International opportunities.
These fellowships are generally open for application to all freelancers worldwide.
Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
Deadline: Rolling basis
The Reuters Institute, based at the University of Oxford, offers a limited number of Journalist Fellowships each year. The fully-funded Fellowships are aimed at practising journalists from all over the world, to enable them to research a topic of their choice, related to their work and the broader media industry, before returning to newsrooms. Fellowships last one, two or three terms. Applicants must have at least five years of journalistic experience and the ability to write at a publishable level of English.
ICFJ Knight Fellowships
Deadline: Rolling basis
The International Center for Journalists offers two types of opportunities for an ICFJ Knight Fellowship: candidates may either propose a Fellowship or apply to a Fellowship opening (listed on the website). ICFJ accepts applications from candidates proposing their own Fellowship on a rolling basis throughout the year and will make a selection based on suitability for the mission and programme criteria, and availability of funding. Applications, CVs and resumes must be in English.
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship
Deadline: TBC
The fellowship, based at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC, is open to mid-career professionals with experience promoting democracy or human rights. Applicants should be proficient in English and currently working on a project focusing on various aspects of democratic development.
Freedom of Expression Awards Fellowship
Deadline: TBC
This year-long Fellowship is open to international journalists that have an interest in exposing censorship and threats to free expression. Index gives fellows support and networking opportunities to complete projects focused on free expression.
World Journalist Fellowship
Deadline: January
This Fellowship provides support to international journalists who enroll in a graduate programme in journalism at NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. The Fellowship covers tuition expenses, a stipend and registration fees for two of the three or four semesters of the programme.
John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship
Deadline: January
Each year Stanford University takes up to 20 journalists from around the world who have identified or articulated a challenge in journalism that they wish to pursue. Applicants are expected to explore a range of issues in pursuing their journalism projects, such as audience engagement, data science and new business models, and may leverage technology in exploring their idea, including artificial intelligence and the internet. Successful US applicants typically have at least seven years of full-time professional experience; successful international applicants typically have at least five years of experience.
New America National Fellowship
Deadline: February
New America sponsors this fellowship for international, mid-career journalists with a number of different interests. The programme provides stipends to journalists to work on impactful long-form reporting or filmmaking projects over the course of a year.
Joan Shorenstein Fellowship
Deadline: February
The mission of the Joan Shorenstein Fellowship Program is to advance research in the field of media, politics and public policy; facilitate a dialogue among journalists, scholars, policymakers and students; provide an opportunity for reflection; and create a vibrant and long-lasting community of scholars and practitioners. The Center hosts eight one-semester residential fellowships each year. Applicants must be a full-time journalist, politician, scholar or policymaker currently active in the field and fluent in English.
World Press Institute Fellowship
Deadline: February
This Fellowship is offered to ten journalists each year from countries around the world. It provides an opportunity to learn first-hand how the principles of American journalism promote transparency and accountability through a schedule of study, travel and interviews around the country. WPI pays for all programme costs, including travel.
Dart Ochberg Fellowships
Deadline: February
The Dart Center Ochberg Fellowship is a unique seminar programme for veteran and mid-career journalists who wish to deepen their knowledge of emotional trauma and psychological injury and improve reporting on violence, conflict and tragedy. Fellows attend an intensive week-long programme of seminars held at Columbia University. Fellowships are open to print, broadcast and digital reporters, photographers, editors and producers with at least five years of professional journalism experience. It covers roundtrip travel, lodging, meals and expenses directly related to participation.
Open Society Fellowship
Deadline: February
The Open Society Fellowship tends to welcome proposals for work that undertakes challenges in the fields of freedom of information and expression. The fellowship itself provides a healthy stipend for journalists living and working anywhere in the world to undertake work across journalism, academia, art and other fields.
Knight-Wallace Fellowship
Deadline: December for non-US, February for US
The Knight-Wallace Fellowship, based at the University of Michigan, is an eight-month program awarded to 20 journalists annually. The programme includes personal study plans, seminars, workshops and travel opportunities. Applicants should be full-time journalists with a minimum of five years experience.
Joan Shorenstein Fellowship
Deadline: March
This fellowship, based at Harvard University, is a four-month-long experience during which fellows research and write an essay regarding the intersection of media and politics. Applicants must have a minimum of five years professional experience.
The Fellowship in Global Journalism: Munk School of Global Affairs
Deadline: March
This prestigious fellowship has a freelance tradecraft component developed by the Rory Peck Trust. Applicants don’t have to be experienced journalists to apply – they just need to have a specialism that can help an audience’s comprehension of a specific subject, using journalism as the medium. The fellowship comprises intense mentoring and seminar participation alongside work.
