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Application Deadline: January 15, 2025.
Applications are now open for the 2025 MIT Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East.
The Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East is designed, through a combination of study and specialized training, to help reporters and editors from the region to further develop a successful career in science journalism.
This one-semester fellowship is held in the fall of the academic year and hosted by KSJ at MIT. The fellow will join other KSJ fellows in a program of study at MIT and other Cambridge/Boston area universities and in the program’s seminars, training workshops and field trips throughout the semester.
Eligibility Requirements
- Journalists based in Africa and the Middle East with at least three years’ experience reporting on science, health or environmental issues in the region.
- Applicants may be reporters, writers, editors, producers, illustrators, filmmakers, or photojournalists.
- This includes work for newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and digital media. Applicants should be proficient in spoken and written English.
Benefits
- $40,000 stipend for the semester
- MIT health insurance
- A travel and housing stipend paid near the start of the fellowship
- Full access to MIT benefits such as subsidized public transportation, access to museums and other programs in the area
- Connections to a thriving community of science journalists
Application Procedure:
Each applicant must submit the following documents:
- Statement of Purpose: Describe, in 500 words or less, why you want to participate in the Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East and how it fits with your professional goals.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae: Provide a brief overview of your education, work history, and professional honors. (Freelancers should include a list of freelance jobs completed in the past 12 months. Include each story, venue, and date of publication or broadcast.)
- Three Work Samples: Please provide three (3) relevant work samples. Choose samples that best illustrate your interest and abilities. Please include a translation for any work not produced in English.
- Letter of Professional Reference: Please provide at least one (1) letter of recommendation; additional letters are optional. The letter should come from an individual familiar with your work and should comment on your abilities and your commitment to journalism. Applicants will provide the name and e-mail address for their recommenders in the application form, and letter requests will be sent to the recommenders automatically. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their recommenders submit letters before the deadline.
Application Timeline:
- Mid-November: Application Opens
- Mid-January: Application Closes
- January – March: A panel of judges will review the submissions and interview finalists.
- April: The final selection is announced.
For More Information: