Call for applications: FRONTIERS Science Journalism Residency Program (round 3)

The FRONTIERS Science Journalism Residency Program is an EU-funded initiative aimed at empowering science journalists to create independent reporting on complex scientific topics. The program provides fellowships lasting between three to five months at research institutions located in EU Member States or Horizon Europe-associated countries. Eligible applicants include early-career journalists and established professionals producing independent journalistic content across various media formats. A crucial requirement is that journalists must partner with a host institution committed to supporting their residency.

The funding structure is a grant, offering a monthly allowance of up to €6,000, with a total funding amount of €600,000 allocated for up to 40 fellowships across four annual application rounds running from 2023 to 2026. The application procedure is an open call format with multiple deadlines, with key dates established for each round.

Applicants must submit a detailed proposal that includes sections on the residency project, host institution information, and budget justification. Required documentation includes a professional CV, work samples, and letters of commitment from both the journalist and host institution. A two-step evaluation process will assess project quality, journalist qualifications, and societal impact, with an emphasis on diversity and a balanced selection in terms of gender and nationality.

The program seeks to enhance public understanding of science and foster ethical reporting by bridging the gap between journalism and academia. Selected fellows will receive substantial financial support while gaining opportunities for networking, training, and independent learning within research environments. This initiative not only aims to improve the quality of science communication but also to promote public engagement with scientific advancements.

The FRONTIERS Science Journalism Residency Program (round 3) is a funding opportunity under the ERC Science Journalism Initiative (Topic ERC-2023-SJI-1). The project, titled "Fellowship Residencies Offering science News professionals Tools and training for Independent and Ethical Reporting on Science," has been assigned grant agreement number 101121863. The total funding available is 600,000 EUR.

The program aims to empower science journalists to bridge the gap between complex scientific discoveries and public understanding. It seeks to foster independent journalism by providing journalists with opportunities to learn and work on in-depth reporting projects through immersion in research environments and interaction with scientists and scholars. The main objectives include enhancing journalists’ professional development, fostering critical thinking and ethical reporting, bolstering public trust in scientific institutions, promoting curiosity about frontier research, and strengthening mutual learning between scientists and journalists.

Selected journalists will participate in residencies at European research institutions, pursuing independent reporting ideas or delving into specific frontier research fields. The program offers fellowship residencies of 3 to 5 months, unrestricted access to diverse research areas, networking and training activities, opportunities for cross-institutional experiences, and independence and credibility in reporting. The residencies encourage independent journalism and focus on frontier research topics, including those funded by the ERC. Four calls are planned between 2023 and 2026, supporting up to 40 fellowships.

The opening date for submissions is February 4, 2025. The program uses a multiple cut-off deadline model. The deadline dates are March 6, 2024, at 04:00 (Brussels time); September 26, 2024, at 03:00 (Brussels time); May 6, 2025, at 17:00 (Brussels time); and May 7, 2026, at 04:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is 3-5 months.

Eligibility criteria for journalists include being in the early stage of their career (up to five years of experience), being a professional across various media formats producing independent journalistic content, and demonstrating a commitment to full-time engagement during the residency. Host institutions must be located in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries, host cutting-edge research groups across any scientific field, and be committed to providing essential support and full independence to resident journalists.

The application structure includes sections for the applicant journalist, host institution(s), residency project, budget, and documentation.

The application for the journalist requires: Name, Nationality, Email, Phone number, Career level application (early career), Gender, Country of residence, and Date of birth.

The application for the host institution(s) requires: Host Institution(s) Name, Country, Name of FRONTIERS Manager at Host Institution, and Email of FRONTIERS Manager at Host Institution.

The application for the residency project requires: Length of the residency (Tentative), Project title, Project Description, Frontier research, Impact on the communication of frontier research, Names of scientists’ collaborators, and Scientific Domain (Physical Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences, and/or Social Sciences and Humanities) and sub-domains (optional).

The application for the budget requires: Budget justification and Requested Grant.

The application documentation requires: A professional CV (describing professional experience, expertise and experience relevance to the field, commitment to journalism, participation in science journalism events, and interactions with researchers, max. 4000 characters), work samples (up to 10 relevant samples from the last two years in a single PDF file, with English summaries for non-English work and links for audio/video samples), optional recommendation letters (up to 3 in a single PDF), a commitment letter by the science journalist (based on the provided template), and a commitment letter by the host institution (based on the provided template, signed by a representative on the institution's letterhead).

