Application Deadline: June 30, 2020
Applications for the Knight Science Journalism Project Fellowships 2020-21 are open. Due to health, safety, and logistical concerns raised by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Knight Science Journalism Program has made the difficult decision to suspend its residential fellowship program until the 2021-22 academic year.
In the interim, and in keeping with KSJ’s core mission of supporting science journalism, they will be awarding up to 20 KSJ Project Fellowships for the 2020-21 academic year. These fellowships, open to U.S. residents only, are designed to support independently conceived projects — books, investigations, documentaries — and they will be awarded for varying durations over the course of the upcoming academic year, from September 2020 to May 2021.
Funding
Candidates will be asked to apply for one of three forms of fellowship support:
• A nine-month, $40,000 fellowship running from September 2020 through May 2021.
• A four-month, $20,000 fellowship running from September 2020 through December 2020.
• A four-month, $20,000 fellowship running from February, 2021 through May 2021.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a project fellowship, an applicant must:
• Be a U.S. resident.
• Have at least three full years of experience covering science, technology, the environment or medicine.
• Be reporters, writers, editors, producers, illustrators, filmmakers, or photojournalists. This includes work for newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and digital media.
• Applicants may be either staff or freelance journalists.
Application
Applications must be submitted through the online portal and should include:
• A working title for your project.
• A résumé or curriculum vitae.
• A project proposal of 1000 words or less that:
o Describes your project, including any deliverables you expect to produce during the fellowship period;
o Describes your project’s potential to have meaningful impact, both during the fellowship and beyond;
o Explains why you are the person best qualified to do the project; and
o Why this fellowship support would be critical to the project’s success.
• A budget detailing anticipated research-related expenses, including travel, equipment, and other expenditures. Support for these expenses will be capped at $5,000 per fellow.
• A letter of recommendation from an individual familiar with your work who can comment on your abilities, your commitment to journalism, and the suitability of your project idea.
For more information, visit KSJ Project Fellowship.
