The Open Notebook Early-Career Fellowship Program 2027 ($6,600 stipend)

Overview

The Open Notebook Early-Career Fellowship Program 2027 is a paid, part-time, one-year fellowship for early-career science journalists. Fellows work with a mentor to plan, report and write articles for publication at The Open Notebook, and become part of its editorial team. The programme gives fellows room to explore their career interests, sharpen their skills and join a supportive, diverse community of past and present fellows and mentors. It has been supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund since 2013.

What you get

The fellowship provides a stipend of $6,600, along with mentorship and the chance to publish at The Open Notebook.

Who can apply

The fellowship is open to early-career science journalists, and people who live outside the U.S. are welcome to apply. Applicants must have fewer than three years of regular professional science writing experience, not counting internships and student work. Exceptions may be made where someone has more than three years of experience that was in a language other than English. Some training or experience in writing for the general public is required, though it does not need to be extensive.

Requirements

Priority goes to applicants with a strong intention to work mainly as professional science journalists, as opposed to other forms of science communication. Selectors also look for some understanding of the profession and its challenges, familiarity with The Open Notebook and its topics, an ability to generate suitable story ideas, a commitment to meeting deadlines and strong writing. All materials must be in English, and translated materials are acceptable.

How to apply

The application form asks why the applicant is interested and what they hope to learn, their prior experience writing about science for the general public, any particular skills or perspectives, and their plans for the fellowship period. It also needs short proposals of about 100 words for two features or multimedia stories suited to The Open Notebook, a resume or CV, one letter of reference, and up to two writing or multimedia samples aimed at a general audience. Writers from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, and applicants may optionally say if they belong to a group historically underrepresented in U.S. journalism, which is kept confidential.

Key dates

The application deadline is October 31, 2026.