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Research and Journalism Grants, Fellowships and Residencies

Currently 12 active paid research and journalism grants, fellowships and residencies. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Every entry is funded, no exposure-only calls. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.

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Open calls

  1. BILNAS Research Grant

    British Institute for Libyan & Northern African Studies (BILNAS) · United Kingdom (research conducted in Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Mali, Chad, Sudan, or UK-based) · Deadline: 30 Apr 2026 · Award: Small Research Grants up to £3,000; Large Research Grants up to £10,000

    Research grants for UK-based postdoctoral scholars at any career stage to support primary research in Libya and Northern Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Mali, Chad, Sudan) in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Two tiers available: Small Research Grants up to £3,000 and Large Research Grants up to £10,000. Research can take place in the region or be UK-based depending on project nature.

  2. Einstein Fellowship 2026 (Einstein Forum + Wittenstein Foundation)

    Einstein Forum (with the Wittenstein Foundation) · Caputh, Brandenburg, Germany (garden cottage at Einstein's summerhouse, near Potsdam and Berlin) · Deadline: 15 May 2026 · Award: EUR 10,000 stipend + living accommodations for six months at Einstein's summerhouse + travel expense reimbursement

    Six-month residential fellowship for outstanding young thinkers (under 35) who, in addition to producing strong work in their primary field, want to pursue a project in a different discipline, following Einstein's own cross-disciplinary example. Eligibility: candidates must be under 35 and hold a university degree in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences. Whether the applicant holds, or is working toward, a PhD is not relevant. Crucially, the proposed project must be significantly different in content (and preferably in field and form) from the applicant's previous work; this is NOT a dissertation-research grant and is NOT for completing an academic study already underway. The project need not be finished during the fellowship, but can be the start of a longer one. Selection criteria: quality, originality, and feasibility of the proposed project, plus the superior intellectual development of the applicant. Application materials: CV, a 2-page project proposal, and two letters of recommendation, all submitted via the online form. All documents must be received by 15 May 2026. Funded by the Wittenstein Foundation (previously funded by the ZEIT Foundation Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius 2007 to 2009, then the Daimler and Benz Foundation 2010 to 2022).

  3. Journalismfund Europe: European Cross-Border Grants

    Journalismfund Europe · Europe (cross-border projects) · Deadline: 21 May 2026 · Award: Variable, typically €5,000 to €50,000 per project

    Supports independent investigative journalism across Europe, well-suited to surveillance, AI, platform governance and data-driven investigations. Cross-border team requirement: at least two professional journalists (freelance or staff) from at least two different countries. Next round after this one expected 2026-06-26.

  4. European EdTech Fellowship 2026 (paid program, €1,000 fee)

    European EdTech Alliance · Europe (online sessions) · Deadline: 22 May 2026 · Award: Paid program: €1,000 fee paid BY the fellow (this is the cost of participation, NOT a cash grant). Includes 6 monthly curated sessions, mentorship and access to the European EdTech Alliance network.

    Note: this is a paid learning program, not a grant. Fellows pay €1,000 to attend 6 monthly intensive sessions teaching how to navigate European education systems (procurement cycles, trust frameworks, regulatory landscape, localised dynamics). Building on the Female EdTech Fellowship; this iteration is cross-sector, cross-gender, cross-border. Run by the European EdTech Alliance, a non-profit dedicated to fostering EdTech innovation and collaboration across Europe. Sessions cover ministry buying, framework agreements, pricing models for public education, digital sovereignty, GDPR and student data protection, sustainability communication, VC due diligence, social impact measurement, cross-border growth, and a final demo day with mentor matching. Applications close 22 May 2026.

  5. National Geographic x The Climate Pledge: Illuminating Climate Solutions RFP 2026

    National Geographic Society (in partnership with The Climate Pledge) · Worldwide (storytellers globally; preference for those with lived experience or established local collaborations in the communities they cover) · Deadline: 25 May 2026 · Award: Up to $100,000 per project (recommended cap of $20,000 if you have <=5 years of experience). Funds for project costs only, used over up to 2 years.

    Open RFP for storytellers producing solutions-grounded climate journalism and media projects. National Geographic Society and The Climate Pledge are funding a global cohort of Explorers to build a portfolio of stories on climate resilience and solutions, with the explicit goal of moving business leaders and policymakers to act. Story themes (non-exhaustive): Climate & Energy Transition (carbon-free energy, decarbonization); Nature & Land Systems (water stewardship, nature-based solutions, biodiversity, restoration, adaptation, regenerative agriculture, food systems); Built & Human Systems (built environment, climate migration, public health, social adaptation); Adaptation in Extreme Weather (hurricanes, heat waves, wildfires, floods). All story ideas must be grounded in solutions. Eligibility: open to both existing NatGeo Explorers and applicants new to the program. Applicants must show a record of successful media projects and submit a portfolio (e.g. website). Storytellers with lived experience in (or established collaborative relationships with) the communities they cover are prioritised. Up to $100,000 per project (recommend up to $20,000 if 5 or fewer years of experience). Budgets must consist of reasonable, well-justified costs directly required to complete the project, used over up to 2 years. All applications must include an explicit plan for evaluating impact. Submit only via the NatGeo online portal in English (the individual responsible for the project must be the listed project leader; one proposal per applicant as project lead). Questions: funding@ngs.org with subject 'RFP Illuminating Climate Solutions'. Deadline: 25 May 2026, 11:59 PM US-EDT.

