Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East

This informs the public about the Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East 2024. Details about the Program are given below.

Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East

This new one-semester fellowship, hosted by the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT, was inspired by the life and career of Egyptian science journalist Mohammed Yahia. The fellowship was created in partnership with Springer Nature, publisher of Nature Middle East, which grew to be an important contributor to science reporting in the region under Yahia’s leadership from 2010-2023.

The fellowship is designed to enrich the training of a journalist from Africa or the Middle East so they can contribute to a culture of high-quality science and health journalism in those regions, as well as raising awareness of regional advances in the rest of the world.

Program Details

Following Yahia’s untimely death in the summer of 2023, Springer Nature and the Knight Science Journalism Program worked together to create a fellowship in honor of his remarkable contributions to science journalism.

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 will be a one-semester fellowship, held in the fall of the academic year beginning in 2024, 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

  • $40,000 stipend for the semester
  • MIT health insurance
  • $5,000 stipend to help with start-up housing costs
  • Full access MIT benefits such as subsidized public transportation, access to museums and other programs in the area
  • Connections to a thriving community of science journalists

Who is eligible to apply?

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.

Application

For those interested in the Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East 2024. Open this link to start the application process.

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.

Application Deadline

  • The deadline for receipt of applications is 1 March 2024.

Open this link for more details about Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East 2024.

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