Apply for Emerging Reporter Fund – Canada

The funds have been established to support a variety of journalism projects in areas such as social justice, science and in-depth reporting.

Made possible by the generous support of multiple donors, the Emerging Reporter Funds will allow Journalism students at the undergraduate and graduate levels to gain the professional experience needed to produce meaningful journalism work without the financial burden often involved in pursuing this type of focused, intensive reporting.

The funds are valued between $1,200 and $6,500 and are being offered through The Future of Journalism Initiative (FJI) – a collaborative research hub at Carleton where journalists, academics and students work together and independently on innovative research projects that further the collective knowledge and understanding of journalism practice.

For nearly eight decades, the Carleton School of Journalism and Communication has been at the forefront of professional practice and on the front lines of inquiry into journalism’s role in society. The Emerging Reporter Funds are just one way the school is granting students a chance to contribute to the public discourse and kickstart their reporting careers during their studies.

The eight Emerging Reporter Funds available to students are as follows:

• Leonard Shifrin and Louise Dulude Canadian Social Policy Emerging Reporter Fund
  • The purpose of this fund is to support the innovative research and reporting projects of upper-level undergraduate and graduate journalism students. Students will work closely with journalism faculty members to advance a project of their chosen topic, related to progressive social policy in Canada, and to disseminate results through publications or other channels best suited to their specific project. Subjects explored through these in-depth pieces include topics of human rights, and in general will contribute to social justice and the pursuit of equitable decision-making. Students receiving support from the Fund will pursue in-depth projects that some media outlets might otherwise be reluctant to assign to new journalists. Students will be required to submit a detailed proposal for their project and will be awarded individual grants based on the scope of the project and its funding needs.
  • The successful candidate will receive: $6,500 to pursue their reporting project
• Shireen Abu Akleh Emerging Reporter Fund in Social Justice Journalism
  • The Shireen Abu Akleh Emerging Reporter Fund in Social Justice Journalism will support upper undergraduate and graduate journalism students pursuing an innovative research/reporting project with a focus on social justice. Students are required to submit a detailed proposal for their project, and the Journalism Program of Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communication will lead the selection process. Recipients will work closely with faculty members to advance their project and to disseminate results through publication or other channels best suited to their specific research and reporting project. Individual grants will be based on the merit of the reporter, and the scope of the project and its funding needs. Funding can include costs related to the research and reporting project, including travel. Endowed in 2022 by Shawky Fahel and the friends of Palestine Foundation in memory of Shireen Abu Akleh, world renowned Palestinian- American journalist who tragically lost her life while reporting in the Occupied territories.
  • The successful candidate will receive: $5,000 to pursue their reporting project
• The Peter Mansbridge Emerging Reporter Fund
  • The purpose of this fund is to support undergraduate and graduate journalism students pursuing an innovative research or reporting project with a focus on topics of governance and public social policy. Students will be required to submit a detailed proposal for their project, and the Journalism Program of Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communication will lead the selection process. Recipients will work closely with faculty members to advance their project and to disseminate results through publication or other channels best suited to their specific research and reporting project. Individual grants will be based on the merit of the reporter, and the scope of the project and its funding needs. Funding can include costs related to the research and reporting project, including travel. Endowed in 2023 by Peter Mansbridge.
  • The successful candidate will receive: $4,000 to pursue their reporting project
• Susan Cardinal Emerging Reporter Fund
  • The Susan Cardinal Emerging Reporter Fund supports undergraduate journalism students with an innovative research/reporting project. Students are required to submit a detailed pitch/proposal for their project, and the Journalism Program of Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communication will lead the selection process. Recipients will work closely with faculty members to advance their project and to disseminate results through publication or other channels best suited to their specific research and reporting project. Individual grants will be based on the merit of the reporter, and the scope of the project and its funding needs. Funding can include costs related to the research and reporting project, including travel.
  • The successful candidate will receive: $2,500 to pursue their reporting project
• Bell Media Future of Journalism Initiative Emerging Reporter Fund
  • This generous contribution from Bell Media will fund an Emerging Reporter. This Fund will support graduating journalism students with an innovative research/reporting project. Students will work with the academic lead and with the support of the research centre to advance the project for public dissemination through publication or other channels better suited to their research project.
  • The funding must go to a student enrolled full time in the journalism program and the recipient must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
  • The successful candidate will receive: $1,300 to pursue their reporting project
• Lydia Dotto Emerging Reporter Fund
  • The purpose of this fund is to support undergraduate journalism students pursuing an innovative research/reporting project with a preferred focus on science, health, and environmental journalism.  Students will be required to submit a detailed proposal for their project, and the Journalism Program of Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communication will lead the selection process. Recipients will work closely with faculty members to advance their project and to disseminate results through publication or other channels best suited to their specific research and reporting project. Individual grants will be based on the merit of the applicant, and the scope of the project and its funding needs. Funding can include costs related to the research and reporting project, including travel. Established in 2022 by friends and family in honour of Lydia Dotto, BJ/71.
  • The successful candidate will receive: $1,200 to pursue their reporting project
• The Peter Leo Emerging Reporter Fund
  • This fund supports undergraduate journalism students pursuing an innovative research/reporting project with a preferred focus on broadcast journalism. Students will be required to submit a detailed pitch/proposal for their project, and the Journalism Program of Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communication will lead the selection process. Recipients will work closely with faculty members to advance their project and to disseminate results through publication or other channels best suited to their specific research and reporting project. Individual grants will be based on the merit of the reporter, and the scope of the project and its funding needs. Funding can include costs related to the research and reporting project, including travel. Established in 2021 by Tom Harrington and friends in honour of their friend Peter Leo, BA/83
  • The successful candidate will receive: $5,000 to pursue their reporting project
• Emerging Reporter Fund on Resettlement in Canada
  • This fund is available to an upper year or graduating journalism student who will work with an academic lead on a project that is focused on an area of interest to new Canadians and/or refugees and immigrants to Canada.The successful applicant will produce informed journalism on topics that impact immigrants, newcomers including first generation Canadians and/or refugees and topics of relevance to those communities, and with the support of the Future of Journalism Initiative and the Carty Chair in Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion Studies, to advance a project for public dissemination through publication or other channels better suited to the successful applicant’s research project.
  • The successful candidate will receive: $5,000 to pursue their reporting project.

For more information, visit Carleton University.