Applications are now open for the Knight Science Journalism (KSJ) Fellowship at MIT for the 2025-2026 academic year!
This distinguished program invites mid-career science journalists from around the world to apply for an unparalleled opportunity to advance their careers. You will Join a cohort of talented peers and immerse yourself in a nine-month fellowship at MIT, where you'll explore science, technology, and journalism, undertake a personalized research project, and build connections with top researchers and media professionals. Let's dig into details!
KSJ Fellowship Overview
The KSJ Fellowship is open to science journalists with at least three years of full-time journalism experience. Fellows spend nine months at MIT, where they pursue a research project that leverages the resources and connections available at MIT and in the greater Boston area. The fellowship aims to enhance the ability of journalists to accurately and thoughtfully illuminate science and its intersection with human culture.
The program is designed to recognize journalists from around the world who demonstrate a high level of professional excellence and accomplishment as well as a long-term commitment to their craft. Journalists from all countries compete on an equal basis and are encouraged to apply.
KSJ at MIT Fellowship Types
The KSJ Fellowship offers two variants of fellowships:
1). KSJ Academic-Year Fellowship
Open to 10 science journalists each year, this fellowship allows fellows to explore science, technology, and journalism while concentrating on a specialty in science.
2). Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East
A one-semester fellowship aimed at enriching the training of journalists from Africa or the Middle East to contribute to high-quality science journalism in their regions.
Applications are open for both fellowships as of now. This article will discuss the KSJ Academic - Year Fellowship in particular
KSJ Academic-Year Fellowship Benefits
1. Financial Support
Fellows receive an $85,000 stipend paid out in installments over 9.5 months
A travel and housing stipend paid near the start of the fellowship
Basic health insurance for each fellow and their family
2. Research Project
Fellows pursue a journalism-related research project. The research project must be journalism related. Previous fellows have used their time to: conduct research and reporting for a long-form narrative or story series; develop multimedia, video, and audio reporting projects; do research for a book proposal; and build deep knowledge of a new area of science, among other project pursuits
3. Seminars and Field Trips
Regular seminars from top researchers and media professionals, as well as field trips to locations of special interest to science and technology writers.
4. Skill-Focused Workshops
Workshops on mobile video, still photography, digital editing, data journalism, and podcasting.
5. Course of Study
Fellows audit courses at MIT, Harvard, and other colleges and universities in the area. As long as fellows include one science course each semester, they have immense flexibility in choosing the suite of courses they wish to attend. Professors of these classes must approve the fellows’ request to audit.
6. Community Building
Social activities to help build a sense of community among fellows. The program organizes social activities from welcome parties to holiday celebrations
What is required?
If applicants are selected to participate in the KSJ Fellowship at MIT, they must meet the following expectations:
Reside full-time in the Boston/Cambridge area for the MIT academic year, which runs from mid-August to May.
Attend field trips, seminars, and required training sessions arranged by the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program.
Develop a course of study that includes at least one science course per semester.
Refrain from outside paid professional work during the Fellowship, unless written permission has been granted by the director.
Produce a well-thought-out research project during the academic year.
KSJ at MIT Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a KSJ Fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
Be full-time journalists, whether on staff or freelance. Part-time writers or producers are not eligible.
Have at least three consecutive years of experience covering science, health, technology and environmental reporting.
Be reporters, writers, editors, producers, illustrators, filmmakers, or photojournalists. This includes work for newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and digital media.
Applicants must not have completed a fellowship of four months or longer during the two years prior to applying for the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship.
For International Fellows, English Language Proficiency tests are not required, but may strengthen applications of candidates whose first/native language is not English.
Application Process
Applications for the KSJ Academic-Year Fellowship are submitted online through the online application portal linked here.
Application Documents:
Each applicant must submit the following documents:
Professional Autobiography
Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Research Project Proposal
Five Work Samples
Three Professional References
ℹ️🌐 You can find further details about the required documents, application and Selection process on the applications webpage.
🗓️ Application Deadline: January 15, 2025 at 11:59pm EST.
🔗 OFFICIAL LINK
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