About
Do you want to grow as a journalist while absorbing a universe of environmental knowledge?
The Grist Fellowship Programme is a paid opportunity to hone your skills at a national news agency and deepen your understanding of environmental issues. The experience is designed to give budding journalists with a demonstrated interest in environmental issues the experience to succeed in climate and environmental media. We offer real-world experience at a fast-paced news site, training in a variety of skills essential to a career in journalism, and exposure to the leading sustainability thinkers and theories of our time.
After a year working full-time at Grist and acquiring important skills in environmental journalism, the fellows went on to work for outlets such as The Atlantic, Capital B, The Verge, Wirecutter, Outside, Atlas Obscura, Greentech Media and, of course, Grist.
Do you have any questions about our bags? Scroll down to read our Frequently asked questions and see some of our previous colleagues and their work.
We are now accepting entries for our six scholarships 2023-2024 (start date: 1st March 2023). The deadline for submissions is midnight (Pacific time) on 19 December 2022.
Current scholars
Branca Begert ; John McCracken ; Brett Marsh ; Jessie Blaeser ; Joseph Lee Avery Nunn ;
Work
Electric vehicle boom could bring lithium mines back to North Carolina
The Corn Belt will get hotter. Farmers will have to adapt.
California warehouse centre residents pause on new developments
Compared to oil and gas, offshore wind energy is 125 times better for taxpayers
Ex-colleagues
Lina Tran ; Marigo Farr ; Diana Kruzman ; Little Chad. ; Júlia Kane.
Jena Brooker ; Joseph Winters ; Marcos Armao ; Maria Paula Rubiano A.
Alexandria Sir ; Adam Mahoney ; Brianna Baker
Emily Pontecorvo ; Myrka Moreno ; Justine Calma ; Raquel Ramirez ; Sabrina Imbler ; Rakia Crow
Molly Enking ; Paola Rosa-Aquino ; Angley Market ; Greta Moran ; Greta Jochem ; Zoe Sayler
Vishakha Darbha ; Angela Fichter ; Ana Sofia Knauf ; Samantha Larson ;Melissa Cronin ; Trader Emma Foehringer
Clayton Aldern ; Eva Andrews ; Amy McDermott ; Suzanne Jacobs ; Madalena Thomas ; Xian Chiang-Waren
Sara Bernardo ;Amber Cuts ; Sam Bliss
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who is the Grist Scholarship Programme for?
A: Grist aims to help train the next generation of environmental journalists and storytellers. The Grist Fellowship Programme is designed to provide writing experience for budding journalists who have demonstrated an interest in environmental and climate journalism and media. Perhaps you already have a journalism fellowship or two under your belt and now want to dedicate yourself to environmental reporting. Maybe you're a scientist with strong writing skills who wants to reach new audiences. Perhaps you recently graduated from journalism school or published the school newspaper while you were an undergraduate. You might even be a freelancer with several years of reporting experience, looking to learn what it's like to work in a newsroom environment.
Regardless of what brings you to our Fellowship Programme, if a Grist Fellowship could benefit your environmental journalism career, we'd love to hear from you. We especially encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply and encourage you to contact us if you have any questions. (bolsas@grist.org
Q: What kind of grants does Grist offer?
A: Grist offers six-year scholarships. All fellows are part of Grist's award-winning editorial team.
Q: When and how often does Grist hire fellows?
A: The annual Grist scholarship starts in the spring (usually in March) and lasts 12 months. Applications open in November and close in December.
Q: What is the deadline for applying?
A: The application window for Grist's 2023-2024 scholarships opens on 9 November 2022 and ends on 19 December 2022. You can apply on Smart Recruiter. Please follow the instructions in the job description for each scholarship here .
P: I've applied for the Grist scholarship before. Should I reapply?
A: Absolutely! If you weren't accepted the first time you applied, it usually helps to go back and get a bit more experience before applying again in a later round. If you weren't accepted for a scholarship round and would like feedback on what might have made your application stronger or closer to what we were looking for, you can write to us and we'll do our best to get back to you within a few weeks. It's also worth noting that some people who become Grist Scholars only succeed after their third or fourth attempt. Persistence can pay off.
P: I can apply for more than one Grist scholarship at the same time?
Yes. You can apply for several scholarships in a given cycle, as long as you meet the qualifications specified for each position.
Q: How long does a Grist scholarship last?
A: We ask scholarship holders to make a full-time commitment of 12 months.
Q: Is the scholarship paid?
A: The annual base salary for these positions is US$ 50,000. As limited-term employees, Fellows and their eligible dependents are also eligible to participate in Grist's health benefits programmes. All fellows will receive a company laptop during their time at Grist.
Q: Where can scholars work? Can it be outside the United States?
A: Scholars must have an address in the USA and be qualified to work in the USA. That said, they can work remotely from a location of their choice, as long as it matches Grist's core working hours. Depending on COVID-19 safety guidelines, fellows may also have the option of working from Grist's Seattle headquarters or New York office. Fellows are not required to relocate and remote work is always an option for fellows.
Q: What kind of work will I do during the scholarship?
A: Fellows are usually asked to write a few short stories or news analyses each week, contribute regularly to Grist's newsletter products and also have the opportunity throughout their fellowship to work on a company or special report.
Q: What concrete skills will I leave with after completing the Grist scholarship?
A: Our top priority is to immerse fellows in the topics of climate, justice and solutions while developing their skills as journalists. Fellows will become fluent in the environmental news of the day; solutions being developed by governments, the private sector and communities; and the critical role of equity in all environmental issues and possible solutions. Fellows learn to work in a busy, distributed newsroom and, by being paired with a lead editor and assistant editors, gain exposure to different editing styles. Fellows also have the opportunity to participate in weekly journalism trainings in a variety of journalistic skill areas, from filing FOIA requests to visualising data and cultivating relationships with sources.
Q: Where are the companions going after Grist?
A: Fellows have gone to national outlets including The Atlantic, Capital B, CNN, The Verge, Wirecutter, The New York Times, Outside Magazine, Atlas Obscura, Greentech Media, along with a number of local publications such as Crosscut in Seattle and the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Massachusetts. We work with fellows throughout their fellowship to understand their career aspirations, make introductions and consult on next career steps in the final months of the fellowship.
Q: Where can I learn more and how do I sign up?
A: Always visit grist.org/fellowships for the latest information on upcoming application deadlines. To apply, check out the links to all our job vacancies (including scholarships) here .
Q: Who can I contact if I have any questions?
A: You can write to us at any time at fellows@grist.org if you have any general questions. We'd appreciate the chance to get in touch!
