Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Freelance Fellowship 2026 – YOA

Deadline: September 1, 2026

Applications are open for the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Freelance Fellowship 2026. Created in 2008, the fellowships are awarded for nonfiction mission proposals which exhibit influence, breadth and significance. Proposals for books, documentaries, cable sequence and different lengthy-kind tasks are eligible.

They additionally settle for proposals for shorter time period work corresponding to video or audio tasks for broadcast or on-line websites, articles for newspapers, magazines, on-line websites and area of interest information publications, amongst others. Proposals that cope with whistleblowers, enterprise ethics or privateness points will likely be given precedence. It is meant to help work that will likely be primarily printed or broadcast within the U.S. and in shops the place the first viewers will likely be no less than a part of the American public.

Benefits

There are two forms of awards:

• Short-term mission – Up to $2,000; a one-yr IRE membership; and a two-hour consultancy for reporting and authorized providers from Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE). This contains video or audio tasks for broadcast or on-line websites; articles for newspapers, magazines, on-line websites and area of interest information publications; amongst others.
• Long-term mission – Up to $4,000; a one-yr IRE membership; and a two-hour consultancy for reporting and authorized providers from Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE). This contains books, documentaries, cable sequence and different lengthy-kind tasks.

Eligibility

Open to

• Journalists who make their residing primarily as freelancers and want help in conducting investigative tasks.
• Freelance journalists who will publish the work primarily within the U.S. and in shops the place the first viewers will likely be no less than a part of the American public.

Criteria

• Proposals which exhibit influence, breadth and significance.
• Proposals that cope with whistleblowers, enterprise ethics or privateness points will likely be given precedence.
• Intended to help work that will likely be primarily be printed within the U.S. and in shops the place the first viewers will likely be no less than a part of the American public.

Application

Required application supplies embrace:

• Three clips showcasing investigative work
• Explain your freelance standing in as a lot element as mandatory for the choice committee to find out your eligibility
• Describe your mission.
  • How do you intend to spend the cash for those who obtain one of many IRE freelance fellowships?
  • If your mission requires further funding, how do you intend to boost the remainder of the funding mandatory to finish your mission?
  • Where do you hope to publish or air the mission?
  • Have you mentioned publication with any particular shops? If so, please summarize the conversations.
    • If you have got already signed a contract with a writer or broadcast outlet, please present specifics.
  • If you obtain one of many fellowships, when do you anticipate to ship the mission to a possible writer or broadcast outlet?

Click here to apply

For extra data, go to IRE Freelance Fellowship.