Pulitzer Center: Persephone Miel Fellowship
Deadline: March
This Fellowship, overseen by the Pulitzer Center in collaboration with Internews, is designed to help journalists from the developing world do the kind of reporting they’ve always wanted to do and enable them to bring their work to a broader international audience. The Fellowship is open to all journalists, writers, photographers, radio producers or filmmakers, staff journalists, freelancers and media professionals outside the USA who seek to report from their home country. Applicants must be proficient in English. Fellows receive a travel grant of $5,000 for a reporting project on topics and regions of global importance, with an emphasis on issues that have gone unreported or under-reported in the mainstream media.
The Kamal Adham Fellowship
Deadline: April for autumn, November for spring
This Fellowship, based at the American University in Cairo, is open to recent graduates of a journalism or communications program and mid-career journalists. The program includes full-time enrollment in the university where fellows work towards a master’s degree in television and digital journalism. Preference is given to graduates of Egyptian public universities and professionals in the broadcasting industry
Above the Fray
Deadline: July
Run by the John Alexander Project in collaboration with NPR, the Above the Fray fellowship is designed to give a promising early-career radio journalist the opportunity to cover important but under-reported stories from a location abroad. One fellow is selected each year based on a winning proposal to report from a region lacking significant mainstream media attention. The selected individual spends three months abroad, plus time at NPR in Washington, DC. Applicants should have 3-5 years of professional experience, including some radio experience. Above all, the applicant must express sincere interest in innovative foreign reporting, a curiosity about global cultures and a demonstrated record of journalistic potential.
Firecracker Photographic Grant
Deadline: July
The Firecracker Photographic Grant is an annual award providing funding for a female photographer to aid with the completion of a documentary photographic project. Through a combination of self-initiated fundraising, and with the generous support of Genesis Imaging, the Grant fund is a minimum financial contribution of £2,000 plus credit for professional printing, mounting and framing services from Genesis Imaging. Applications are open to female photographers internationally and those who identify as female.
Logan Nonfiction Program
Deadline: September for spring class, June for autumn
The Logan Nonfiction Program awards annual fellowships to 10-20 nonfiction writers, photojournalists, documentary filmmakers, podcasters, radio reporters and multimedia creators. Fellowships are 5-10 weeks long and based at the Carey Institute for Global Good’s campus in upstate New York. Applicants must currently be working on a long-term project.
Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice Program
Deadline: October
Each year, this programme supports a diverse, international group of Fellows who are passionate about challenging injustice, pursuing social equality and advancing human rights through photography. Based in New York City, the programme provides space for interdisciplinary experimentation, mentored project development and cross-cultural, critical discourse at the intersection of photography and social justice. During the programme, Fellows work on projects in their home communities with support from Magnum Foundation’s mentors. Magnum Foundation covers the cost of travel and accommodation in NYC. Fellows also receive a modest stipend to support the production of their projects.
Tim Hetherington Fellowship
Deadline: October
The World Press Photo Foundation and the Tim Hetherington Trust are committed to honoring Tim’s legacy through an ongoing, cooperative partnership. Following consultation with the Hetherington family, they launched this fellowship in 2016 to assist visual storytellers by providing access to training or mentorship so they can further their projects and mission. The selected fellow receives an award of €5,000.
The Resilience Fellowship
Deadline: November
This Fellowship is awarded to researchers and journalists focused on the global issue of organised crime, although the specific theme of the fellowship varies each year. Fellows have the opportunity to network with professionals and work on a project with colleagues, as well as a platform to publicly share their ideas. Applicants should live and/or work somewhere disproportionately affected by organised crime.
Niemann-Berkman Fellowship in Journalism Innovation
Deadline: December
This Fellowship brings individuals to Harvard University to work on a specific course of research or a specific project relating to journalism innovation. The fellowship is a collaboration between the Nieman Foundation for Journalism and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard. Both organisations share a set of common interests around journalism, innovation and the evolution of the digital space. Proposals may deal with any issue relating to journalism’s digital transformation. Candidates should either be working journalists or work for a news organisation in a business, technology or leadership capacity. Freelance journalists are welcome to apply.
Kiplinger Programme in Public Affairs Journalism
Deadline: December
Kiplinger Fellows typically spend a week in April on Ohio State’s main campus in Columbus, where they receive cutting-edge training on digital tools and tactics from leading industry experts. Topics include social media for reporting, branding and audience engagement; spreadsheets and data visualisation; smartphone videography; and media ethics. The fellowships provide lodging, most meals and free training. Applications generally open in September for the following Spring’s fellowship.
Know of any fellowships we’ve missed? Please tell us at digital@rorypecktrust.org.