The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship offers women and nonbinary journalists who cover social justice and human rights with chances for academic and professional advancement.
About IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship for Female Journalists
Opportunity Details
This Fellowship was established in honor of Elizabeth Neuffer, a Boston Globe correspondent and 1998 recipient of the IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, who passed away on May 9, 2003, while covering the war in Iraq. The IWMF launched this program in cooperation with Neuffer’s friends and family in order to carry on her legacy and further her work in the social justice and human rights movements.
Fellowship Timeline:
- Starting in February 2025, the Fellowship will run through July 2025. An orientation in Washington, D.C., may be part of the program, contingent upon public health regulations and restrictions.
- From February through May, Neuffer Fellows are housed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the Center for International Studies. They create a program in collaboration with the IWMF that will allow them to continue their academic studies and enhance their capacity to write on social justice and human rights issues.
- The Neuffer Fellows are stationed in New York City after the spring semester, where they work as full-time interns at The New York Times from June to July.
- Fellows are required to finish the whole six-month program.
Fellowship Components:
- Neuffer Fellows have the opportunity to audit various classes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other local universities during the fall semester.
- The Center for International Studies helps Neuffer Fellows plan their academic schedules, and each Fellow chooses how many classes to audit and how much time they want to spend in The Boston Globe newsroom.
- Fellows will have the opportunity to observe journalists and editors in action, develop their skills, and interact with the journalism community at The New York Times.
- The New York Times’ Elizabeth Neuffer fellows will be assigned to a reporting assignment in a department of The Times’ choosing.
- With the assistance of some of the best reporters and editors in the United States, the goal of the placement is to push your journalistic skills, particularly on breaking news, to new heights.
- Fellows will almost certainly be assigned to a newsroom (Live, Express, or Climate are possibilities, though departments are subject to change).
- While at The New York Times, fellows will not be able to intern at the International or Gender desks.
- Fellows are required to work at The New York Times for the duration of their Fellowship.
- Ideal candidates will write cleanly and with context on a tight deadline and have strong breaking news skills on any topic.
Benefits of IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship for Female Journalists
- Neuffer Fellows will be paid a monthly stipend to help with living expenses.
- The IWMF also arranges and pays for the Fellow’s housing in Cambridge and New York City.
- The IWMF pays for round-trip economy airfare from the Fellow’s home to Washington, D.C., and travel between the Fellowship cities.
- During the program, the Fellow is covered by health insurance.
- The Fellowship does not come with a salary.
- The Fellowship will also cover the costs of applying for and obtaining a U.S. visa for fellows who live outside of the United States.
- Any additional incidental expenses and other costs are entirely the Fellow’s responsibility.
Note: The fellow’s family members are welcome to accompany the fellow. The IWMF, on the other hand, will not be responsible for any arrangements or expenses relating to family members’ travel and residence, including visa application support.
IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship for Female Journalists Requirements
- Female, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming journalists whose work focuses on human rights and social justice issues are eligible for the Neuffer Fellowship.
- Working journalists with at least three years of full-time, professional journalism experience are required to apply for the Neuffer Fellowship. Professional expertise does not include internships or journalism-related work done as a university student. Staff or freelance journalists are eligible to apply.
- Journalists from all over the world are encouraged to apply.
- Applicants must be able to speak, read, and write fluent English.
Application Requirements
The following information will be included in a complete application:
- Biography
- Current résumé or curriculum vitae
- Statement of interest
- Fellowship goals
- 2 work samples with human rights or social justice issues (links preferred)
- If the applicants’ work samples are not in English, they must submit their translations and a professional translator’s accuracy assessment. Applicants can also have their work samples professionally translated.
- Two recommendation letters (in English)
Application Date and Process
Interested and eligible female journalists can apply through the link to the application website. In June, the selection process will be completed. Shortly after, all applicants are notified of their application status. In July, a press release announcing the Fellow will be published.
Application Deadline
21 April, 2024
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IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship for Female Journalists
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