Deadline: 4 December 2019
Open to: journalists with at least seven years of full-time professional experience and international applicants with at least five years of experience
Benefits: a stipend of USD 85,000 and other benefits

JSK Fellows spend their time at Stanford University exploring solutions to the most urgent challenges facing journalism. They sit in on classes, attend events on campus, connect with experts in the university’s many research institutes and consult innovative thinkers and doers throughout Silicon Valley.
A JSK Fellow’s job during their 10 months at Stanford is to meet a few expectations of the fellowship program and to make the most of the opportunity. The most successful fellows take initiative and seek out people who can help them explore their questions and make connections, even before they arrive at Stanford.
We ask fellows to agree to these conditions:

Spend the academic terms in residence at Stanford from September to June. (This means time at Stanford, not in Hawaii, on the road or at home.) Fellows receive long breaks during the fellowship year — most of December and two weeks in March — so we expect them to minimize other time away.
Participate fully in JSK activities. This means attending all JSK events and workshops; we have two to three events a week. Some of the most important relationships and learning will happen within the fellowship program itself.
Commit to the fellowship rather than to regular professional work. We require fellows to take a leave from their jobs and their freelancing and consulting commitments to devote their energy to the fellowship full time.
Focus on the fellowship proposal throughout the year. In addition to our events and some classes at Stanford, fellows work on a challenge facing journalism, which should occupy at least half of their time and energy.
Share the fellowship experience and lessons. We expect fellows to share publicly the experiences, work and insights they gain throughout the year, and the results of their efforts near the end of the academic year. We encourage and support that sharing even after the year is over.

Who can be a Fellow?

Please review the eligibility criteria for JSK Fellows below before applying. If you then have questions, email jskfellowships@stanford.edu. For more information about the stipend and other benefits, see Benefits of a Fellowship.

Experience

U.S. applicants typically have at least seven years of full-time professional experience; international applicants typically have at least five years of experience. We will consider less experienced applicants who have outstanding achievements. We do not require applicants to have a college degree.

Professional background

We consider applicants in these categories:

Journalists employed by a news organization or freelance journalists.
Journalism entrepreneurs and innovators.
Journalism business and management executives.

We do not accept applications from people working in public information or public relations jobs, for trade and house newsletters or magazines, for government agencies, or in academic positions.

Benefits of a Fellowship

We provide JSK Fellows with several financial benefits, including a stipend of $85,000. In addition to this stipend, we provide an additional supplement for fellows with children. We also cover the cost of Stanford tuition and Stanford health care for fellows, spouses and children. We also help fellows find housing.
Other benefits of a JSK Fellowship:

Access to some of the world’s most innovative thinkers and organizations, from technology giants to hot new startups to Stanford’s 100-plus special institutes and centers.
Opportunities to join classes taught by top Stanford professors and instructors in a wide range of specialties. It is common for classes to be taught by people who also work in the vanguard of their fields in the private sector.
A rich intellectual and cultural campus life, including live theater, music and dance performances and special lectures and events.
Fellowship social events where everyone can get to know one another.
Spouses and partners are eligible to take some classes and attend many fellowship seminars. Fellows’ children attend excellent Palo Alto-area schools and are included in some fellowship social activities (See: JSK Fellowship experience enriches the lives of the entire family).
Exposure to the incredible diversity of world views, experiences and cultural traditions that fellows from all over the world bring to the program.
New friendships, professional connections and entrepreneurial skills that will continue beyond the 10 months fellows spend at Stanford.

Applying for a Fellowship

This section provides a preview of the JSK Fellowships application, some tips for completing an application, and an overview of our selection process.
We will begin accepting applications for the 2020-21 JSK Fellowships on Oct. 15.
Applications for international fellowships must be submitted by 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. The deadline for U.S. applications is 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020.
You don’t need to wait until our online application system opens to begin working on the materials you’ll need to submit. This guide explains the elements you’ll need to complete and the main questions in the application form.

