The Pulitzer Center, an organisation that raises awareness of underreported global issues by directly supporting quality journalism across all media platforms, is inviting journalists and newsrooms to submit proposals for reporting projects that use advanced data techniques, including machine learning and natural language processing, to investigate complex issues and solve challenging reporting problems.
The grants support data-driven journalism that uses technology to uncover information that may otherwise be difficult to identify. Previous grantees have used machine learning to investigate abandoned oil wells in Texas, examine land banks in Ohio, and map the growth of gold mining in the Amazon rainforest.
Successful projects have combined machine learning with other reporting tools, including geospatial analysis, satellite imagery, and traditional field reporting. The Pulitzer Center also encourages collaboration between journalists, data specialists, newsrooms, and other experts whose skills can strengthen an investigation.
The programme is looking for compelling stories based on original, transparent data collection and analysis. Projects should have the potential to contribute to public understanding, shape public discussion, and promote accountability.
Applicants should explain why machine learning is necessary for their project and why other approaches may not be sufficient. They should also describe the data they intend to use, including any potential biases, as well as the size and complexity of the dataset.
Proposals should provide details about the machine learning model, including whether it has been tested on a smaller dataset and how its accuracy will be assessed. Applicants are also encouraged to consider whether their model and methodology can be replicated or adapted by other journalists.
The Pulitzer Center places strong emphasis on transparency. Grantees are encouraged to share their methodologies and code, explain the ethical considerations behind their research and reporting, and clearly identify any limitations in the data. The aim is for each supported project to provide useful lessons for other newsrooms undertaking similar investigations.
Applicants are required to submit a 250-word description of their proposed project. Proposals with a clear distribution strategy and letters of interest or support from publishers or editors are encouraged.
A detailed methodology should explain how the data will be collected and analysed, as well as how the information will be fact-checked or independently verified. Applicants should also explain whether they intend to make their code or data publicly available after publication.
The application should include a preliminary budget with a basic breakdown of expected costs, including travel, software, satellite or GIS services, and hardware where applicable. Salaries or stipends for journalists and team members already employed by newsrooms or paid by publishers should not be included. However, fees for consultants such as data analysts, coders, and data visualisation specialists may be included.
Applicants must also provide three links to published examples of work by themselves or members of their project team, three professional references, and a current resume or curriculum vitae. A more detailed project description and reporting plan may also be submitted.
Projects of different sizes and scopes will be considered. Each proposal should have one designated team leader, and only one project should be submitted per journalist, data team, or newsroom.
The grant is currently open, and applications are reviewed on a rolling, first-come basis. The opportunity is open to U.S. residents and journalists around the world. Freelance data journalists, staff journalists, and groups of newsrooms working together on a data journalism project are welcome to apply.
The Pulitzer Center encourages applications from journalists and newsrooms representing a wide range of social, racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, particularly groups that have historically been underrepresented in journalism.
There is no fixed budget range for the Machine Learning Grants. The Pulitzer Center considers projects of different sizes and may support multiple projects each year. Previous data journalism grants have generally ranged from $10,000 to $25,000, although individual awards may be higher or lower depending on the needs and circumstances of each project.
The grants generally do not cover books, although funding may support a story that later becomes part of a book if the story is independently published by a media outlet. Feature-length films are also not covered, although short documentaries with strong distribution plans may be considered.
Other expenses that are generally excluded include staff salaries, equipment purchases, general newsroom expenses such as rent and utilities, startup funding, routine breaking news coverage, advocacy or marketing campaigns, and data projects intended solely for academic research. Equipment rentals may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
For additional questions, applicants can contact the Pulitzer Center’s editorial team at reacheditorial@pulitzercenter.org.
For more information and to apply, please visit https://pulitzercenter.org/grants-fellowships/opportunities-journalists/machine-learning-reporting-grants.