Eligible journalists should find and contact an eligible host institution and complete the application form, submitting all required documentation through the online form on the FRONTIERS website.

Applications will undergo a two-step evaluation process, focusing on project quality, journalist credentials, and societal impact. The final selection aims for diversity in gender and nationality. The evaluation committee will include members of the FRONTIERS consortium and the Advisory Board. Selection committee members will disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

Selected fellows will receive a grant of up to 4,000 EUR per month, adhering to EU rules. The subgrants are not given by the European Union or by the European Research Council, and neither the EU nor the ERC Executive Agency can be held responsible for them.

Additional resources include the FRONTIERS Residency Program Guide (PDF), tips for submitting a successful proposal, a Frontier Science crash course, recordings of Info Days (call 1 and 2), and the FRONTIERS Database of Host Institutions. All documentation necessary for application submission is available at the FRONTIERS website (https://frontiers.media/).

In summary, the FRONTIERS Science Journalism Residency Program offers science journalists the opportunity to immerse themselves in a research environment at a European institution. Journalists with up to five years of experience can apply for a 3-5 month residency, receiving up to 4,000 EUR per month. The program aims to improve science communication by fostering collaboration between journalists and scientists, encouraging in-depth reporting on frontier research, and promoting public understanding of complex scientific topics. The application process involves finding a host institution, completing an application form, and submitting required documentation, including a CV, work samples, and commitment letters. The program seeks to support independent journalism and enhance the quality and accessibility of science news.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are journalists (specifically early-stage career journalists with up to five years of experience) and host institutions (research groups located in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries). Journalists must be professionals across various media formats producing independent journalistic content and committed to full-time engagement during the residency. Host institutions must host cutting-edge research groups across any scientific field and be committed to providing essential support and full independence to resident journalists.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant. Selected fellows will receive a grant of up to 4,000 EUR per month. This is provided through a Financial Support for Third Parties (FSTP) mechanism.

Consortium Requirement: A consortium is required, involving both a journalist and a host institution. The journalist applies for the residency and must be affiliated with a host institution.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Host institutions must be located in EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries. The geographic eligibility for journalists is not explicitly stated, but it is implied that they should be able to reside and work in the EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated Countries where the host institution is located during the residency.

Target Sector: The program targets the intersection of science and journalism, specifically focusing on empowering science journalists to communicate complex scientific discoveries to the public. It supports independent journalism and frontier research topics across any scientific field, including Physical Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences, and Social Sciences and Humanities.

Mentioned Countries: EU Member States and Horizon Europe Associated Countries are mentioned as the location for eligible host institutions.

Project Stage: The project stage is focused on development and validation, providing journalists with the opportunity to immerse themselves in research environments and develop in-depth reporting projects. The residencies encourage independent journalism and exploration of frontier research topics.

Funding Amount: The funding is up to 4,000 EUR per month for selected fellows. The total funding available for the project is 600,000 EUR.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, with multiple cut-off dates. There are four calls envisaged in the period 2023-2026.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries receive money in the form of a monthly grant. They also receive non-monetary services, including access to research areas, networking and training activities, and opportunities for cross-institutional experiences.

Application Stages: The application process involves a two-step evaluation process, focusing on project quality, journalist credentials, and societal impact.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly stated.

Co-funding Requirement: The information does not explicitly state whether co-funding is required.

Summary:

The FRONTIERS Science Journalism Residency Program is an initiative designed to bridge the gap between complex scientific discoveries and public understanding by empowering science journalists. The program offers early-stage career journalists the opportunity to immerse themselves in European research institutions for 3 to 5 months, pursuing independent reporting projects on frontier research topics. Selected fellows receive a monthly grant of up to 4,000 EUR to support their residency.

To be eligible, journalists must partner with a host institution located in an EU Member State or Horizon Europe Associated Country. Host institutions provide essential support and full independence to the resident journalists. The application process involves submitting an application form and required documentation, including a CV, work samples, recommendation letters, and commitment letters from both the journalist and the host institution.

Applications undergo a two-step evaluation process that considers project quality, journalist credentials, and societal impact. The program aims to foster independent journalism, critical thinking, and ethical reporting, ultimately bolstering public trust in scientific institutions and promoting curiosity about frontier research. The FRONTIERS initiative plans to support up to 40 fellowships through four calls between 2023 and 2026. The total funding available for the project is 600,000 EUR.