What
Upcoming deadlines for global grants applications and other opportunities
This selection is aimed at media workers, practitioners, researchers and journalists. More information can be found by following the links under each summary.
All opportunities are in chronological order.
Good luck!
Remember to check out our annual PMA Global Grant scheme.
Featured Opportunity
Covering Climate Now – Call for organisations to participate
Deadline: Ongoing
Launched by the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) and The Nation, Covering Climate Now seeks to put climate change at the forefront of reporting. Through this project the members are committed to running a week of concentrated climate coverage beginning 16 September, in the build up to the UN’s Climate Action Summit. So far 60 organisations are taking part, including a range of independent and public broadcasters, such as The Guardian, CBS News, Vox, The World (BBC), and many more organisations from around the world.
Frontline Club journalism awards (Worldwide)
Deadline 2 September
This award recognises and celebrates emerging and established journalists who have demonstrated integrity, courage and independence throughout their work.
Applicants can submit work published or broadcast between 1st September 2018 – 31st August 2019 in one of three categories: photojournalism, broadcast, print and online.
IWMF Howard G. Buffet Fund for Women Journalists
Deadline: 5 September
The fund seeks to support female journalists from around the world with journalism projects as well as professional development. This includes support for exposing ‘under-reported but critical global issues’ as well as for skills training, leadership opportunities and media development initiatives.
The fund will be given to individual full time professional working journalists or teams which are at least 50% female.
Calling College Journalists of Color! Apply for ProPublica’s Emerging Reporters Program
Deadline 8 September
ProPublica is offering an Emerging Reporters Programme. This programme is open for journalists of colour based in the US. The 5 successful applicants will receive a $9,000 stipend and trips to the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting conference and Pro Publica’s office in New York.
UNCA awards – call for submissions
Deadline 15 September
The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) invites journalists worldwide to submit entries; print, broadcast or online, on coverage of the United Nations, U.N. agencies and their field operations.
The three awards cover; print and online coverage of the U.N. and U.N. agencies, broadcast coverage of the U.N. and U.N. agencies and print and broadcast media covering climate change/ biodiversity, and water.
Coverage must be published between September 2018 – August 2019.
Entries can be submitted in English, French, Arabic, Chinese Spanish and Russian, accompanied by a written English or French transcript.
Registration for talent bank for Brazilian public broadcaster
Deadline: 17 September
Brazil’s public broadcaster, TV Cultura, is recruiting students interested in media and communications to join their talent pool for departments across journalism, sports, children’s and educational programmes in Sao Paulo and give them an opportunity to work with one of Brazil’s prominent broadcasters.
Applicants may be called at any time to do camera and reading tests.
Marguerite Casey Foundation – Journalism Scholarship on Poverty (U.S based)
Deadline: 25 September
Open to U.S. based college students whose work helps the public and policy makers understand how families are working for solutions and equity in communities across the United States.
Each Journalism Fellowship on Poverty includes a stipend of $4,000 and up to $1,000 to cover travel expenses. Each Journalism Scholarship on Poverty includes a stipend of $2,000 and up to $1,000 for associated travel cost.
Text taken from Casey Grants
Climate Tracker reporting fellowship
Deadline: 27 September
Journalists, photographers and video-makers aged 18-32 can apply. Four fellowships are available to cover the international climate negotiations in Santiago, Chile on the 29th November – 14th December.
To apply applicants must publish a story, photo or video on stopping a fossil fuel project in their country.
Media freedom & investigative journalism – Call for proposals
Deadline: 27 September
‘The European Union is making EUR 4.175 million available for Actions aiming at supporting media freedom and investigative journalism.’
The fund will focus on 3 Actions in particular: a pilot project to prevent the violations and ensure the safety of journalists and media freedom; for cross-border investigative journalism as well as support investigative journalism and media freedom in the EU with a range of activities such as raising awareness of the importance of and promoting media freedom.
British Journalism Awards
Deadline: 30th September
The British Journalism Awards is run by the Press Gazette and has been running since 2012. It is open to British journalists and boasts 50 + judges. Applications are now open across many categories including new journalist of the year, local journalism, foreign affairs, sports journalism and many more. The event will take place in December.
