Deadline: February 18, 2019
The University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute is accepting applications for its 21th Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists, June 2-7, 2019. Ten journalists will be awarded Workshop fellowships, which include tuition, room and board, and travel support, thanks to the generosity of private donors and Metcalf Institute’s endowment. Two of the ten slots will be awarded to journalists based outside of the U.S.
The Metcalf Institute Annual Science Immersion Workshop provides professional journalists with hands-on experience in field and laboratory science with expertise from leading scientists and policymakers who are working to project the impacts of global change, identify adaptation measures, and investigate the most effective ways to communicate these challenges. The workshop will address water resource and climate change topics of global significance while focusing on local and regional case studies in and around Narragansett Bay, among the world’s best studied estuaries. Held at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, one of the nation’s premier oceanographic research institutions, the Metcalf Workshop provides an intense week of learning in the field, classroom and lecture hall.
Metcalf Fellows will:
- Receive a comprehensive overview of climate science and global change
- Gain a deeper understanding of how scientists conduct research and handle scientific uncertainty
- Develop the skills and confidence to interpret and translate the language of scientific journals for news audiences
- Build confidence in their abilities to discern the credibility of scientific sources
- Board a research vessel to study the impacts of rising water temperatures and ocean acidification on coastal ecosystems
- Explore the study of “emerging contaminants” such as PFAS that affect freshwater and marine ecosystems and public health
- Visit wetlands, shorelines, and coastal communities to better understand adaptive management efforts and solutions in response to sea level rise and coastal storms
- Discover new ways to write about global change to build audience understanding and engagement
- Cultivate new sources by interacting with leading researchers and policy experts in an informal, off-deadline atmosphere
- Network and develop lasting relationships with journalists from around the globe
Benefits
The fellowship includes room, board, tuition, and travel reimbursement paid after the program in the amount of up to US$500 for U.S.-based journalists and up to US$1,000 for journalists based outside of the U.S.
Journalists applying from outside the U.S. must provide written assurance that they have full travel funds and can obtain the appropriate visa.
Eligibility
- The Fellowship is designed for early- to mid-career, full-time journalists from all media who are looking to start or expand their coverage of the environment.
- Applicants must demonstrate a clear need for scientific training in topics relating to global change in coastal environments, specifically related to climate change and water resources.
Application
- This application has two parts – an online form and a set of required inclusions. Read thoroughly before applying for the workshop below.
- Application packages (online form and required enclosures together) will be used to evaluate applicants. Any hard copies of application materials will not be returned.
- All application forms and required enclosures must be submitted in English. Application packages in languages other than English will not be reviewed.
- Application packages that are not complete by midnight, U.S. Eastern Time, on February 18, 2019, will not be reviewed.
- Review this sample application and prepare your answers to the application questions in advance in order to complete your online application in a single session (once you log out of the online application, your browser may prevent you from logging back in).
For more information, visit Metcalf.
