Mini Fellowships
In 2007, the Kaiser Media Fellowships Program launched a new program for reporting on global health issues. The program awards mini-fellowships to print, radio, television, and online journalists (including freelancers) to research and report on global health issues, with a particular focus on issues related to HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. The purpose is to encourage in-depth reporting on the health, social, economic, political and cultural implications of major public health issues and on the response to these challenges. Awards of up to $10,000 will be given to journalists to cover travel and research expenses relating to a specific project of their choice for publication, broadcast, or online posting.
This program is for journalists working for English-language news organizations with target audiences in North America and/or Europe. Priority will be given to projects otherwise unlikely to be undertaken or completed, focusing on issues that have not been reported or are under-reported, and which have a high likelihood of being published/aired/posted and of reaching a mass audience. Reporting projects can be local or international in scope, but should focus on public health concerns – or responses – that are of global relevance.
Reporting should be undertaken and completed by December of the fellowship year, and will be posted on the Kaiser Family Foundation’s websites subject to copyright permission. Fellows are expected to negotiate such permission.
Applications for the 2009 program must be received - in hard copy - by October 23, 2008.
Each fellow will be awarded up to $10,000 or a prorated amount based on individual project needs, to cover travel and research expenses. Where possible, the fellow's news organization will be actively encouraged to supplement the fellowship award. Applicants will need to submit a budget outline broadly defining the costs associated with their proposed project and which parts of their project would require funding from the fellowship. List the various categories associated with the cost of the project—such as travel (air, train, car), accommodation, meals, production, translation, editing, telephone, and/or project materials—and provide an estimated cost for each category. For example, travel to abc countries, states, or cities to interview abc projects or experts, at an estimated cost of approximately abc dollars (or other currencies); accommodations and meals in abc countries, states, or cities at an estimated cost of approximately abc dollars (or other currencies);
Note that the maximum amount for the award is US$10,000; projects requiring less money will receive special attention.
Eligibility
Who is Eligible
This program is for journalists working for English-language news organizations with target audiences in North America and/or Europe. For example, this would include an African journalist reporting for a British news organization; or the Delhi bureau chief of a Canadian newspaper. There is no age restriction.
Selection for the fellowships is highly competitive. Fellows are selected by an international committee of editors primarily on the basis of previous and potential work, on the applicant's demonstrated commitment to reporting on health issues, and on the committee's determination of which candidates would benefit most from this program.
Eligible Projects
Given the focus of this program on global health issues, the scope of eligible topics is inherently very broad. Note that priority will be given to projects addressing some of the many implications of HIV/AIDS, TB, and/or malaria. Also bear in mind that reporting on global health issues can be very locally focused, and international travel is not a requirement or necessity for a project to be selected. For example, an applicant from Toronto could write about a local university medical team/church/NGO group’s work on malaria prevention in Africa. A U.S. journalist could compare HIV/AIDS prevention efforts among teens in their community with those in South Africa; or could track how effectively PEPFAR money is being dispersed.
To Apply
There is no application form. To be considered, mail the following materials to the executive director*:
* A detailed letter describing your reasons for applying; your career goals; a short outline of the reporting you would want to complete; and what you would aim to accomplish as a result of the fellowship
* A brief description of your news organization and its readership/audience
* Budget outline (see more details below)
* An estimated project timeframe
* Curriculum vitae or resume
* Where relevant, details of previous awards or fellowships
* Examples of recent work (work samples will not be returned to applicants)
o Print applicants: 5-8 clips. Original clips should be pasted or photocopied on to standard 8.5”x11” or 11”x17” paper (applicants may submit an original copy along with the mounted copy). If clips are reduced in size to fit the page, they should be legible. Special paper, margins, etc. are not necessary. Most importantly clips should be clean and clear, easy to photocopy and able to fit in a standard file folder.
o For photographs, please submit regular prints and/or photocopies – no slides.
o Television applicants: please send DVDs or VHS tapes in NTSC – not PAL – format.
o Radio applicants: please send CDs or cassette tapes. Please label each piece with your name, program title, running time and date aired.
o Internet applicants: please send your clips in hard copy format, printed from your website, in addition to providing website links.
* One or more letters of support from other journalists familiar with your work, including a letter from your current senior editor or news director supporting your application (freelance journalists should send a letter of support from an editor, producer or colleague familiar with your recent work). Letters can be emailed directly to Penny Duckham (pduckham@kff.org) or included in your application file.
* All applications must be mailed in hard copy. An email version of your application can be sent in addition, but not as a substitute.
Applications must be mailed to the following address:
Penny Duckham
Executive Director
Kaiser Family Foundation
Kaiser Media Fellowships Program
2400 Sand Hill Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
USA
Email: pduckham@kff.org
If you have further questions about the fellowship or would like to clarify any of the application requirements, please send an email to mediafellows@kff.org before you submit your application materials.
Budget Outline
Applicants should describe broadly which parts of their project would require funding from the fellowship. List the various categories associated with the cost of the project—such as travel (air, train, car), accommodation, meals, production, translation, editing, telephone, and/or project materials—and provide an estimated cost for each category. For example, travel to abc countries, states, or cities to interview abc projects or experts, at an estimated cost of approximately abc dollars (or other currencies); accommodations and meals in abc countries, states, or cities at an estimated cost of approximately abc dollars (or other currencies);
Where possible, the fellow's news organization will be actively encouraged to supplement the fellowship award.
