Applications are now open for the Jefferson Fellowship. Jefferson Fellowships program will investigate the rising anxiety regarding the political and economic security of the Indo-Pacific area in the context of China’s assertive actions against other South China Sea claims and heightened tensions in the Taiwan Straits.
About Jefferson Fellowships 2024
Opportunity Details
The overarching goal of the Jefferson Fellowships is to increase public awareness of issues in the US and the Asia-Pacific region through the news media by offering a three-week dialogue, study, and travel program that centers around a certain theme.
About Fellowship
The 2024 Jefferson Fellows will have a wealth of opportunities to investigate many perspectives on these interconnected dynamics and concerns, as well as their wider implications for the Indo-Pacific region and worldwide orders. Through this program, journalists will have the direct chance to discuss future scenarios and policy options with academic and corporate experts, government and political leaders, and local journalists.
The program will start with roundtable discussions between the Fellows and representatives from other countries in the region at the East-West Center in Honolulu. There will also be meetings with US officials and analysts to gain insight into the US’s perspective on security, its role in upholding regional order, its alliances and relationships, and the implications of the November elections.
After that, they’ll visit Taiwan and the Philippines to gain firsthand insight into these shifting and competing security and economic demands, as well as the new connections emerging from these dynamics—particularly in light of the US election outcomes. Where possible, other viewpoints—particularly those of China and Japan as major resident powers—will be virtually included.
Benefits of Jefferson Fellowships 2024
Ten to fourteen full or partial scholarships are offered by these funds, with roughly two to four going to deserving American journalists and eight to ten going to journalists from Asia Pacific. The following is a complete scholarship for the 2024 Jefferson Fellowships:
- Round-trip airfare during the duration of the study tour and to and from the participant’s home nation
- Accommodations across all the cities
- Program meals with a little daily allowance to offset missing meals
- Airport transfers and ground transportation
- Cultural events and networking possibilities
- Interpretation as required
- Meeting spaces, speaker honoraria, and partner organization expenses
- A knowledgeable guide and a well-planned schedule of events, including special access to speakers and local communities.
Jefferson Fellowships 2024 Requirements
Applicants must:
- Be a journalist in the United States or one of the eligible Asia-Pacific countries or territories, working in print, broadcast, or online media.
- Have worked as a professional journalist for at least five years.
- Possess the capacity to converse professionally in English.
- Journalists who can succinctly explain how the theme relates to their coverage areas and how they plan to apply the new knowledge to improve the viewpoints of readers, viewers, and listeners will be given preference.
- Journalists are highly encouraged to provide content for formal print and broadcast stories, blogs, and social media communications both during and after the program.
Eligible Countries:
- Afghanistan,
- Australia,
- Bangladesh,
- Bhutan,
- Brunei,
- Cambodia,
- China,
- East Timor,
- Federated States of Micronesia,
- Fiji,
- Hong Kong,
- India,
- Indonesia,
- Japan,
- Kiribati,
- Laos,
- Malaysia,
- Maldives,
- Marshall Islands,
- Mongolia,
- Myanmar,
- Nauru,
- Nepal,
- New Zealand,
- Niue,
- Pakistan,
- Palau,
- Papua New Guinea,
- Philippines,
- Samoa,
- Singapore,
- Solomon Islands,
- South Korea,
- Sri Lanka,
- Taiwan,
- Thailand,
- Tonga,
- Tuvalu,
- United States,
- Vanuatu, or Vietnam.
Documents Requirement:
- The application for the 2024 Jefferson Fellowships online.
- An interest letter (no more than three pages, double-spaced). The letter should contain the following:
- A succinct summary of your experience, job responsibilities, and news organization;
- An outline of your goals and the issues you hope to explore during the program, including potential story ideas;
- A discussion of the theme’s applicability to your audiences and coverage areas; and
- An explanation of how your participation will advance your career as a journalist. A suggested topic for the paper and presentation you will offer as part of the Fellowship should also be included.
- CV (Maximum 2 pages)
- A statement of support from the applicant’s employer or supervisor attesting to the fact that the applicant’s media organization supports their attendance at the Fellowship. (Freelance journalists are exempt from this.)
- Two letters of recommendation accompanied by professional references.
Participant Obligations
The professional exchange between journalists is a crucial component of the Jefferson Fellowships. Every Fellow must do the following:
- A few weeks before they arrive at the Center, prepare and turn in a brief paper (1,000–1,500 words). The theme of the paper should be covered, along with how the issue is being addressed at the political, business, and/or sociocultural levels in the journalist’s native nation, region, or area of coverage.
- Based on the previously submitted work, prepare an oral presentation (ten to fifteen minutes) and take part in the topic discussion. As fellow participants research, evaluate, and report on the fellowship’s theme and the Asia Pacific area, the presentations aim to professionally benefit from the knowledge and experience of participating journalists.
Notes
- A program fee of USD $800.00 must be paid by each Fellow to cover expenses not covered by the scholarship monies. In addition, fellows bear the cost of any applicable luggage fees, health insurance, and visa-related charges.
- They strongly encourage media groups to cost share program expenditures and/or airfare, as there aren’t many full scholarships available.
- Media organizations’ willingness to spend in participating journalists and their dedication to the program’s worth are perceived as indicators of their cost-sharing arrangement.
- Each applicant must submit a “Employer’s Statement of Support” outlining cost sharing. It is also acceptable for journalists to locate additional sponsors—such as regional foundations—or to offer cost-sharing on their own. Kindly indicate who is covering the cost sharing on a second copy of the Employer Statement of Support form.
Application Date and Process
To apply, click on the link to the application website below, and create your account, then apply.
Application Deadline
13 June, 2024
Scholarship Application Portal
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Jefferson Fellowships 2024
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