Pulitzer Center Update December 5, 2025
Special Call for 2026 Reporting Fellowship Proposals on Mental Well-Being in the U.S.
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The Pulitzer Center is now accepting applications for Reporting Fellowships focused on issues related to Mental Well-Being in the U.S. Current students at our Campus Consortium partner schools and recent graduates (classes of 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025) are encouraged to apply. We are unable to accept applications from current students or alums of non-partner universities.
Individuals may submit no more than one application. Applicants may propose projects on multiple platforms—text and/or multimedia, including video, audio, and documentary photography.
Selected winners will be awarded a $4,000 stipend. They will receive mentorship from the Pulitzer Center staff and grantees, network with professional reporters and editors, and participate in workshops to build journalism skills—virtually or in-person. Fellows also will be invited to participate in the Pulitzer Center’s annual Washington Weekend event, held in Washington, D.C., in 2026.
Before applying, please visit the Pulitzer Center website. You’ll see stories by Reporting Fellows and various resources.
Applicants should consider enterprise and underreported stories aimed at promoting mental well-being in the U.S. by working before the point of crisis to give people the tools needed to nurture resilience and enhance protective factors.
Published Reporting Fellows’ projects on mental well-being in the U.S. have focused on the mental well-being of immigrant caregivers working in the U.S.; the mental health impacts in "sacrifice zones," highlighting community efforts to restore hope and resilience; and LGBTQ+ farmers in the American South who are coming together to support each other, both mentally and emotionally. View these and other mental well-being stories by our Reporting Fellows here.
Deadline
The deadline for applications is Monday, January 5, 2026, at 11:59pm EST. Reporting will take place in spring or summer 2026.
Eligibility
Only current students and recent graduates (classes of 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025) of our Campus Consortium partner schools are eligible to apply. We are unable to accept applications from current students or alums of other universities. Reporting must take place in the U.S. and have a focus on mental well-being.
Applications must include the following:
- A description of the proposed project in no more than 250 words.
- A preliminary budget estimate, including a basic breakdown of costs for travel, ground transportation, lodging, meals, and translation assistance, if needed.
- A copy of your resume.
- Up to three samples of work, either print or multimedia.
- Three professional references. These can be either contact information or letters of recommendation. The latter is encouraged when letters of support from producers or editors are available.
- Distribution avenues you are considering, in addition to the Pulitzer Center website. (These are not required for the application to move forward.)
- Applicants may also include a more detailed description of their project, including a list of potential sources, but the most important part of the submission is the 250-word summary.
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