Elements of a JSK application

Application form

Rather than lengthy, open-ended essays, we ask JSK Fellowship applicants to answer a series of questions that will help us learn about you and your reasons for seeking our fellowship.

Fellowship idea and professional goals

This section addresses the two primary dimensions of a JSK Fellowship: your idea for addressing an urgent problem in journalism and your goals for professional development and personal growth.
What idea to help journalism would you work on as a JSK Fellow? (up to 250 words)
Why is this idea important to you? (up to 250 words)
How would you use a JSK Fellowship to work on this idea? (up to 250 words)
By the end of your fellowship, what would you hope to have accomplished from your work on your idea? (up to 250 words)
What is one professional goal you would like to work on during a JSK Fellowship? (Tip: This goal should relate to your general professional development and should not focus on your fellowship idea.) (100 words)
Is there a second professional or personal goal you’d like to work on during a JSK Fellowship? (100 words)
What would you hope to learn from the other fellows in your group? (100 words)
What would you contribute to other fellows? (100 words)
Applicants who indicate on the application form that they want to be considered for our joint fellowship with the Stanford Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Institute must respond to these two questions:
What you would hope to contribute to the field of journalism by being a JSK-HAI Fellow? (150 words)
Please describe any experience you have had covering AI or working on journalistic projects that used AI. (150 words)

Autobiography

Please help us get to know you by telling us a little about yourself. What experiences or people have had a significant impact on you personally and professionally? What motivates you to want to work in journalism today? (750 words)
International applicants will also need to answer these two questions:
What is the current journalism environment in the country where you are working? How does this impact or influence your work? (250 words)
Have you spent time in the U.S. previously? When and why? (150 words)
U.S. applicants also must answer these two questions:
What do you believe is the most urgent challenge in journalism today? (250 words)
Why do you view it as the most urgent? (Tip: We’re looking for your perspective and thoughts, not just a recitation of analysis from journalism experts.) (250 words)

1-minute selfie video

We ask you to describe your fellowship idea and why it is important to you in a 1-minute “selfie” video. We are not expecting great production values; webcam or mobile phone videos are encouraged.

Three recommendation letters

If you are working in an organization, one letter should be from your supervisor; if you are working independently or you are the founder/highest-ranking leader in an organization, one letter should be from someone who has worked closely with you on a regular basis.
Choose people who know you and your work well; this matters more than having recommenders who are well known or prominent journalism executives who haven’t worked closely with you.
Your recommenders should address in their letter the idea you want to work on as a JSK Fellow and explain why you are well-suited to pursue the idea.
For international applicants, at least one recommender should attest to your proficiency in English in their letter.

Three work samples

Work samples should be from the previous 12 months. They can be a combination of formats (digital, print, broadcast.)
If you are a manager or a journalism entrepreneur, you should submit samples that demonstrate your work. For instance, an editor might submit stories they supervised, a news start-up founder might submit a product or story produced by their team.
For video, audio and digital samples, submit a URL to the work. (Please do not submit more than one hour, total, of audio or video.)
Samples that are primarily text can be submitted as PDFs.
For any sample that is not in English, you must include a translation, or provide a brief summary in English that explains the work.

Tips for a strong application

Familiarize yourself with the JSK Fellowships’ mission, values and priorities. You can learn about JSK by following our social media posts and reading the Medium posts of current and recent fellows.
Start working on your application early. Give yourself time to draft answers to the questions, ask a friend or mentor to review them and give you feedback.
Ask a colleague or friend to proofread your text before you submit your application.
For your recommendation letters:
- Choose people who know you and your work well.
- Share your fellowship idea with them and ask that they speak to why you would be a good person to work on the idea.
- Ask them early to give them plenty of time to write the best letter they can for you. (Note: They must upload their letters to our online application system and to start that process, you must enter their basic information into your online application.)
- Make sure your recommenders understand the focus of our program. We suggest you share with them links to our website and social media channels.
Pay attention to our social channels for updates about Twitter chats we’ll be having to answer questions about the application and our program.

Questions? Email us at jskfellowships@stanford.edu. Good luck!