Fellowship Overview

• Selected fellows receive $4,000 to cover project-related time and expenses, along with mentoring by an experienced health journalist.

• Fellows will have seven months (January–July 2025) to work on an in-depth reporting project and one shorter-form story.

• In early 2025, all eight fellows will meet in person to tap into expert insight and guidance, discuss and flesh out their story project proposals, and learn about key health reporting resources.

• Fellows will meet with their mentors regularly and attend several webinars on specific aspects of health reporting throughout the fellowship year.

• At the 2025 JAWS Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP) , the fellows will present their final projects and discuss their experience on a panel.

• The fellowship covers a one-year membership to JAWS (a $75 value)
  and registration and travel expenses to the 2025 CAMP (a $3,500 value).

• The fellowship is open to U.S.-based journalists only.

Application information

Applicants must submit a complete fellowship application by 5 p.m. ET, Friday, December 13, 2024

The fellowship is open to U.S.-based women and individuals who identify as women with two to seven years of professional reporting experience. We encourage staff reporters and freelance journalists to apply. Personal blogging, academic writing, public relations, or marketing writing do not count toward journalism experience. 

The application requires:

• A detailed 1 or 2-page proposal describing the reporting project you wish to undertake and why. Please include sufficient sourcing/links to indicate that you have done some homework on the topic. 

• A proposed project timeline, including projected publication/broadcast dates.

• Current resume (1-2 pages max).

• A cover letter containing:

• Applicant name.

• Mailing address.

• Mobile phone.

• E-mail.

• Employer (Freelance journalists should specify their length of affiliation with the outlet that will publish or broadcast the story.)

• Employer address and phone number.

• Employer’s circulation and audience demographic (Please indicate whether this media outlet serves a general audience or a specific ethnic or other minority community.)

  Direct editor contact – email and phone.

For staff reporters: A letter of support from a supervisor or editor at your current media outlet affording you time off and editorial support to work on the project.

For freelance journalists: Freelance journalists should pre-pitch their idea to a media outlet, and obtain written confirmation (letter or email) from the assigning editor, indicating willingness to support the project, provided it meets appropriate editorial criteria. 

• Freelancers who do not have a confirmed media commitment will be considered based on the strength of their proposal. However, they must include a list of 2 to 3 potential media outlets and editors where they plan to pitch their long-form story. 

• An optional letter of recommendation, which speaks to the quality of work and commitment to the project and/or health reporting. Please do not include letters from friends/family. Not submitting a letter of recommendation will not affect your application review. 

No more than three (3) reporting samples – either clips, audio/video stories, or multimedia samples – which can be attached as pdf files, or links to files on the applicant’s or media outlet’s website. Please be sure all links work properly prior to submitting the application and are not behind a publication paywall.