The Middlebury Fellowships in Environmental Journalism each year take 10 journalists near the start of their careers and help them work through an ambitious reporting project in print, web-based, or radio journalism, from the beginning through publication or broadcast. Fellows meet together twice during the year, once in the fall on the Middlebury campus in Vermont, and once in the spring at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California.
At these meetings professional journalists help participants plan their reporting and shape their stories. Graduate fellows each receive $10,000 to help with reporting and living expenses during the fellowship year—enough, we hope, to let the reporting project be one significant focus of their year’s work. We interpret the environment broadly—reporting projects dealing with economics, culture, global issues, and the like are fine, as long as they center in some way on the human relationship with the physical world.
Application Requirements
Interested applicants should write a two- or three-page letter pitching their idea, just as they would to an editor at a magazine or a broadcast program. The letter should demonstrate enough preliminary research to make clear there’s really a story, and that it will be possible for the applicant to successfully report it. The letter should also include a proposed plan of research for the fellowship year. Web and video applications should demonstrate the same focus on reported stories emphasizing context and history as long-fact written pieces.
Applicants should enclose three writing or broadcast samples, preferably of professionally published work, as well as recommendations from two people who have worked with the applicant as an editor or teacher, and a resume with contact information. Resumes, pitches and letters should be written or copied on plain recycled copier or printer weight paper, double-sided if possible, and held together using paper clips rather than staples. Recommendations should be enclosed with the application unless arrangements are made ahead of time, but need not be sealed.
Journalists from outside the United States are encouraged to apply if they can demonstrate proficiency in written English.
Deadline
Applications will be due by May 16, 2011. This is a hard deadline as we try to turn around the applications and choose the fellows no later than June 5. Therefore express mail or FedEx applications from within North America should be sent no later than May 12, and as early as necessary from everywhere else.
All questions should be sent to fiej@middlebury.edu.
Submit applications to:
Christopher Shaw, Associate Director
Middlebury Fellowships in Environmental Journalism
Axinn Center at Starr Library 309
Middlebury College
Middlebury VT 05753
More information here.
READ NEXT:
