Grants and Fellowships

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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.

Do you know of a great opportunity we haven’t listed? Write us at GIJN. For this list in Spanish, see our page Becas y Subvenciones.

GIJN’s list is focused on opportunities available to all international journalists. For other listings, see the Opportunities section of our friends at IJNet (and search “fellowships”). The Rory Peck Trust maintains a multi-part list with regional sections. More than 100 US grant sources are listed on a spreadsheet created by The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.).

Also, see this GJN article advice on how to apply for grants.

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. In addition, The Nieman-Berkman Fellowship in Journalism Innovation brings individuals to Harvard University to work on a specific course of research or a specific project relating to journalism innovation.

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$85,000 stipend, books, tuition, housing, health care, travel expense and childcare.

American Council on Germany Journalism Fellowships provide opportunities for a cross-cultural journalism exchange. The McCloy Fellowships on Global Trends allow American and German experts from journalism, the public sector, think tanks, nonprofits, law, and cultural organizations to research and assess the most pressing topics on the transatlantic agenda while engaging with their counterparts overseas. Anna-Maria and Stephen M. Kellen Fellowships provide an opportunity for exceptional Berlin-based print, broadcast, and digital media journalists to travel to the United States to conduct interviews with policymakers and opinion leaders and to conduct research for news reports.

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 Fulbright 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$75,000 stipend, plus tuition and course fees, travel expenses for international 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.

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 Logan Nonfiction 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.

Banff Investigative Journalism Intensive is a two-week program at the Banff (Canada) Centre for Art and Creativity.

Who: Journalists and writers who are working on investigative projects or are interested in improving their investigative skills are invited to apply.

Amount: Housing, meals, etc. Financial aid possible.

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.

The Resilience Fellowship. For 2020, the theme is: “Disappearances Related to Organized Crime.” It is sponsored by The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. The fellowship will start on Jan. 15, 2020, and end Dec. 31, 2020.

Who: Ten fellows from various disciplines, including journalism. The selection criteria includes six points, including being from a country disproportionately affected by organized crime, and fluency in at least one of the three languages: Spanish, English, and French.

Amount: Grants of US$15 000 per fellow will be awarded for one year. Fellows get together for a 10-day retreat.

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.

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: A 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: The fellowship covers all costs of program-related international and domestic U.S. travel, health insurance and provides a monthly stipend to cover basic living expenses.

TRACE Investigative Reporting Fellowship. The TRACE Foundation was established to promote, support and fund research, investigative journalism, publications, videos and related projects that encourage greater commercial transparency and advance anti-bribery education. The six-month fellowship program is in conjunction with the Alfred Friendly Press Partners Fellowship (see above), but the two journalists selected will receive extra training on investigative journalism.

Who: Journalists anywhere.

Amount: Living expenses for the duration of the six-month program.

Daniel Pearl Fellowship The six-month fellowship program is in conjunction with the Alfred Friendly Press Partners Fellowship (see above). In addition, the Daniel Pearl Fellows spend a week at The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, where they work closely with Jewish colleagues.

Who: Journalists with three years of experience who are citizens of Muslim-majority countries (see further criteria on application page).

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.

Freedom of Expression Award Fellowships are sponsored by Index on Censorship, a British nonprofit that campaigns for and defends free expression worldwide.

Who: Open to individuals or organizations involved in tackling free expression threats, including journalists.

Amount: Fellows receive 12 months of direct assistance, starting with an all-expenses-paid training week in London in April 2018.

Google News Lab Fellowships offer students interested in journalism and technology the opportunity to spend the summer working at relevant organizations across the world.

Who: Available in the U.S., U.K., South Korea, Germany, Australia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Ireland.

Amount: Fellows receive a stipend and a travel budget during the 10-week program, which runs from June-August.  Deadlines and eligibility requirements vary by country.

Zenith Reporting Grant 2019 to promote three in-depth journalism projects. Sponsored by zenith Magazine, the Candid Foundation and alumni of the Herbert Quandt Foundation.

Who: Journalists who are not older than 32 years and who live and work as journalists in one of the following countries are eligible to participate until the Jan. 18, 2019: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Qatar and Mauritania. Team applications welcome.

