Deadline: 2 August 2022.
 With the aim of supporting the production of stories that raise awareness about viral zoonotic diseases and drive conversation among communities and policy makers at the local, national, and regional level, EJN is calling upon you to apply for the EJN STOP Spillover Story Grants 2022.
Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is offering story grants to journalists from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Vietnam to report on viral zoonotic diseases and efforts to prevent their spillover from animals to humans.
EJN STOP Spillover Story Grants 2022 welcomes articles that present data and the most recent scientific findings, explain the causes of zoonotic spillover, point out preventative measures to foresee and control future outbreaks, and go into detail about the connections between public health and other global challenges.
Proposals that focus on topics or stories that have not been widely covered are preferred. Issues that have already received a lot of media coverage or don’t provide unique angles are less likely to be selected.
Story Themes
We welcome story ideas that focus on the following zoonotic viruses:
- Ebola
- Marburg
- Animal-origin zoonotic influenza viruses
- Animal-origin coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV)
- Nipah virus
- Lassa virus
Eligibility
- Only journalists based in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Vietnam are eligible to apply.
- Groups of journalists are eligible. However, the application must be made in the name of one lead applicant. Lead applicants are responsible for communicating with EJN and receiving funds on the group’s behalf, if awarded.
- For the purposes of this grant opportunity, we will accept applications in English and French. However, stories may be produced in any language.
- Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio). Freelance reporters and staff reporters from international, national, local or community-based outlets are eligible. We encourage applications from early-career journalists, but experienced reporters with a track record of reporting on health and environmental issues are also welcome to apply.
- EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they engage in unethical or improper professional conduct.
Benefit
We expect to award at least one grant to each target country, with an average budget of $1,200 each.
Judging criteria
- Applicants should consider the following points when devising their story proposals.
- Relevance: Does the proposal meet the criteria and objectives of the call? Why does this story matter and to whom? Is the main idea, context and overall value to the target audience clearly defined?
- Angle: If the story has been covered, does your proposal bring new insights to the topic or offer a fresh angle?
- Impact: Does the proposal have a compelling narrative or investigative element that will inform and engage, draw attention, trigger debate and spur action?
- Innovative storytelling: The use of creative approaches, multimedia and data visualization will be considered a plus.
- Plan for timely publication: Reporters, whether freelance or employed at a media outlet, will need to include a letter of support from an editor in their application, committing to publish the stories by November 30
Visit the STOP Spillover website for more information
