Apply 2025

R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship 2025

At home and abroad, Jim Travers had a sharp eye for world news and its domestic implications, and was concerned by the lack of in-depth international coverage in the Canadian media. The Fellowship aims to help fill this void and support those hoping to work in his tradition.

Applicants with imaginative, innovative perspectives on pressing global issues and imaginative ideas about how to effectively report them are encouraged to apply. 

Terms

This is an award of up to $25,000 for one year, administered by Carleton University. Applicants need not pitch a story that will entail using the entire sum. 

The award is intended to cover the costs of time spent researching, reporting, travelling, and producing a significant project; and, renting equipment and paying for help (e.g. translators, photographers, videographers). The award will not cover the purchase of equipment. 

Successful applicants are expected to focus exclusively on their Fellowship project while reporting in the field and to complete the project by the end of the calendar year in which it is awarded. 

Travers Fellows must agree to sign a waiver before heading into the field (waiver will be provided) and must also submit an expense report upon completion of the project.

All publication and/or broadcast of Fellowship work will be accompanied by an appropriate credit citing financial support from the R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship and be freely available to the public. 

While published work shall remain the property of the Fellow, Carleton University reserves the right to use completed projects to promote the Fellowship.

Fellows are required, upon completion of their project, to submit a journalistic reflection (no more than 500 words) that includes relevant photos taken in the field (of themselves at work as well as of their sources etc.) for use on the Fellowship website and related promotion efforts.

Eligibility

The Fellowship is open to Canadians, and non-Canadians holding a valid Canadian work permit, who are working as freelance or full-time journalists in any medium. Students enrolled in graduate-level journalism or equivalent programs are also encouraged to apply. Team submissions are accepted.

Ethics

Applicants must agree to abide by the Canadian Association of Journalists’ ethics guidelines as well as the Carleton School of Journalism and Communication Ethics Policy.


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How to Apply

Applicants must compile a package in English or French that includes the items listed below. Each item should be labelled properly and saved as a separate Word document. 

Late, incomplete or improperly labelled applications will not be considered.


1) Updated curriculum vitae: applicants working as a team should each send a CV.

  • REQUIRED LABEL: Last name, First name – 1 CV

2) A tightly-focused story pitch of no more than 1,000 words that demonstrates command of and insight into the proposed subject area, and that explains the story’s interest to a Canadian audience. Applicants are also encouraged to highlight any potential impacts on public policy, if applicable.

The pitch should address a single topic, reveal research into the subject matter, and offer insight into possible storylines and interviewees. The subject and most of the content produced must be from outside Canada.

Applicants should clearly indicate as part of their application whether they have applied for any other grants, fellowships or related funding, or whether there are any current or potential institutional partners associated with the proposal. 

They should also indicate the media format(s) they intend to use for their project, along with a concrete plan for engaging audiences online and through social media both prior to and after publication. The digital engagement strategy should include visual and/or audio components (photos, videos, podcasts, interactive elements, etc.) that would actively involve audiences and ensure the work remains available online into the future.

  • REQUIRED LABEL: Last name, First name – 2 Pitch

3) A reporting plan (no longer than one page) outlining the logistics of how and when the work will be researched, produced and published within the 2025 calendar year. 

  • REQUIRED LABEL: Last name, First name – 3 Plan

4) A letter of support from a credible Canadian media outlet that includes a commitment to publish or broadcast the finished project in English or French. The letter must state that the published Fellowship project will be made freely available to the public immediately upon publication.

  • REQUIRED LABEL: Last name, First name – 4 Publishing

5) A budget plan indicating how the award will be used. Applicants should download and use this template (the template does not include formulas and may be adapted as needed).

The budget prepared by our 2024 Fellowship recipient is another example of expenses that often must be considered.

Journalists who must forego salary or freelance income to complete their project may use a portion of the Fellowship money to cover lost compensation but news organizations publishing Fellowship projects are strongly encouraged to support their journalists, their projects and their applications by covering existing salaries or paying standard commissions during the Fellowship production period. Applicants may be asked to provide proof of lost income in the form of a letter from a supervisor. 

Journalists employed by a media organization are encouraged to seek in-kind editorial and/or technical support from their organization so that as much of the Fellowship money as possible may be devoted to the expenses directly related to the mandate of the Fellowship. 

  • REQUIRED LABEL: Last name, First name – 5 Budget

6) A document with links to work samples that display the range of the skills needed to deliver on the story pitch. Please do not send more than five links to clips and/or text-based stories. Applicants working as a team should each send up to five work samples. Any work behind a paywall should be saved as a PDF and sent separately.

  • REQUIRED LABEL: Last name, First name – 6 Work-1 // Last name, First name – 6 Work-2 etc.

7) References: all applicants should supply the names, titles and contact information (email and phone) of two supervising editors familiar with their work. Of the two references for students, one must be a faculty member who can speak to their capacity and preparedness to successfully undertake the project. Applicants working as a team should each supply two names. *We will only request letters from shortlisted applicants – see instructions below. Be sure the referees know that if they are required to write a letter, they will have two weeks in which to do so. 

  • REQUIRED LABEL: Last name, First name – 7 References 

8) Application submission: email items 1-7 to: rjtraversfellowship@gmail.com

  • REQUIRED LABEL: the subject line of the email should be as follows: Last name, First name – TRAVERS 2025 application

  • In the body of your email: please include one line explaining how you learned about this Fellowship opportunity.

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Application Deadline

Monday, January 13, 2025, by 12 p.m. (noon) ET

Late, incomplete or improperly labelled applications will not be considered. 

The Fellowship award will be announced by March 2025. 

All applicants will be notified of the status of their submissions once final decisions are made; there is no need to contact us to ask about your status.

Selection

There are two stages to the selection process. A jury composed of journalism faculty members from Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, Fellowship Steering Committee members and senior journalists will determine a shortlist of applicants, who will then be interviewed before a final decision is made.

Jury members will give preference to:

  • Applicants with an impressive record of achievement commensurate with the stage of their career, as demonstrated by published or broadcast work of distinction or evidence of significant potential to excel;

  • Applicants demonstrating a capacity for insightful, independent analysis and creative storytelling;

  • Proposals that show a strong consideration for social, political or economic justice and/or that have relevance to Canadian public policy;

  • Proposals of interest to a Canadian audience; 

  • Proposals with a concrete digital strategy for dissemination and publication or broadcast, designed to generate interest and discussion of the topic. 


***INSTRUCTIONS FOR REFEREES***

If you are shortlisted, you will be required to ask your referees to send letters of reference directly to us by the deadline.

Please send this information to them. It is your responsibility to ensure that your referees understand they must label their letters properly and submit them directly via email by the deadline: 

i) Format the reference letter as a Word document or PDF and send as an email attachment to rjtraversfellowship@gmail.com by 12 p.m. (noon) ET on Monday, February 24, 2025.

ii) Follow the required labelling protocol:

  • REQUIRED LETTER LABEL: Letter for ApplicantFirstName ApplicantLastName from RefereeFirstName RefereeLastName 

[e.g. Letter for Chris Waddell from Susan Harada]

  • REQUIRED EMAIL SUBJECT LINE: Travers – Letter for ApplicantFirstName ApplicantLastName 

[e.g. Travers – Letter for Chris Waddell]