Amount: A maximum amount of €2,000 each.

Water Integrity Network Water Integrity Journalism Fund “aims to strengthen researching, reporting, and disseminating in-depth investigative reports on corruption in the water sector.”

Who: The Fund is intended for investigative and data journalists worldwide, but preference will be given to those reporting in developing countries. Freelance or permanently employed individual journalists, or small teams of journalists can apply. Applicants must be accredited and published journalists with at least five years’ experience and a track record of prior publications.

Amount: The funding amount will range from €2,000 to €12,000, and can be used to cover travel and technical expenses, but not for the purchase of equipment.

 

The Logan Nonfiction Program seeks to assemble a diverse and inclusive community of fellows working on socially relevant political, health, environmental, human rights and justice topics.

Who: Documentary filmmakers and reporters currently at work on a long-form project.

Amount: Fellows receive lodging, meals, professional guidance, and community for 5-10 weeks on the Carey Institute for Global Good’s historic campus in upstate New York. Applications for the Fall 2020 class (October-December) will be accepted until June 1. All long-form creators are encouraged to apply.

SPECIALTY FELLOWSHIPS

GIJN Fellowships are available to attend Global Investigative Journalism Network conferences. More than 100 fellowships will be offered in 2019 for the global conference, to be held Sept. 26-29 in Hamburg, Germany. Participants must write a story or do a presentation in their home country following the conference. Will be announced on the GIJN newsletter.

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. Topics change.

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.

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.

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 of 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.

The Digital Whistleblowing Fund supports European projects reporting on gender-based violence, the rights of
minorities, migrants and refugees. The fund enables investigative journalism groups and human rights grassroots organizations to receive support in starting a secure digital whistleblowing initiative.

Who: Organizations needs to be part of, or explicitly endorsed/referred, by one of the following coalitions or networks members: Southeast Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection, Whistleblowing International Network, Transparency International, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, or Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.

Amount: Up to 3.000 euros plus “IT and advisory support.”

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 projects that strengthen democracy through better journalism.” There are three types of RJI Fellowships for 2017-2018: residential, nonresidential and institutional. “Successful projects often include devising new strategies to take advantage of an opportunity or solve a problem, building new tools for news organizations, transforming an idea into a market-tested prototype or advancing a prototype so it’s ready for investment or a full product launch.”

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.

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.

Transatlantic Media Fellowships, presented by Heinrich Böll Stiftung, sponsors a select number of journalists from the US and Europe each year for individual, five-day transatlantic trips to research stories relevant to the foundation’s work on climate & energy policy, democracy & social policy, or foreign & security policy.

Who: Journalists based in the US who demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting in the European Union and/or Turkey. Journalists based in an EU member state and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting in the US.

Journalists-in-Residence are offered by the Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Who: “Up-and-coming journalists from around the world, working in all forms of media… Working journalists who have some years of media experience and are proficient in English are encouraged to apply.”

Amount: A stipend of $12,000 to cover living expenses over the ten-week program.

The Rest and Refuge Scholarship program run by Reporters Without Borders Germany and taz Panter Foundation, a non-profit organization linked to die tageszeitung, the daily newspaper from Berlin.

Who: Funds two journalists from countries in crisis or war “a time of refuge and rest up to three months.” The first journalist will be invited from September to November 2017, the second from March to May 2018.

Early Childhood Development Reporting Fellowship A yearlong fellowship sponsored by the International Center for Journalists and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation.

Who: Journalists from all mediums covering children’s health and development in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania.

Amount: Ten fellows will receive training, mentoring and financial support to produce stories on nutrition and early-childhood development.

Migration Journalism Fellowship A six-month fellowship for journalists and media practitioners to support quality reporting on labor migration in the Middle East. Sponsored by the International Labor Organization (ILO), in partnership with the Ethical Journalism Network.

Who: Media professionals in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates are eligible.

Amount: A training program and a US$1,500 stipend to cover fieldwork for labor migration stories.

The Douglas Tweedale Memorial Fellowships are sponsored by the International Center for Journalists.