  6. EHRI Conny Kristel Fellowship Programme 2026

    EHRI-ERIC (European Holocaust Research Infrastructure) · Across 25 host institutions in Europe, Israel and the United States · Deadline: 07 Jun 2026 · Award: Stipend for housing and living expenses + travel reimbursement (amount varies by host country)

    Fellowship programme supporting Holocaust research by giving researchers, archivists, librarians, curators and other professionals access to 25 key archives and research institutions across Europe, Israel and the USA. Fellows design their own research journey of 1 to 6 weeks and receive a stipend plus travel reimbursement. Welcomes projects on all aspects of Holocaust history (prehistory, legacy, archival management) and is particularly open to PhD students and early-career practitioners.

  7. SSRC Just Tech Fellowship 2027

    Social Science Research Council (SSRC) · United States (must reside in US during fellowship year) · Deadline: 28 Jun 2026 · Award: Up to $60,000 unrestricted

    SSRC's flagship public-interest tech fellowship for individuals working on a more just, equitable and representative technological future. Open to researchers, practitioners, organisers, artists and technologists; no degree requirement; must reside in the US during the fellowship year. Includes mentoring and an in-person workshop. Strong fit for critical data, algorithmic justice, platform governance and digital rights work.

  8. Future of Work Reporting Fellowship 2026 to 2027

    Work Shift, in partnership with New America's Future of Work and Innovation Economy initiative · United States (US-based journalists) · Deadline: 24 Jul 2026 · Award: $5,000 stipend + editorial coaching + access to expert sources + story amplification

    One-year reporting fellowship supporting early- and mid-career US-based journalists to produce in-depth, place-based reporting on how education, workforce development and emerging technologies are reshaping economic opportunities across the United States. Open to print, digital, radio, television, multimedia and freelance journalists. Fellows receive a $5,000 stipend, editorial coaching, expert-source access and amplification of their stories.

  9. Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) Grants

    Fund for Investigative Journalism · USA-primary (foreign-based stories require strong U.S. angle) · Deadline: 14 Sep 2026 · Award: Up to $10,000 (regular) or $1,000 to $2,500 (seed)

    Grants for in-depth investigative reporting that exposes corruption, malfeasance or misuse of power across public and private sectors. Covers print, online, broadcast, books, documentaries and podcasts. Surveillance, abuse-of-power and accountability investigations all fit. Letter of Commitment from a news outlet required for full proposals (not for seed). Seed deadline ~10 May 2026; regular deadline 14 September 2026, 23:59 ET. Reviewed three to four times per year. Stories must be published in English with a U.S. media outlet. Ethnic media and journalists of colour particularly encouraged.

  10. Foundation for Contemporary Arts: Emergency Grants

    Foundation for Contemporary Arts · United States and US territories · Deadline: Rolling / undated · Award: $500 to $3,000 (average ~$2,200)

    Year-round support for unanticipated opportunities or emergencies tied to a confirmed innovative artistic project. Open to individual visual and performing artists and poets living in the US or US territories with a US tax ID. Apply 8 to 10 weeks before your public presentation date. Designed to cover sudden costs (a venue change, a confirmed exhibition or performance opportunity with a tight runway, etc.).

  11. Pulitzer Center: Data Journalism Grants

    Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting · Worldwide (remote application) · Deadline: Rolling / undated · Award: Typically $5,000 to $10,000+ per project (covers reporting hard costs; no salaries or equipment)

    Funds data-driven reporting that uses ML, NLP, satellite imagery, sensors and other computational methods on under-reported issues. Open to freelance and staff data journalists worldwide. Reviewed first-come, first-served on a rolling basis; decisions usually within a month.

  12. Critical Playground: Freelance Writer Commissions

    Critical Playground · Remote · Deadline: Rolling / undated · Award: Paid commissions

    Commissioned long-form writing at the intersection of design, technology, art and culture. Editorial themes: designing with AI as cultural and infrastructural system; responsive and adaptive materials; politics of platforms and creative-infrastructure governance; post-digital hybrid making; designing for collapse and continuity; creative research as practice. In-depth pieces only, no press releases or promotional copy.

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