depth journalism in Europe.
Who: Journalists based in Europe or who work on European issues. “Journalismfund.eu supports journalists who have good ideas for quality in-depth and cross-border research.”
Amount: Grant sizes vary but are generally 5,000 euros or less. Funding is provided to cover costs such as travel, translation, access to pay-databases, or simply time to research. Fixed costs such as office costs, investments such as cameras or computers, or production costs are not covered.
The International Women’s Media Foundation supports projects including educational opportunities, investigative reporting and media development initiatives through the Howard G. Buffet Fund for Women Journalists.
Who: An applicant must be a woman journalist. If applicable, teams of journalists may apply, but the team leader must be a woman journalist and the group must include at least 50 percent women.
Amount: IWMF will make an annual total of $230,000 worth of grants through four rounds of funding through 2025. The fund is not limited in either the grant dollar amount or the number of grants awarded within the annual total.
The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute, sponsored by the U.S. liberal weekly The Nation, gives grants for investigative projects, including the twice annual I.F. Stone Award.
Who: Reporters or editors working on “important stories likely to be bypassed by the mainstream media and stories with the potential to have social impact.” Stories can appear worldwide.
Amount: US$500 to US$10,000.
Leonard C. Goodman Institute for Investigative Reporting offers grants to fund reporting projects to be published in In These Times, a progressive U.S. magazine.
Who: Open to journalists worldwide, but “preference will be given to stories with a U.S. angle.”
Amount: A competitive per-word rate and compensation for travel and other expenses.
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Travel Grants fund international travel costs associated with reporting projects on topics and regions of global importance, with an emphasis on issues that have gone unreported or under-reported in the mainstream American media.
Who: Open to all journalists, writers, photographers, radio producers or filmmakers of any nationality.
Amount: Depends on the specific project, “most awards fall in the range of US$5,000 to US$15,000 but depending on project specifics may be higher”.
Fund for Environmental Journalism grants offered through the Society of Environmental Journalism underwrite reporting projects and entrepreneurial ventures on issues around the environment.
Who: Journalists working independently or on the staff of either a for-profit or non-profit news organization worldwide.
Amount: Grants of up to US$5,000.
Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative is funded by Moment, a U.S.-based Jewish magazine, “to encourage young journalists to write in-depth stories about a modern manifestation of anti-Semitism or another deeply ingrained prejudice.”
Who: Reporters between the ages of 22 and 38.
Amount: US$5,000.
Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) offers grants to reporters in the Middle East and North Africa with investigative story ideas.
Who: Journalists in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, Iraq, Palestine, Tunisia, or Bahrain.
Amount: Varies.
China-Africa Story Grants are available from the China-Africa Reporting Project at the Journalism Department of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.
Who: Professional journalists with ideas for in-depth investigative projects around specific themes including: Infrastructure / Mining / Investment / Migrants / ICT and Media / Science and Technology/ Environment, Conservation and Wildlife.
Amount: Grants of between $300 and $2000.
New York City Reporting Grants are available through the Urban Reporting Grants Program at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.
Who: Journalists who have successfully demonstrated an ability to write or produce in-depth investigative stories that have appeared in major print, broadcast or electronic outlets are welcome to apply. Staff reporters and/or editors seeking funding for major projects that would otherwise not be financially feasible for their publications are eligible as well. Supports in-depth investigative stories about New York City.
Amount: Grants range from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the length and complexity of the project.
Reporters in the Field offers reporting grants for cross-border projects under a program run by Germany’s Robert Bosch Stiftung in cooperation with the Berlin School of Journalism.
Who: Journalists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and journalists from 25 EU countries for stories based in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
Amount: Up to € 5,000 to cover travel costs as well as communication and other expenses incurred as part of their research.
Mongabay.org provides opportunities to report on key conservation stories. It announces a new Special Reporting Initiative (SRI) every two to three months.
Who: All journalists, with completed works intended for English-speaking audiences/publications.
Amount: A $12,000 honorarium and up to $3,000 for reporting, travel and research costs for each project.
Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE) offers reporting grants to freelance journalists doing investigative projects.
Who: Independent, unaffiliated reporters—those not formally or materially attached to any newsroom, news site, or outlet. Reporters (including photojournalists, radio producers, videographers, filmmakers) can be based anywhere, but stories must be in English and FIRE prioritizes “projects serving US outlets.”
Amount: Up to five reporters will receive stipends of US$2,500 to US$5,000 to cover time only, not expenses.
Science Fund for Investigative Reporting is sponsored by Science magazine to support “ambitious projects in investigative reporting and data journalism… We’re eager to tell stories about the scientific community and its practices, the influence of money and politics in science, and science-related public policy that can only be brought to light through extensive reporting, documents, and data.”
Who: “Journalists with a track record of high-impact reporting.” Can be from anywhere.
Amount: Four to five annual grants of between $10,000 to $15,000. Smaller (or larger) grants are possible, depending on the project.
DOCUMENTARY GRANTS
General Guides
Docs in Progress has a list of dozens of donors to documentary projects, organized by global, U.S., and U.S. regional. A good place to start. List is viewable after creating a free account.
Video & Filmmaker also lists nearly 30 sources of funding available to filmmakers worldwide.
IDFA Bertha Fund funds documentary projects in developing countries. Over the past 16 years the Netherlands-based fund has supported more than 500 projects. The IBF Project Factory also offers filmmakers help in developing or editing their documentaries and advice on international distribution.
Who: documentary makers in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Eastern Europe.
Amount: Between €5,000 and €17,500 (about US$7,000-US$24,000) depending on category.
BRITDOC offers several types of grants for documentary makers, including the BRITDOC Circle Fund (for European films), the Bertha BRITDOC Connect Fund (for documentary-makers worldwide), the Pulse BRITDOC Genesis Fund (for long form feature documentaries) and the Bertha BRITDOC Fund for Journalism.
Amount: From £5,000 to £50,000
TFI New Media Fund supports non-fiction, social issue media projects that go beyond traditional screens – integrating video with content across media platforms, from video games and mobile apps to social networks and interactive websites.
Who: Nonfiction filmmakers worldwide. Foreign language projects are eligible, but must be subtitled and suitable for a U.S. audience
Amount: Two to four projects will be accepted, each receiving $50,000 to $100,000 in funding.
OTHER GRANTS
A Guide to Media Development Grants is available from the Center for International Media Assistance, with info on government and multilateral donors, NGOs, and private foundations.
Grants for Photographers are listed by Fotografia Magazine, including funds for photo-documentary projects.
The Knight News Challenge offers grants to developers of news applications, devices, delivery systems, and tech-oriented solutions on various topics.
Who: “Anyone, anywhere, of any age. This competition is open to nonprofits, for-profits or individuals anywhere in the world.” Organizations outside the US will need a fiscal sponsor.
Amount: Typical grants are between US$200,000 and US$500,000.
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) makes direct grants to hundreds of nongovernmental organizations worldwide working to advance democratic goals, promote accountability and transparency and strengthen democratic institutions.
Who: Nongovernmental organizations, which may include civic organizations, associations, independent media, and other similar organizations.
Amount: Grant amounts vary depending on the size and scope of the projects, but the average grant lasts 12 months and is around US$50,000. Deadline: 4 dates in a year.
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