Who: Two early- to mid-career journalists working at independent news organizations journalists from Latin America.

Amount: Three weeks in the United States focusing on the journalists’ specialty reporting areas. A training program in Washington followed by a two-week assignment in the newsroom of a US English-language media organization.

Open Data Media Camp is sponsored by the UNDP’s Moldova Social Innovation Lab (MiILab).

Who: Investigative journalists, activists, NGO representatives and bloggers interested in open data, research and watchdog activities

Amount: Six participants will be awarded with a US$1,000 fellowship and a four-day study visit in Slovakia.

The Draper Hills Summer Fellowship on Democracy and Development holds a three-week program that focuses on democracy, development and the rule of law.

Who: Journalists are included along with a wide variety of 25-30 midcareer professionals who are emerging leaders.

Amount: The university covers travel, accommodation, living expenses and visa costs.

Harry M. Davis Nieman Fellowship in Science Journalism A fellowship opportunity at Harvard University for the 2019-2020 academic year in honor of Harry M. Davis, a science editor at Newsweek magazine. Administered by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism.

Who: Science journalists from both the United States and abroad are eligible. Journalists who cover any science topic—from climate change and technology to health and medicine, artificial intelligence and beyond—may apply.

Amount: The fellow will receive a stipend and have an opportunity to take classes at other local universities, including MIT and Tufts.

The Bertha Challenge Sponsored by The Bertha Foundation, which “supports activists, storytellers and lawyers who work to bring about social and economic justice and human rights for all.” The first year for this year-long fellowship program is focused on: “How is the nexus between property, profit and politics contributing to land and housing injustice, and what can be done to fix this?”

Who: Journalist and activists (five each). Bertha is looking for “mid-career journalists with at least five years experience and a track record and passion for doing investigative journalism.”

Amount: Income for each Bertha Fellow for one year, not exceeding US$60,000. Project funding of up to US$10,000 for each fellow to produce a culminating product. It is a non-residential fellowship so fellows will be based in whichever country they live and work.

The Seattle International Foundation (in Spanish) has an Independent Journalism Fund to support innovation and security for independent media in Central America. “The interested media must present a proposal that requires the use of technology and innovation to carry out a coverage, investigation or journalistic project, which implies an innovative idea for journalism in their country or region.”

Who: An independent medium based in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize or Panama. Must be legally established or have a legally registered fiscal sponsor and not receive money from any Central American government, either through subsidies or advertising guidelines.

Amount: Proposals of up to US$ 35,000 will be subsidized, but the possibility of raising the amount will be evaluated if the project justifies it and deserves it. Deadline was May 2-27 in 2019.

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.

The Society of Environmental Journalists story grants on biodiversity. SEJ seeks to underwrite coverage of biodiversity issues and challenges facing communities around the world in advance of the 2020 Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Who: Applications free for SEJ members. Non-members whose professional work meets SEJ’s membership eligibility requirements may apply with $40 fee. See the complete guidelines before applying. Proposals must include a narrative, media dissemination plan, qualifications, letter of support from editor(s), and detailed budget.

Amount: Grants up to $5,000 for stipends and expenses such as travel, multimedia production, translation, and more.

European Cross-border Grant Programme is sponsored by the Journalismfund.eu.

Who: Professional journalists who have good ideas for cross-border research and for research on European affairs. The stories must be relevant for European target groups.

Amount: Can include travel, translation, access to pay-databases or simply time to research. It does not support fixed costs such as office costs, investments such as cameras or computers or production costs.

The International Women’s Media Foundation supports reporting projects, especially underreported stories of global importance, and attendance at professional development opportunities through the Howard G. Buffet Fund for Women Journalists.

Who: An applicant must be an experienced 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 average grant size in $10,000. The fund is not limited in either the grant dollar amount or the number of grants awarded within the annual total.

TypeInvestigations gives grants for investigative projects. Multiple foundations support the effort, which was formerly called The Investigative Fund. The parent organization is Type Media Center. TypeInvestigations “incubates high-impact investigative reporting that holds the powerful accountable.”

Who: “We work with independent investigative reporters to produce deeply reported journalism that we publish in partnership with a wide variety of print, broadcast and digital media outlets.”

