The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University in the United States of America is inviting applications for its 2027–28 Nieman Fellowships, a fully funded academic-year programme offering experienced journalists an opportunity to study, conduct research, and strengthen their professional and leadership skills at Harvard.
Applications for the next fellowship year open in the first week of October 2026 with a deadline of December 1, 2026, for international applicants and January 31, 2027, for U.S. applicants.
The fellowship is open to working journalists in all media and from countries around the world, but applicants must have at least five years of full-time professional media experience. There is no age limit or academic degree requirement, although applicants must be fluent in English. Freelance journalists are also eligible.
Nieman Fellows spend an academic year in residence in the Cambridge area, where they audit courses at Harvard University and participate in seminars, workshops, conferences, and other programmes organised by the Nieman Foundation.
Fellows may select courses from across Harvard, including its professional schools, according to their individual interests and professional objectives and they may also audit selected courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tufts University.
The programme is intended to give journalists an opportunity to step away temporarily from their regular professional responsibilities, deepen their knowledge, explore new areas of journalism, and develop ideas that can strengthen their future work.
Fellows are required to complete work in at least one course each semester and participate in Nieman Foundation activities throughout the fellowship year.
The Nieman Foundation says it has selected more than 1,800 journalists from 100 countries for fellowships since the programme was established in 1938.
Applicants must be working journalists with at least five years of full-time media experience. Journalism-related work undertaken while at university does not count towards the five-year requirement.
The fellowship is open to journalists working in different media and professional roles, including reporters, editors, investigative journalists, visual journalists, and other media professionals.
Applicants who work primarily in public relations or whose principal professional responsibilities are outside the media are not eligible.
Candidates also should not have completed a residential fellowship lasting four months or longer during the five years preceding their application.
Applicants are required to complete an online application containing two essays, a professional profile, a study proposal summary, work samples, and three letters of recommendation.
The first essay is a personal statement of up to 1,000 words describing the applicant’s journalistic experience, career plans, professional goals, and the experiences and values that have shaped their work, while the second is a study proposal of up to 500 words, explaining what the applicant intends to study at Harvard and the central question or interest that will guide the fellowship year. Applicants are expected to identify Harvard resources that would contribute to their objectives.
The foundation stresses that the Nieman Fellowship is not a writing residency, and book proposals are therefore not eligible as study proposals.
Applicants must also submit a professional profile of no more than 100 words and a study-proposal summary of no more than 50 words.
Work samples are a significant component of the application, and the foundation has said that it is particularly interested in applicants’ recent work, with most samples expected to have been published or broadcast during the 12 months preceding completion of the application.
Print and digital journalists are required to submit four published samples while photographers must provide at least five published samples comprising a minimum of 10 images.
Video and audio journalists must submit three to five samples with a combined viewing or listening time of no more than 30 minutes, while graphics and data-visualisation specialists are required to submit four published samples.
Editors and journalists working in areas such as business, technology, audience engagement, or leadership may also be required to submit statements explaining their professional roles and approaches to their work.
Applicants must arrange for three confidential letters of recommendation. Two recommendations should come from professional associates who know the applicant’s journalism and can assess their abilities, potential for growth, and leadership. The third should come from an immediate supervisor who can assess the applicant’s professional qualifications. For freelancers, the latter may be someone who has recently supervised or worked closely with them.
For international applicants, recommendations must be submitted by December 15, while recommendations for U.S. applicants are due by February 14.
Nieman Fellows receive a US$87,500 stipend paid over nine months to cover living costs, while the foundation also provides health-insurance supplements of up to US$6,250 for the Fellow and a spouse each, US$3,750 for each child under 18, as well as child-care assistance for children aged 12 and younger.
The foundation covers the cost of Harvard classes for Fellows and their spouses or partners. Affiliates may audit classes, use Harvard libraries and facilities, and participate in most Nieman activities.
The Nieman Foundation currently also offers the Nieman-Berkman Klein Fellowship in Journalism Innovation, which allows selected Fellows to participate both in the Nieman programme and in the community of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.
Applicants interested in journalism innovation apply through the regular Nieman Fellowship application and should explain how their proposed project or research could have an impact on journalism more broadly. Both U.S. and international applicants are eligible.
Recent Nieman Fellows have pursued research into issues including press restrictions, generative artificial intelligence, access-to-information laws, the representation of marginalised communities, audience engagement, climate change, disinformation, and trust in journalism.
The 89th class, announced in May 2026, comprises 22 journalists from 12 countries working across print, digital, television, audio, photography, and illustration.
The Nieman Foundation says international applicants who are nationals of countries where the United States has suspended issuance of J visas should wait until such restrictions are lifted before applying, unless they also hold citizenship and a passport from a country not affected by the restriction.
For further information, please go to https://nieman.harvard.edu/fellowships/how-to-apply.
