Each year, we sponsor a select number of journalists from the US and Europe for an independent, transatlantic trip to research stories relevant to the foundation’s work on climate & energy policy, democracy & social policy, foreign & security policy, technology & digital policy, or global development policy. Fellowships are selected annually and are open to journalists in any medium.

Applications are due on March 13th.

The Transatlantic Media Fellowship program supports well-researched transatlantic journalism. As in previous years, the Heinrich Böll Foundation Washington, DC will give a select number of journalists based in the United States, Canada, and Germany the opportunity for on-the-ground reporting relevant to the foundation’s work on digital policy, foreign & security policy, climate & environmental policy, and democracy. We accept applications for either travel-based or virtual research and reporting.

Journalists based in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are invited to apply for fellowships covering issues related to our Global Dialogue program. They should pitch stories related to the Global South and the US, Canada, or Germany. For those interested, please see the description in the Issue Areas section – it has a different set of rules than the rest.

WHAT WE OFFER

This is for all program areas except Global Dialogue.

A stipend of $4,000 for an on-the-ground fellowship (including transatlantic travel); OR
A stipend of $2,000 for a digital fellowship (no travel)

WHO CAN APPLY

We seek journalists with a strong track record of publications who offer new perspectives on transatlantic policy debates. Fellowships are open to journalists in any medium.

Applications focusing on Africa, Latin America, or Asia have a special set of criteria. Please look there to determine your eligibility.

Applicants should be:

based in the United States or Canada and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting about Europe; OR
based in Germany and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting about the United States or Canada

We especially encourage applications from journalists

working at regional or local media outlets, or freelancers
who can offer diverse, lesser-heard perspectives
who may not otherwise have the opportunity to conduct transatlantic research

Journalists are responsible for their own travel and visa arrangements.

Applicants based in North America and Germany

1. Digital Policy

Applicants in this category should pitch stories on digital policy in North America (United States and/or Canada) or in the EU. Topics can fall under the themes of digital rights, global digital governance, or technology and the green transition, such as:

The geopolitics of tech regulation and the digital sovereignty movement
How technology is shaping democracy or conflict
Feminist digital policy
The ecology of AI
Emerging technology including trade and US and EU technology competition with China

2. Foreign & Security Policy

Applicants in this category should pitch stories on foreign policy topics relevant to the United States, Canada, Germany and Europe. Possible themes for reporting include:

US foreign policy under the second Trump administration
The future of US participation in European security architecture, including NATO and the OSCE
The future of Europe’s defense industrial base and integrating climate security into long-term defense planning
Implications of Canada’s new federal budget on local communities and climate security
Arctic geopolitics and governance
Societal resilience and civil defense
Feminist foreign policy and human security approaches

3. Climate & Environmental Policy

Applicants in this category should pitch stories on climate, energy, or environment policy/issues in the United States, Canada, or in EU member states. Possible topics include:

Community resilience amid deregulation and climate rollbacks
Expanding fossil fuel dependence and infrastructure lock-in
Anticolonial environmental futures
Politicization of climate science
Ecosystem repair, remediation, and regeneration
AI, data centers, and the land-water-energy nexus
Trade, industrial policy, and climate governance

4. Democracy

Applicants in this category should pitch stories on challenges to democracy in the United States, Canada or in EU member states. Possible topics include:

Challenges to democracy, such as political radicalization and violence, mis- and disinformation, attacks on civil rights, education, free speech and the constitution
Migration & refugee issues, including the intersection of migration and migration politics with democracy
The role of state and local actors in strengthening democratic resilience LGBTQ+ issues, gender equality, and racial justice
Debates on historical reconciliation (Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung) or memory culture (Erinnerungskultur)
Political regime change under the Trump administration and political resistance from civil society and state actors
The intersection between increased social isolation with declining civic and political participation
Social, democratic and economic reform and political changes under the new German coalition government

Applicants from Africa, Latin America, and Asia

5. Global Dialogue

Applicants should:

Focus on Africa, Asia or Latin America and demonstrate a strong motivation for engaging in research and reporting about the interplay of global development between their region of focus and the United States, Canada and/or Europe

We especially encourage applications from journalists

working at regional or local media outlets, or freelancers
who can offer diverse, lesser-heard perspectives
who may not otherwise have the opportunity to conduct transatlantic research

Journalists are responsible for their travel and visa arrangements. The stipend for each fellow in this policy area will be $4,500.

Applicants may also write in French in this policy area.

Applicants in this category should pitch stories on global development or global dialogue as it relates to the United States, Canada, or EU member states. Possible topics include:

Raw materials, mining, and the global supply chain for the renewable energy transition or the digital economy in the US and EU
Digital transformation and digital connectivity (e.g. digital infrastructure development)
Reform of the international financial institutions (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, etc.)
Forced labor, inequality, and economic development
Global Majority perspectives and Western policy spaces
Democratic multilateralism
Postcolonial Development
Environmental justice and preserving the world’s biodiversity
Conflict and its effects on development in the Global South
AI, including ecological and climate impacts

WHAT'S EXPECTED

Format: Reporting can be in the form of one longer, investigative piece, two to three shorter articles, or multimedia content (i.e., podcasts, videos, or photo essays).

Timeline: Fellows are expected to complete their travel and/or research and submit a first draft by October 1, 2026, and publish their content in any quality media outlet by the end of the calendar year. At a minimum, fellows must publish their pieces on our website.

Publication: Fellows must be able to either guarantee the publication of their pieces or to provide us with documentation of a completed story ready for publication.

Social media: Fellows are expected to engage with the Heinrich Böll Foundation Washington, DC over Instagram, Bluesky, and/or LinkedIn to document their travels and to promote their publications.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please read the instructions carefully as we will not consider incomplete applications.

Applications will only be accepted through BambooHR. We cannot consider applications submitted elsewhere.

Applications should consist of:

Resume: Please use a standard US format (no picture, date of birth, religion, or marital status).
Cover letter: A one-page document outlining your motivation, qualifications, and experience.
Proposal: Please include the following three sections:
- Story proposals: Please include a short description of the stories you plan to cover (about 200 words each), and whom you plan to contact for interviews.
- Publication plan: Specify your plan for publication and how you intend to realize it (language and target publication). Please be specific, and indicate any relevant connections, previous publications, or other proof that you can place your story or stories where you plan to.
- Social media: Briefly explain how you plan to engage on social media with the Heinrich Böll Foundation Washington, DC in the course of your fellowship.
Work samples: Please submit two work samples. If your previous work is not in English or German, please also provide a brief summary of each of your work samples.

Please include your story proposal(s), travel itinerary, social media engagement section, and work samples in the same file as your cover letter, and upload them all as one file. If your work samples are other forms of media (e.g. video) please email us and we will make accommodations.