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Eligibility

The Nieman Foundation selects up to 12 United States and 12 International journalists for Nieman Fellowships each year. Fellows selected include two in Global Health Reporting, one U.S. citizen who specializes in Arts & Culture Reporting, one U.S. citizen who reports on issues related to the field of business, and one U.S. citizen who works in Community journalism, and one who proposes a project relating to journalism innovation.

Qualifications
Applicants must be full-time journalists (including freelancers) with at least five years’ experience. Journalists can work for news or editorial departments of newspapers, wire services, radio, television, web sites, online publications or magazines of general public interest. Photojournalists, editorial cartoonists, columnists and broadcast producers are also eligible.

For the Nieman-Berkman Fellowship in Journalism Innovation, individuals who work in fields that support journalism — such as the business or technology sides of news companies — are also eligible to apply.

Any journalism-related work completed as a university student does not count toward experience. People who work in public relations or at organizations whose primary business is not the media are not eligible.

If appropriate, the applicant’s employer should approve a leave of absence for the academic year (10 months).

Within the past two years, an applicant should not have participated in a fellowship or taken a leave of absence from work that lasted four months or longer.

There is no nomination process. Candidates nominate themselves by submitting an application and supplementary materials. There is no age limit. There are no academic prerequisites, and a college degree is not required.

Stipulations
After the candidates have been chosen, but prior to their confirmation as Nieman Fellows by the Harvard Corporation, each must agree in writing to the following four stipulations:
  1. To return at the end of the sabbatical year to the employer who granted the leave of absence.
  2. To refrain from professional work during the period of the fellowship.
  3. To complete all the work in at least two academic courses of their choice: one during the fall semester, the other during the spring semester.
  4. To remain in residence in the Cambridge area while classes are in session and to participate in Nieman seminars and events.