We are pleased to receive applications from international applicants; however, please be advised that you must hold a current visa and be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.
We have a strong applicant pool each year, and – given the process involved in obtaining a visa – we require that this authorization has already been secured in order to guarantee that final candidates can in fact join the program.
We require a minimum of five years of professional journalistic experience - not public affairs, scientific content writing, etc. If you have that five years of journalism experience but have temporarily taken on another form of writing and are wanting to return to journalism, there is a chance that your application would be considered for the fellowship.
We require a minimum of five years of professional journalistic experience - not public affairs, scientific content writing, etc. If you have that five years of journalism experience but have temporarily taken on another form of writing and are wanting to return to journalism, there is a chance that your application would be considered for the fellowship.
Fellows arrive one week prior to the beginning of classes for an orientation program. Orientation begins in mid-August, although the specific date will vary slightly from year to year. Classes typically end before - or during - the first week of May. Fellows must complete a program evaluation, including a progress report on their independent project, by late April. They are also asked to complete an evaluation a year after their fellowship.
Fellows will receive a total of $80,000 for the nine-month academic year (beginning in fall 2023), and will receive a deposit over the course of the nine months at the end of each month. The fellowship covers tuition fees in addition to the stipend. It also provides a desktop computer in the office and a local bus pass. Fellows are strongly encouraged to continue benefits through their employer, including health insurance - this is not covered by the fellowship program.
Fellows pay for their own housing and make their own housing arrangements. After a fellow is selected, the Center for Environmental Journalism can provide some information about housing. A one-bedroom apartment in Boulder currently rents for about $1,400 per month, and two-bedroom apartments average $1,800 per month. (Of course, actual rental rates vary depending on location and other factors.) On-campus university housing is not available to fellows.
To fully experience the benefits of the program, we require fellows to live in Boulder and/or the surrounding area so they can participate in weekly seminars and occasional field trips, in-person. While the program has been adjusted as needed during the pandemic, this is the expectation.
Libraries: The University of Colorado Boulder is home to numerous science and environmental libraries. Norlin Library, the main campus library, is a repository for federal, state and UN documents. There is a law library on the Boulder campus and a medical library in Denver. The libraries at the National Center for Atmospheric Research are open to the public.
Computers: Fellows will be assigned computers and email accounts.
Recreational facilities: The newly renovated campus recreation center, with a full array of fitness facilities, is available to fellows however the fellowship does not cover these expenses.
The University of Colorado is recognized internationally as one of the world's leading centers for environmental inquiry, with researchers working within the physical sciences, social sciences, humanities, environmental design, law, and public health.
Journalists and students affiliated with the CEJ benefit from the on-campus presence of such world-class institutions as the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research; Cooperative Institute for Research in the Environmental Sciences; National Snow and Ice Data Center; Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research; Environmental Studies Program; Natural Hazards Center; and the Natural Resources Law Center. Nearby are 14 federal research institutes, including the National Center for Atmospheric Research; National Institute of Standards and Technology; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
No other place in the world can boast a greater concentration of environmental expertise and knowledge than Boulder. The wealth of these resources makes the CEJ an ideal place for working journalists to expand their knowledge and improve their abilities to report on environmental issues for the public, and to understand the connections between media, environment, and society.
Fellows will attend the annual conference of the Society of Environmental Journalists. In past years we have also gone on local field trips to places such as the National Ice Core Laboratory, Rocky Mountain National Park, the University of Colorado's Mountain Research Station, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Fellows may not work toward a degree or receive credit for completed courses. The emphasis of the fellowship program is learning for its own sake. As auditors, fellows usually are not required to complete course assignments and examinations, but they are typically expected to do the course readings. Fellows are encouraged to develop relationships with professors who can benefit the fellows' independent projects. Fellows may request an unofficial transcript as proof of the courses they audited.
Significant journalistic projects may include – but are not limited to – documentaries, podcasts, books, and feature articles which are intended to be published upon completion