Reynolds Journalism Institute - Donald W. Reynolds Fellowships-RJI Residential Fellow

Benefit

You will receive a living stipend (a monthly living allowance) of about 4,650 EUR per month (5,000 USD) for a whole year. You will also receive a total of up to approximately 93,000 EUR (100,000 USD) to cover your project costs. This is provided by the Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri. You will spend a year on the ground building a free resource for journalists and news organisations. This could be a tool, a platform, a guide or a series of workshops that fills a real gap in the industry. During this year, you will publish monthly progress reports, host public webinars, test your resource in newsrooms across the country and mentor journalism students. At the end of the year, you will make it available free of charge and as open source. The role is a full-time contract with no option for renewal, and you are not permitted to undertake any other employment alongside it.

Eligibility

• Who you are: You work as a journalist, researcher, consultant or media professional. This offer is aimed at professionals, not students.
• Your project: You have an idea for a resource that solves a current problem for journalists or editorial teams. This resource must ultimately be available free of charge and as open source so that anyone can use it.
• On site: You can spend the whole year in Columbia, Missouri, working full-time at RJI without taking on any other employment.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply, including non-US citizens. A link to a US-based news, technology or civil society organisation is an advantage.
• Age and background: There is no minimum age and no specific qualification is required.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via RJI’s ‘Submittable’ portal. The deadline for applications is in February. Applications will be assessed in two rounds, and shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.

How realistic are your chances?

As this is a single, highly prestigious place, competition is fierce. One person is selected per cycle, and the scholarship has only recently been revived after being suspended for several years. Your idea must be genuinely useful and feasible within a year, and you must be prepared to relocate to Missouri full-time. That alone narrows down the pool of applicants. If you have a concrete, clearly defined project and can commit to spending a year there, a compelling application will secure you the scholarship.