🔍
☰
Applications are currently being accepted for the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Freelance Fellowship 2026. Interested applicants are encouraged to click here to learn more about this opportunity and apply for it.
Created in 2008, the fellowships are awarded for nonfiction project proposals which demonstrate impact, breadth and significance. Proposals for books, documentaries, cable series and other long-form projects are eligible. We also accept proposals for shorter term work such as video or audio projects for broadcast or online sites, articles for newspapers, magazines, online sites and niche news publications, among others. Proposals that deal with whistleblowers, business ethics or privacy issues will be given priority. It is intended to support work that will be primarily published or broadcast in the U.S. and in outlets where the primary audience will be at least a part of the American public.
What does the fellowship provide?
Long-term project – Up to $4,000, a one-year IRE membership, the choice of attending either NICAR or IRE Conference, and a two-hour consultancy for reporting and legal services from Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE).
Short-term project – Up to $2,000, a one-year IRE membership, the choice of attending either NICAR or IRE Conference, and a two-hour consultancy for reporting and legal services from Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE).
Open to:
Apply for IRE Freelance Fellowship