Amount: “Our editors provide diverse freelance reporters with expert editorial guidance, a team of researchers, and funds to cover their travel, time and other reporting costs.”

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.”

The Rainforest Journalism Fund, a Pulitzer Center initiative, supports reporting on tropical rainforests in the Amazon Basin, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia.

Who: Journalists reporting on rainforests

Amount: Vary by region. The international project awards fall in the range of $5,000 to $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 n-ost.

Who: Your team and story must be based mostly in at least two of the following countries — Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom

Amount: Up to € 8,000 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.

The European Publishers Longterm Reporting Grant is a media funding project operated by the European Journalism Centre. The aim is to raise awareness of selected United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Who: Media outlets reaching significant audiences in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden or the United Kingdom.

Amount: The average grant given is around €130,000.

Uncovering Security is sponsored by The Thomson Reuters Foundation, in partnership with the Stanley Foundation and Gerda Henkel Stiftung. It provides “a unique media skills development programme designed to strengthen stories on under-covered security threats and responses across the globe.”

Who: Journalists working for media outlets in the developing world, or the USA, Canada or Germany, with at least three years’ experience, fluent in English

Amount: Covers all transport and subsistence costs for a training session in London and possible grants to cover reporting costs.

Social Justice Investigative Reporting for Diverse Journalists is sponsored by the Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) and the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University.

Who: Applications are invited from two communities: journalists of color and women journalists.

Amount: US$10,000 to pay the expenses of reporting a specific investigative story, covering costs such as travel, document fees, equipment rentals, and small stipends.

The Refugee Crisis Media Fund sponsored by Mary Raftery Journalism Fund (MRJF) was established to provide support to journalists and media professionals who wish to investigate the refugee crisis in Europe and the impact of the arrival and integration of refugees in Ireland.

Who: Open to journalists, media professionals and media organisations who wished to submit applications for print, broadcast and/or online projects. Those from regions where refugees have migrated from were particularly encouraged to apply, as well as those applying on behalf of multi-media, team based collaborations.

Amount: Up to €40,000 will be allocated to the successful applications and the maximum payable to any applicant will be €20,000.

The James W. Foley Middle East Fellowship at The GroundTruth Project to report stories in the Middle East that are under-covered by the mainstream media.

Who: For early career journalists, defined as 1-5 years of experience. The candidates may be of any nationality, but must be familiar with Middle Eastern culture and have a demonstrated ability to report for an English-speaking audience.

Amount: As part of a US$10,000 grant, the journalist will receive a stipend and a budget that will include relevant risk assessment and Hostile Environment and First Aid Training as well as medical insurance and field reporting expenses. The selected fellow will receive mentorship and editorial support from the whole editorial team at GroundTruth.

Biodiversity Story Grants Internews’ Earth Journalism Network (EJN) supports the production of in-depth stories that highlight previously untold threats to global biodiversity or explore new conservation-based solutions.

Who: Journalists (online, print, television) and other expert media practitioners with a track record of reporting on environmental issues. Freelancers and staff from all types of media outlets—both large and small—may submit applications.

Amount: Grants typically ranging from US$1,000 to US$2,000 depending on the proposal and method of coverage, with some flexibility for deep, investigative stories using innovative approaches to storytelling.

Reporting Grants for Women’s Stories, sponsored by the International Women’s Media Foundation and The Secular Society, supports journalism produced by and about women.

Who: Women journalists, to pursue international stories of importance through gender-sensitive coverage of underreported topics.

Amount: Grants will average US$5,000. Grants will be awarded to cover reporting-related costs including travel (flights, ground transportation, drivers), logistics, visa fees, and payment for fixers/translators.

IJ4EU:  A fund of up to €450,000 was launched in 2018 by the European Commission through the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), administered by the International Press Institute (IPI), to help cross-border investigative research in the EU.

Who: Applications must be sent by teams of at least two media outlets and/or journalists and based in at least two EU member states on a topic of cross-border relevance. The proposed project must aim to reveal new information.

Amount: Grants up to a maximum of €50,000. Deadline, May 3, 2018.