The Alexia Grants
Deadline: 30 September
The Alexia Grants are awarded to inspirational projects which seek to challenge and address socially significant topics, promoting global change. These grants are awarded to students and professional visual journalists.
Student Grants
Grants to students photographers whose work promotes world peace and cultural understanding. Applications must be enrolled in a graduate, undergraduate or associate degree in an accredited college or university, or have graduated in May 2019 or currently be enrolled in an internship. Three awards are given out including training and a cash grant to fund the project of up to $1,000.
Professional Grants
Grants to professional photographers/ visual journalists whose work promotes world peace and cultural understanding.
The professional grant recipient will receive $20,000 to fund their project. There is a $50 applicant fee for this submission.
FJA Journalism Awards
Deadline: 1 October
Media organisations are invited to nominate up to three of their journalists for this competition. Self-nomination is only possible if the applicant is a representative of a professional media organisation.
Stories from nominated applicants must have been published in printed media. If the story is not in English a translated version of the story must also accompany it.
Categories for nomination are; Outstanding contribution to peace, Contribution to Civil Rights, Outstanding Investigative Reporting and Excellence in Environmental Jounalism.
The first, second and third place winners in each category will receive CHF100,000, CHF20,000 and CHF10,000, respectively.
Call for projects addressing the human impact of climate change
Deadline: 10 October
The fledgling fund, which promotes the creation of media projects driving global change, seek to fund projects covering climate change, looking specifically into the economic inequality and health disparities. Projects should be positioned to make an impact quickly, and tell their story in an innovative and engaging way. The fledgling fund is predominantly seeking short-form or long-form documentaries, however they are also open to projects using alternative ways of storytelling.
3-5 outreach and engagement grants of $15,000 – $25,000 will be awarded. Applicants from individual filmmakers/ media makers are prompted to apply. Student projects are not eligible.
National Geographic Grants Programme
Deadline 9 October
All projects should have a focus on storytelling, conservation, education, research or technology. Each project should align with one of the National Geographic’s three key focus areas: Wildlife, Human Journey and Changing Planet.
Early Career Grant
Opportunities for individuals who have exceptional and innovative ideas, but have less than 5 years of experience in their field. The grants last for a year maximum and applicants must be at least 18 years of age. Each project typically receives US $5,000, however the maximum is US $10,000.
Exploration Grant
Opportunities for experienced individuals with a track record of producing similar projects. The grants last for a year maximum. Each project typically receives between US $10,000 and US $30,000
European Union 2019 EU Prize for Journalism (Georgia)
Deadline: 15 October
Journalists in Georgia are eligible to apply. The EU Prize for Journalism recognizes journalists who have demonstrated brilliant ethics and integrity in Georgia.
Each applicant can submit one entry to one of the following categories: story in print or online media; feature story in broadcast or online media; innovative and original piece of work in print, broadcast or online media; investigative story in print, online or broadcast media; online or print blog; documentary photo; and conflict-sensitive journalistic work (the EUMM Special Prize for Peace Journalism).
The winners of the first six categories will be awarded €1,250. The winner of the EUMM Special Prize for Peace Journalism will receive a one month fellowship with the Institute of War and Peace Reporting in London.
Global Prize: Photography 4 Humanity
Deadline: 15 October
Partnered with the United Nations, Cause Flash and David Clarke Cause, Photography 4 Humanity are seeking the best human rights photography for their global prize. Photographs must demonstrate a compelling human rights cause and expose the challenges individuals and communities face in different regions across the world.
All images must be taken within 3 years of entry date, and applicants must be over 18 years old.
The West Africa Visual Journalism Fellowship
Deadline: 15 October
The World Press Photo Foundation and the Chocoloney Foundation are looking for three emerging visual journalists to take part in a one year fellowship programme starting in 2020. The applicants must be local to Burkina Faso, Ghana or the Ivory Coast. The fellowship will require the chosen journalists to produce a visual story on their local communities. They will be awarded a production grant of $5,000, along with a maintenance grant of $5,000 to cover production and living expenses. The fellows will also receive mentoring and workshops from top industry professionals.
Humanitarian photography contest open [Worldwide]
Deadline 8 November
Amateur and professional photographers can compete for this grant.
