Call & Application

Who can apply?

Journalists who:

• have an urgent need for recovery. This may be the case if they are working in a country with restricted press freedom or have recently reported on a particularly sensitive topic and are facing threats or persecution caused by their journalistic work.
• are digitally endangered.
• need time for a new journalistic project that they will realize during their fellowship.

Application deadline: December 20^th, 2022, at 11:59 pm (CET).

Requirements for a Successful Application:

• Several years of work experience as a journalist.

Please note: Although the work of human rights activists is very valuable, we cannot invite individuals who are not full-time journalists, as they do not fall under our mandate.

• Personal threat situation due to journalistic work or difficult working conditions caused by external factors.
• Good knowledge of the English or German language. The applicant must be able to communicate well with the supervisors and the professional environment.
• A passport that is valid for at least twelve months at the time of application (or can be independently re-applied/renewed).
• A state of health that allows longer trips and the six-month stay in the host country, as well as sufficient independence to manage everyday affairs alone.
• Ability and willingness to return to the country of origin after the fellowship period.

Please note: Applications who are unable to return to their home country due to the political situation there or due to their own threat level can unfortunately not be considered in the application process. This is mainly due to the fact that no visa will be issued by the German authorities without the possibility of return. 

• A journalistic project which can be further developed or even finished. We expect a thought-through and detailed outline of the project.

Application Documents
Your application must include the following documents:

• The completed and signed application form (download on the right-hand side).
• A scan of your current passport (valid for another 12 months, or independently renewable).
• Your curriculum vitae in tabular form (CV).
• A motivation letter (1-2 pages) in which you explain why you are applying for the research fellowship. Please address what specific factors threaten or complicate your personal work situation. Please also write how you plan to use your stay in Berlin and how it will positively impact your future work in your home country.
• Elaborated project outline (1-2 pages), please address the following questions:
  • What is your idea for a research project that you would like to publish?
  • What topic would you like to work on and why?
  • How would you like to realize your chosen project?
  • In what medium (photography, video, reportage, print, podcast) would you like to publish the project and why?
  • Why are you dealing with the topic and what is the value of the project for society?

Please send the completed application form and other requested documents in PDF format to: research@reporter-ohne-grenzen.de

The deadline is December 20th, 2022, at 11:59 pm (CET).

You can also communicate with us in encrypted form via the secure provider Protonmail. For this purpose, you can create a free email account via this page https://protonmail.com/de/ and send your application from there to our Protonmail address rsf-research@protonmail.com. We are especially looking forward to applications from women and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.