In a time of mounting concerns about climate change and fast developments in new technologies, the busy modern citizen turns to science journalists and writers’ expertise to interpret research for them. Whether it’s about AI and labor or astronomical discoveries, the global information age requires skilled professionals who can understand advanced research in myriad fields and clearly and engagingly report on them. However, for aspiring or experienced science journalists, advancing in the field or pursuing passion projects can be challenging without mentorship, funding, newsroom experience, or additional training. Science journalism fellowships may be the answer.
Whether you’re just starting in your career or are a seasoned science journalist looking to fund an ambitious reporting project, here are 10 fellowships for science writers and science journalists that are sure to get you started.
If any of these opportunities spark your interest, be sure to bookmark them to your ProFellow account!
Logan Science Journalism Program
The Logan Science Journalism Program extends an exclusive opportunity to science journalists, writers, editors, and broadcast journalists seeking respite from story deadlines. This unique fellowship allows participants to immerse themselves in fundamental biomedical or environmental research. Chosen journalists undergo research training at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts—an environment renowned for its dynamic contributions to scientific discovery. The program spans ten days, with coverage provided for room, board, course fees, and travel for accepted fellows. Foreign nationals admitted to the program must secure a visa, with reimbursement offered for incurred visa fees.
Open Notebook Early-Career Fellowship Program
The Open Notebook presents a paid, part-time fellowship program tailored for early-career science journalists every year. Over ten months, fellows collaborate with mentors to conceive, report, and write articles for publication on The Open Notebook while becoming integral members of the TON editorial team. This comprehensive program empowers fellows to explore their career interests, refine their skills, and engage with a supportive, diverse community of past and present fellows and mentors. Open to early-career science journalists with fewer than three years of regular professional science writing experience.
AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows Program
The AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows Program provides a 10-week summer opportunity for fellows to work as reporters, researchers, and production assistants in mass media organizations nationwide. With the goal of making science news accessible to the public, the program selects 15-20 fellows, providing a weekly stipend of $800 along with travel expenses to and from AAAS and their assigned sites. Applicants must be university students or have completed degrees in the natural, physical, health, engineering, computer, or social sciences or mathematics to apply.
Curious about the AAAS Mass Media Fellowship? Read our interview with Dr. Vanessa Vietes, on how being an AAAS Fellow helped her pursue her interest in science writing.
Center for Health Journalism Data Fellowship
The Center for Health Journalism’s annual all-expenses-paid Data Fellowship caters to adept journalists aspiring to master the art of mining data sources for impactful journalism. Whether specializing in health, education, children’s issues, or general reporting, Data Fellows undergo five days of intensive training covering data acquisition, cleaning, analysis, and visualization. The program also introduces fellows to crucial data sets that can underpin groundbreaking journalism. Each fellow is granted a $2,000 stipend to support reporting costs for an ambitious data-based fellowship project, plus six months of mentoring by a Senior Fellow.
The Sharon Begley-STAT Science Reporting Fellowship
Designed as a one-year initiative for early-career U.S. journalists from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, The Sharon Begley-STAT Science Reporting Fellowship prepares individuals for successful careers in science journalism. Fellows receive a $75,000 stipend, health insurance through MIT, 10 days of vacation, and standard holidays off. Eligible applicants residing in the U.S. and either living in or willing to relocate to the Boston area should possess some prior journalism experience, ideally between six months and five years.
California Sea Grant Science Communication Fellowship
The Science Communication Fellowship offers an exclusive educational opportunity for early-career science communicators to gain hands-on experience in marine and coastal science communication. Eligible applicants are graduate students close to completing degrees in fields related to science communication, journalism, or science at a U.S. university. Fellows will be placed at California Sea Grant’s office at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. The fellowship includes a stipend of $53,049 for the twelve-month assignment ($4,420.75/month).
Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at MIT
The Knight Science Journalism program at MIT extends full-year fellowships and week-long workshops to journalists worldwide, enhancing their understanding of science, technology, engineering, medicine, and the environment. Open to mid-career, full-time journalists from all countries, applicants should have a minimum of three years covering science, technology, environment, or medicine or at least five years of other journalism experience. Fellows must reside full-time in the Boston/Cambridge area for the August 15 to May 15 academic year.
ProFellow Tip: Discover our list of 40 fellowships for journalists at all career stages here.
Food and Farming Journalism Fellowships
Tailored for early and mid-career journalists, the Food and Farming Journalism Fellowships offer an opportunity to report ambitious long-form stories on food systems. Ten journalists will be awarded $10,000 each to travel and report on topics spanning agricultural and nutritional policy, the food industry, food science, technology and culture, farming, agriculture and the environment, global trade and supply chains, food system security, and public health. The fellowship is open to both print and audio journalists.
Douglas Tweedale Memorial Fellowship
The Douglas Tweedale Memorial Fellowship is designed to enhance the investigative reporting skills of Latin American journalists, either generally or in a specialty reporting area such as immigration, environment, science and technology, or business. This three-week program in the United States includes a 3-day orientation and professional program in Washington DC, followed by a 2-week assignment in a U.S. newsroom. Open to early- to mid-career journalists in Latin America currently working at an independent news organization, applicants must be proficient in English.
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