Spain-based Doctors of the World seeks entries for the International Humanitarian Photography Award Luis Valtueña. The award was created as a tribute to Luis Valtueña, Flors Sirera, Manuel Madrazo and Mercedes Navarro, aid workers killed in Rwanda in 1997 and Bosnia in 1995.
Photos must cover any of the following themes: humanitarian action, international cooperation and social exclusion, human rights violations, armed conflicts, natural disasters, refugee and immigrant populations, socially excluded groups, etc.
Contestants can submit up to 10 photographs, which can be part of a series or not.
The first prize winner will receive a grant of EUR6,000 (US$6,718) intended to carry out a photographic project about topics related to the activity of Doctors of the World.
(Text taken from ijnet)
Research grants focusing on Arab Society
Deadline: 17 November
This research grant is for journalists/ researchers who focus their work on Arab society. The grant is supported by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) , the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and the Andrew Foundation Mellon.
The theme for the research is Health and Livelihoods in the Arab Region: Welfare, Vulnerability and Conflict. This opportunity will provide grants of up to $20,000 to individual researchers, up to $35,000 for research groups and a maximum of $50,000 for research teams. Priority is given to individuals/ teams currently residing in the Arab religion.
The duration of each grant is no longer than 18 months for individual researchers and research teams, and no longer than 24 months for research groups and institutions.
New media contest seeks entries (Worldwide)
Deadline: 22 November (general), 13 December (student)
This award, organised by Bournemouth University, seeks to promote innovative ways in which we tell stories. This competition showcases inventive and creative stories which utilizes a variety of formats, platforms and digital media. The stories are to be shown on a PC/ Mac, the web or a hand-held electronic device. The story should use words, images, film or animation which invites the audience to interact through a short story, novel documentary of poem.
Awards are as follows; ifbook UK New Media Award (£1,000), Unicorn Traning student winner (£750). Gorkana Jounalism Award (£750), Dot Award (£500) and Skylab Innovation award (£5000).
Smithsonian photo contest 2019
Deadline: 30 November
Applicants from all around the world can apply to receive one of eight prizes. The grand prize contests of $2,500 and a sponsored travel trip. The other winners will receive a prize of $500.
The following are the 6 categories in which applicants can apply
- Natural World
- Travel
- People
- The American Experience
- Altered Images
- Mobile
To be eligible your photograph must have been shot since January 2017. Applicants can submit up to 15 photographs for each category.
Beyond survival? A new Human Resources research project for PMA members
Deadline: Ongoing
Our new project aims to develop people management strategies to ensure the development and growth of PSMs in the fragmented digital media landscape.
In an exciting new research project, the Public Media Alliance (PMA) has partnered with Peter Block from the University of Westminster’s Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), to launch a project that will review the processes by which participating PSM’s manage the employer-employee relationship during the employment life-cycle.
The purpose is to highlight issues for the sector at large, identify common themes of staff development needs, and offer some practical recommendations for good practice to the PMA community.
ICFJ Knight Fellow, Data Journalism, Central/Eastern Europe
Deadline: Rolling basis
The International Center for Journalists seeks outstanding applicants with a strong background in data journalism for a one-year ICFJ Knight Fellowship to promote data-driven reporting techniques in Central and Eastern Europe. The Fellow will work with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which supports a network of investigative journalism centers around the region that specialize in uncovering organized crime and large-scale corruption in government and industry.
Fellowship to Report on Global Religion Issues
Deadline: Ongoing
The International Reporting Project (IRP) is welcoming applications from professional journalists who wish to report on religion issues worldwide.
The time spent in the destination country of choice is flexible. However, fellowships usually last between two and seven weeks. The organization encourages stories in a variety of forms, including print, online, radio, photography, video, social media etc. Applications which seek to explore new territories and countries are preferred.
The wider topic of religion issues can be related to themes such as conflict and peace, environment, political economy, health, gender, migration, law and more.
Applications are reviewed in cycles on a rolling basis.
Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa
Deadline: Ongoing
“OSIEA plays an active role in encouraging open, informed dialogue on issues of importance in Eastern Africa. Through a combination of grant making, advocacy and convening power, OSIEA is able to support and amplify the voices of pro-democracy organizations and individuals in the region and to strengthen their capacity to hold their governments accountable. This includes efforts to defend and support rights activists and pro-democracy advocates who come under attack for their work. ”
The eligibility criteria includes supporting projects based around media and access to information. The OSIEA is available to both organisations and individuals.
Interested grant seekers should consult the OSIEA website for more information on eligibility and application guidelines.
Innovative Ibero-American Journalism
Deadline: Ongoing
The Chilean digital magazine Puroperiodismo, is inviting journalists, developers, designers and innovators residing in Latin America and the Caribbean to participate in this project.
Media professionals who are currently exploring new technologies, approaches to reporting, developing an app or similar are encourage to talk about it in the magazine.
Entries are on an ongoing basis
Individual Support
Deadline: Ongoing
The Assistance Desk of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) provides financial and administrative assistance to professional journalists and citizen-journalists who have been the victims of reprisals because of their reporting.
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting: Travel Grants Programme
Deadline: Ongoing
Fund for 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. The amount of individual travel grants will depend on the specific project and detailed budget planning. Most awards fall in the range of $5,000 to $15,000 but depending on project specifics may be higher.
Training: Online Courses for Media Professionals
Deadline: Ongoing
A selection of online tutorials by the European Journalism Centre.
The diverse set of courses include “Bulletproof Data journalism”, “Google Search for Journalists”, “Verification: the basics” and “Managing Data Journalism Projects” amongst many others.
All courses are free and vary in difficulty. Courses can be completed at the participant’s preferred pace.
ICFJ Knight Fellowship, Latin America
Deadline: Ongoing, fellowships preferably starting in June 2017
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is looking for outstanding journalists with a background in digital journalism who wish to strengthen their investigative reporting via new digital technologies in Central America, Mexico and/or Colombia.
If selected, the Fellow will build the capacity of media outlets and journalists in Central America, Mexico, and/or Colombia, strengthen a network between international, national and local media, recruit experts, and oversee an innovation fund.
The candidate needs to have experience in leading investigative journalism projects, experience in major newsrooms, and high proficiency in both English and Spanish.
The fellowship will take place in Latin America, with at least 25 percent of the Fellow’s time spent in Nicaragua. The duration of the fellowship is one year, with the goal of starting in June 2017. The fellowship may be extended depending on funding and ICFJ approval.
NPR Story Lab
Deadline: Rolling
“The NPR Story Lab is looking for great ideas. In fact, we’re an idea hub – generating new segments for our news programs, creating radio shows, and launching new podcasts. We want to collaborate with member stations and independent producers. We want to work with new talent that brings a fresh perspective to NPR. We want to keep innovating and leading in the podcast and radio world. The NPR Story Lab is a true creative studio at the heart of NPR, one that fosters experimentation and continues to evolve the sound of public radio. Tell us your ideas, and let’s make stuff!”
Are you interested in submitting your story or pitching a programme idea to America’s foremost public radio station? NPR are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Get involved via the link below.
Transatlantic Media Fellowship
Deadline: Ongoing
European media representatives are invited to apply for this fellowship, which will give them the chance to travel across the United States and expand on their knowledge of America and its citizens.
Organized by the Transatlantic Media Network (TMN), the goal of this fellowship is to strengthen the existing transatlantic relationship and improving mutual understanding among journalists and media professionals of both sides of the Atlantic.
The visiting journalists will follow an individual itinerary, created on their skills and interests, which will take them mostly around Washington DC and to visit TMN’s partner institutions, such as universities and journalism schools.
The fellowships may have a different duration but they will all be up to three months.
GNI Fellowship
Deadline: Ongoing
The Google News Initiative Fellowship connects students who want to explore the intersection between journalism and technology with news organisations.
The successful candidates will kick off their careers in the news industry by spending their summer working with experts in newsrooms and creating a professional network.
In 2019 the European Journalism Centre offers 40 fellowship placements in 11 European countries. The GNI Fellowship is funded by the Google News Initiative and is also available worldwide. Find out more about the programme in non-EU countries here.
[Text from European Journalism Centre and Google News Initiative]