Money Trail Grants are sponsored by Journalismfund.eu, a Belgian-registered non-profit organization with the goal of supporting investigations of cross-border illicit financial flows, tax abuse and corruption in Africa, Asia and Europe. The money comes from the Dutch Nationale Postcode Loterij.

Who: Intercontinental journalist teams consisting of at least one African, one Asian and/or one European journalist are eligible to apply. Each team must consist of journalists from at least two continents.

Amount: No limit specified. There will be 10 application rounds over the three years. The total amount per call is around €50,000. Deadlines for 2019 are: March 25, June 25, Sept. 24 and Dec. 16.

Louise Behan Reporting Grants are sponsored by the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) to support science journalism.

Who: Science journalists in lower-income countries, as defined by the World Bank, who are involved in a WFSJ training activity. If invited to apply, an online form will be made available to selected candidates.

Amount: C$300 to C$800 (US$220-Us$600)

The Jamal Khashoggi Award for Courageous Journalism is a new set of grant awards sponsored by the Inti Raymi Fund (IRF), a family foundation based in Austin, Texas, founded by David McGrain in 2011.

Who: Journalists and writers under 35 years old who are working on investigative projects related to human rights violations, women’s rights, human and sex trafficking, corruption and abuse of power and climate change impact. Freelance or permanently employed individual journalists, or small teams of journalists can apply. Preferred applicants have at least 2 years professional experience, but applicants with no experience may be considered. Deadline: Jan. 15, 2019.

Amount: Five investigative journalistic projects with a maximum amount of US$5,000 each; to cover out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, document collection, and equipment rental.

Clean Energy Wire  sponsors a “Go collaborate! Energy transition story grant.” CLEW is a joint initiative of the Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation. 

Who: Two teams of international journalists with potential stories having “a clear-cut focus on the relationship between business and the energy transition.” Print and online features, investigative journalism and comparative reporting are eligible, but projects in other media/taking a multimedia approach will also be considered. Stories may be published in any language. The application deadline is Jan. 14, 2019.

Amount: “We will award two teams an overall sum of €7,000. The finalists will pitch their proposals to the audience of the Global Energy Transition Journalism Conference 2019 in Berlin, and compete for the award sums of €3,000 and €4,000.”

Investigative environmental journalism grants GRID-Arendal, a Norwegian organization supporting environmentally sustainable development, will award two stipends for reporting on environmental crime.

Who: Proposals must come from professional journalists with experience in the field of investigative journalism. This year’s topics are illegal fisheries and illegal logging (one grant will be given for each topic). Also see other conditions.

Amount: Each grantee will receive NOK 25,000 (approximately 2,500 Euros, US$ 2,875). The grant covers out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, document retrieval, interviews, equipment rental and other documentation costs.

Bruno Fellowship  A nine-month grant to fund one ambitious investigative project culminating in a single story or series of impactful stories, “unearthing information that powerful forces do not want to see the light of day.” Sponsored by Coda Story, which covers three subjects: disinformation, authoritarian tech and the war on science. The pitch must fit one or more of those categories.

Who: For an early to mid-career journalist anywhere.

Amount: US$16,00

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 Classic and IBF Europe fund categories also offer 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  €40,000 depending on category.

Filmmakers Without Borders supports independent filmmakers around the world via grants and other funding initiatives. Supported projects include narrative films, documentary films, and new media projects that align with themes of social justice, empowerment, and cultural exchange.

Who: FWB encourages novice and experienced filmmakers from any country to apply. Three cycles annually.

Amount: Varies by stage, for “Production,” the grants are between US$250 and US$5,000.

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 US$50,000 to US$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.

Civitates provides core grants to strengthen public interest journalism across Europe. “The fund will provide multi-year commitments for general operating support and the institutional strengthening of its grantee partners to build more durable, more resilient, more networked, and more impactful public interest journalism organisations in Europe.” Deadline June 30, 2020.

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.

NOTE: We’ve targeted this list to investigative journalists. For a comprehensive listing of fellowships for journalists and journalism students generally, see the Opportunities section of our friends at IJNet (and search “fellowships”).