The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), an organisation based in Columbia, Missouri, which empowers journalists with knowledge, tools and funding to strengthen journalism through practical innovation, is seeking submissions from individuals and organisations interested in creating practical and innovative resources to support community-focused journalism, journalists, and the communities they serve.
All fellowship projects would be developed, tested, and launched in the course of the fellowship and must remain free, accessible, and open-source for use by journalists, newsrooms, and the public.
For the Institutional Fellowship, the RJI Fellow would be placed within an organisation to develop a specific resource, tool, programme, or product that addresses a current need, gap, or challenge for that organisation, while also being applicable and beneficial to other journalists and organisations across the industry.
This fellowship is designed for individuals who wish to work within an organisation’s environment, collaborating across teams and benefiting from the organisation’s support and partnership. Note that fellows may already be employed by the media outlet or may engage through a mutually agreed-upon partnership for the duration of the project. Funding can be directed to either the organisation or the individual to support the fellow’s project costs.
During the eight-month fellowship, fellows are expected to develop, test, and gather feedback, both internally and externally, on their tool, product, or resource. The final output must be launched at the conclusion of the fellowship and made freely accessible to all journalists and newsrooms.
The fellowship will be conducted remotely, with a few visits to the Reynolds Journalism Institute during the programme.
The fellowship is set to begin on June 29, 2026. Fellows will receive a stipend of $75,000, paid directly to either the organisation or the fellow in three instalments based on the completion of deliverables.
For Individual Fellowship, the fellowship is designed for journalists, consultants, researchers, or other individuals who wish to develop a resource, tool, programme, or product that addresses a current need, gap, or challenge in journalism. It is ideal for those who may have a full-time job or freelancing work but want to pursue an innovative project outside of their regular commitments. The fellowship funding will be provided directly to the individual to help cover project costs.
Over the eight-month fellowship, fellows are expected to build, test, and gather feedback, both internally and externally, on their project before launching it at the conclusion of the programme. The final product, resource, or tool must be free and accessible to all journalists and newsrooms.
The fellowship will be conducted remotely, with a few visits to the Reynolds Journalism Institute during the programme. It will commence on June 29, 2026, and includes a $75,000 stipend, paid in three instalments based on the completion of deliverables.
The Emerging Technology Fellowship is designed for RJI Fellows who aim to leverage emerging technology to create a resource, tool, or product, where the technology itself is essential to solving a specific challenge in journalism. The project should offer solutions that would not be possible without the use of the selected emerging technology.
Fellows are expected to build, test, and gather feedback, both internally and externally, on their project before launching it at the conclusion of the eight-month fellowship. The final product, resource, or tool must be free and accessible to all journalists and newsrooms.
The fellowship will be conducted remotely, with a few visits to the Reynolds Journalism Institute during the programme. It begins on June 29, 2026, and includes a $100,000 stipend, paid directly to the fellow in three instalments based on the completion of deliverables.
For more information, please visit this link: https://rji.submittable.com/submit. The deadline to submit applications is February 6, 2026.
