Call for Applications: RJI fellowships Program (US)

All fellowship projects are built, tested and launched to the public within the span of the fellowship and must be free, accessible and open-source for journalists, newsrooms and the public to utilize.

Categories

• They have two types of RJI Fellowships:
  • Residential Fellowship:
    • Their residential fellowship is for an individual who wants to spend a year at RJI to create a resource to help with a current need, gap or challenge for journalists and/or newsrooms. The resource can be a platform, a tool, a workshop series; it can be digital or physical. It just needs to be free, accessible and utilizable by newsrooms across the country.
  • Remote: Nonresidential or Institutional:
    • Nonresidential fellowships:
      • Nonresidential fellowships are a remote fellowship where the funding goes directly to an individual to let them pursue an idea outside of their day job/work. You will visit to RJI to kick off your fellowship meet your Fellow cohort, RJI leadership, faculty, students and access on-site resources. Your project will be implemented and tested in the newsroom(s) of your choice during your fellowship, before your final product is launched for journalists to utilize.
    • Institutional fellowships:
      • Institutional fellowships are a remote fellowship where the funding for the fellowship goes to the company or institution, rather than an individual. RJI will collaborate with the individual assigned to lead the team/project, that individual will be named an RJI Institutional Fellow. The Institutional Fellow will visit RJI with the fellow cohort to meet RJI leadership, faculty, students and access on-site resources. The stipend for this fellowship can be used for salary relief for the fellow, or for another purpose that the company or institution determines will best ensure the success of the fellowship project. The project can be implemented and tested at the institution or in another newsroom of their choice during the fellowship.

Funding Information

• Residential Fellowship
  • Funding: Up to $100,000 for project expenses + a $5k monthly living stipend.
  • Duration: 12 months
• Remote: Nonresidential or Institutional
  • Stipend: Fellows receive a $25,000 stipend + a $5000 impact bonus, payable in increments as deliverables are met for each stage of the fellowship.
  • Duration: 8 months

Eligibility Criteria

• Residential Fellowship:
  • The fellow will collaborate with RJI staff, students and JSchool faculty on-site at our institute in Columbia, Missouri.
• Remote:
  • Nonresidential or Institutional Fellowship:
    • You will visit to RJI to kick off your fellowship meet your Fellow cohort, RJI leadership, faculty, students and access on-site resources.

Expected Deliverables

• Residential Fellowship:
  • One article each month published on rjionline.org that gives transparent updates on your progress, results, lessons learned, challenges, successes and failures.
  • Lead a monthly public webinar, panel or event that brings journalists, students, faculty, newsrooms and communities into the conversation around your project and/or supplies learning opportunities related to your project. Should also function as a feedback loop on your project deliverables and resource end product.
  • Weekly meetings with the RJI Director of Innovation to address progress, ask questions and engage with RJI resources.
  • Guest lecture in classes, clubs or student related trainings/event relevant to your subject at Mizzou and RJI.
  • One presentation to Mizzou faculty & guests per a semester to talk about progress, lessons learned and opportunities for collaboration.
  • Implement your resource in the Missouri News Network + 3-5 community-centered newsrooms across the country.
  • Mentor, manage and engage with Missouri School of Journalism students hired by RJI to work with you on your project.
  • Launch a final free, interactive resource by June 2026 that is ready to be utilized by newsrooms & journalists + documentation on how to use it and the principles behind it.

Deadlines

• Residential Fellowship: Feb 4, 2025
• Remote:
  • Nonresidential Fellowship: Feb 7, 2025
  • Institutional Fellowship: Feb 4, 2025

For more information, visit Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute.