Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program

The Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program at MIT supports a global community of dedicated and thoughtful journalists specializing in science, health, technology and environmental reporting.

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.

Benefits

• Fellows receive an $85,000 stipend paid out in installments over 9.5 months
• Relocation allowance
• Basic health insurance for each fellow and their family

Activities

• The fellowship program is divided between activities arranged by the Knight Science Journalism staff and self-directed activities.
  • Seminars: Fellows’ time in Cambridge is enriched by regular seminars from top researchers and media professionals.
  • Field Trips: KSJ organizes several trips each year to locations of special interest to science and technology writers. Past destinations have included the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, ME, and the Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA.
  • Skill-Focused Workshops: The number of storytelling channels open to journalists is multiplying, and they want the Fellows to return to the workforce with more technical skills than they had coming in. Each year they include a few skills-based workshops. Past workshops have centered around mobile video, still photography, digital editing, data journalism, and podcasting.
  • 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.
• The program also organizes social activities — from welcome parties to holiday celebrations — to help build a sense of community. Fellows often report that life in Cambridge and the sense of collegiality within the fellowship class are among the most rewarding aspects of the year.

Expectations

• 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.

Eligibility Criteria

• Journalists from all countries compete on an equal basis and are encouraged to apply.
• To be eligible for a KSJ Fellowship, applicants must:
  • 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.
• Requirements specific to international candidates
  • International candidates who are selected for a fellowship must obtain a valid visa from the U.S. State Department. The visa is typically a J-1 visa, sponsored by MIT through the International Scholars Office (ISchO).
  • As a J-1 program sponsor, MIT is required to verify English language proficiency of all international fellows. Verification methods include the application interview(s) and/or an English language proficiency test (such as IELTS, TOEFL). Language proficiency tests are not required, but may strengthen applications of candidates whose first/native language is not English.
  • Visa-related documentation is not required as part of the initial application.

For more information, visit Knight Science Journalism.