About Journalism Travel Grants
The Neal Peirce Foundation anticipates offering three travel grants of up to $1,500 each in 2021, and a larger number of grants in 2022 and beyond.
Grants are intended to support journalists in covering undertold stories about ways to make cities and their metro regions work better for all their people. Grants will cover travel expenses necessary for on-the-ground reporting. Full-time freelancers as well as journalists currently employed by a news organization are eligible to apply.
The grants are for journalists to travel to cities within the U.S. to produce one or more stories for publication.
ACCESS THE GRANT APPLICATION HERE.
Deadlines
In 2021, applications will be accepted for consideration from late July through September 1st, with notification of awards expected in early October.
Eligibility & Expectations
Reporters, writers, editors, and photographers are eligible for travel grant awards if they have had stories published in the previous 3 years. Full-time freelancers as well as journalists currently employed by a news organization are welcome to apply. We especially welcome applicants early in their journalism careers or from backgrounds underrepresented in today’s news media.
- Timing: The expectation is that travel will occur within three months of award receipt, and the story will be submitted to the pitched outlet within three months of travel ending.
- Geography: Travel must be within the U.S., and can be local or long distance, and by any means of reasonable transport (bus, rail, air, auto, etc.).
- Promotion: It is expected that stories produced with a grant will briefly mention the Peirce Foundation’s support for the project at the end. Grant recipients are expected to promote the story from their social media accounts and may be asked to participate in Foundation efforts to publicize the availability and impact of Journalism Travel Grants in the future.
Application Review Process
Applications will be vetted by an expert Advisory Council subcommittee of established journalists and urbanists, who will submit recommendations regarding which applications to fund for approval by the Foundation’s Board of Directors in late September.
