Video recording, resources, and tips from the CASW Connector Chat on Wednesday, November 8, 2023

On November 8, CASW Connector hosted a Chat discussing fellowships for science journalists.  Panelists offered the inside track on the fellowship experience, choosing the right fellowship for you, crafting a competitive application, and more, and answered questions from participants.

The Chat also included a brief demo of CASW Connector, a library of science writing resources — including fellowship opportunities. This event was facilitated by Connector managing editor Kate Travis, and the panelists were: 

• Jyoti S Madhusoodanan, freelance science journalist
• Neel Dhanesha, founding staff writer, Heatmap
• Deborah Blum, director, Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT

Below, you can watch a recording of the Chat and read through fellowship links and tips provided by the panelists.

For questions, contact the CASW Connector team at connector@casw.org. And sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about future Connector Chats!

Fellowship links:

Early-career fellowships

• National Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellowships (SHERF) (expected to take applications again sometime in 2024)
• AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship (accepting applications now)
• Early-Career Fellowship Program – The Open Notebook 
• Poynter-Koch (Note: This program has been discontinued as of May 2024.)

Mid-career fellowships

• Knight Science Journalism @MIT 
• John S. Knight Fellowships at Stanford University
• Knight-Wallace fellowships
• Fellowships – Nieman Foundation 
• Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism at Columbia University 
• Alicia Patterson Fellowship 
• Book fellowships from Sloan 

International fellowships

• Eurekalert: Fellowships for International Science Reporters 
• Heidelberg journalist-in-residence for physics/math/computer science journalists 
• Mongabay fellowships and internships

Topic-specific trainings

• Institutes + Workshops – INJR 
• Fellowships for Health Care Journalists | AHCJ
• SEJ fellowships and SEJ’s list of other environmental journalism fellowships
• Fellowships & Scholarships – Investigative Reporters & Editors 
• Writer in Residence | KITP

Other links:

• Fellowships and grants in the CASW Connector library
• Uproot Project, a network for environmental journalists of color
• Resources from the World Federation of Science Journalists
• Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications
• Idea grants from NASW

Tips from the session:

Why apply for fellowships?

• Fellowships are individual but also provide community, can be a great way to network (especially with journalists who have different beats or focus areas from you)
• Early-career programs often provide training, networking, mentorship, opportunities to travel to conferences
• Mid-career programs often provide space and support to pursue a larger project, like a series of features or a book
• Other fellowships might provide training on a specific topic relevant to your beat, support for a specific project, and other smaller-scale career development opportunities

How to find fellowships

• CASW Connector database and newsletter
• Newsletters and online updates from other journalism and science writing organizations, such as AHCJ, SEJ, NASW
• Independent newsletters that compile writing opportunities:
  • https://sciencewriting.substack.com/ 
  • https://journojobs.substack.com/ 
  • https://soniaweiser.wordpress.com/opportunities-of-the-week-newsletter/ 
• Ask mentors about programs they’ve done
• For international science writers: Look at WFSJ and international science writing organizations specific to your country or region

How to craft a winning application

• Think about how you can take reporting from your community/beat and expand it to have bigger impact (national level, societal effects, etc.) for a potential project proposal
• For topical fellowships, try to connect your goals with that of the funding organization
• Applications are a good opportunity to get your personality across; organizations want to craft an engaging cohort, so show them why you should be among that group
• If you don’t succeed at first, reapply!
  • And ask for feedback on why you weren’t selected; maybe the organization liked your application, but you weren’t a good fit for a particular year’s cohort
• Notes about KSJ at MIT:
  • KSJ invites finalists to reapply; some fellows are accepted on their third or fourth application
  • KSJ is in the process of a creating a one-semester fellowship for journalists from Africa (likely starting in 2025)