Currently 14 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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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).
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.
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.
Funding programme run by Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study based at ISER, University of Essex, enabling researchers to take time out to work on projects using the Study's data. The May 2026 round welcomes applications under three themes: (1) public engagement, defined as two-way activities such as public events/festivals of science with active dialogue, patient and public involvement, public dialogue, and co-production of research with local communities; (2) environment, climate change and energy use, drawing on newly released attitudinal, behavioural, administrative and smart data; (3) exploiting the unique value of the Study (large nationally representative longitudinal household survey, ethnic minority and immigrant boost samples, biomarker and genetic data). Eligibility: any researcher based at a UK HEI, research/policy institute, or third-sector organisation (University of Essex excluded; previously successful applicants excluded). Early career researchers (under 3 years post-PhD) must identify a mentor at their host institution; third-sector applicants must identify an academic collaborator. Application requires a signed Head of Department statement, project plan (max 2 pages), 2-page CV, cost estimate from the host HEI's finance office, and dissemination plan. Practical support also provided by the Study team on data, analysis plans, and impact strategies. Free to submit. Deadline 5pm on 27 May 2026; shortlist mid-June, interviews late June, decisions late June, kick-off October 2026.
Annual grant from the Whiting Foundation supporting writers completing deeply researched, imaginatively composed book-length nonfiction for a general adult readership. Ten grants of $40,000 each, intended for the mid-process stage of multiyear projects after substantial progress but before the final work is complete. Eligible categories include history, cultural or political reportage, biography, memoir, science, philosophy, criticism, graphic nonfiction, and personal essays. Excluded: self-help, historical fiction, textbooks, books for a scholarly audience, books for young readers, and self-published projects. Hard eligibility constraint: project must be under contract with a publisher in Canada, the UK, or the US by 31 May 2026, with a fully executed contract uploaded; no extensions are granted for contracts not signed by both parties by the application deadline. Application includes the original proposal, up to 15,000 words from the draft, statement of work yet to be completed, plan for use of funds, three written responses on premise/research methods/narrative approach, signed contract, 2-4 page resume, list of prior funding for the book, and a required letter of support from the publisher (plus optional letters of recommendation). Free to apply. Grantees announced December 2026 / January 2027.
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.
Flagship SSRC public-interest tech fellowship supporting researchers, artists, journalists, community-based researchers, social scientists, humanists, technologists and practitioners whose work expands public understanding of technology and contributes to more informed and accountable technological futures. One-year unrestricted award of up to $60,000 (January through December 2027) for research, creative practice or community-engaged work at the intersection of technology and society. Programme includes monthly virtual gatherings, individualised mentoring, one in-person workshop, plus ongoing access to the Just Tech network beyond the award year. Citizens of any country may apply but fellows must reside in the United States for the fellowship duration; SSRC does not sponsor visas. No formal degree requirement. Full-time students are not eligible. Application materials: 2-page CV; personal statement (1,000 words or 5-minute video); work proposal (3,000 words or 10-slide deck) addressing concept, technology engagement, approach/contribution, feasibility, field context and public contribution; 2 work samples. Application portal open 27 April to 28 June 2026 23:59 EST (single window for the 2027 cohort); selected fellows notified November 2026. Strong fit for critical data, algorithmic justice, platform governance and digital rights work.
Residential research sabbaticals at CAIS, explicitly open to excellent scholars AND practitioners across all career stages and disciplines (not academia-only). Funds individual projects on the societal impact of digital transformation, including pure research and applied projects that develop new theories, methods or perspectives for practice. Project must be self-contained with specific milestones and produce an independent output suitable for short-timeframe publication: peer-reviewed paper or conference contribution, book chapter, policy paper, or prototype. Fellows join a vibrant interdisciplinary research community with regular joint activities (breakfast Tuesdays, colloquium and dinner Wednesdays, occasional workshops Thursdays) and an international network of alumni, working groups and affiliates. In Germany, full and compensatory grants are not subject to social security contributions and are usually tax-exempt; fellows resident abroad should verify their own tax position. Note: CAIS is currently reviewing the application format and selection process for the next call, so details may change. Next call publishes at the beginning of June 2026; deadline 23 July 2026 for fellowships in the period October 2027 to March 2028. Contact: Dr. Esther Laufer, esther.laufer@cais-research.de.
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.
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships support researchers holding a PhD who wish to carry out research abroad, acquire new skills, develop their careers and have international mobility. Open to excellent researchers of any nationality. The 2026 call opened 9 April 2026 and closes 9 September 2026 at 17:00 CEST; notification of call results expected February 2027; grant agreement signature April 2027. Two strands: European Postdoctoral Fellowships (12 to 24 months in Europe) and Global Postdoctoral Fellowships (12 to 24 months outside Europe + 12-month return phase in Europe). The project must take place in a country different from where the researcher has worked or studied. Approximately 1,600 projects funded. Apply via the EU Funding & Tenders Opportunities Portal; submission is by the fellow plus host institution. Eligibility: researcher must have a PhD at the call deadline (or have submitted thesis with all requirements met), maximum 8 years full-time-equivalent research experience post-PhD, must comply with the mobility rule (no more than 12 months in the host country in the 36 months before the deadline).
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.
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.).
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.
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.