The Open Notebook Early-Career Fellowship 2027: $6,600 Stipend for Science Journalists

The Open Notebook (TON) is accepting applications for its 2027 Early-Career Fellowship Program, a paid, part-time fellowship for emerging science journalists. The one-year program provides fellows with mentorship, editorial experience, and opportunities to publish articles with The Open Notebook.

The fellowship is remote and supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, which has funded the program since 2013.

 

Fellowship Details

• Duration: 12 months, part time
• Start date: February 9, 2027
• Location: Remote
• Stipend: $6,600
• Deadline: October 31, 2026

During the fellowship, participants will work with an experienced science journalist who will help them develop story ideas, report and write articles, and revise their work. Fellows will also join The Open Notebook’s editorial team and participate in a Slack community with current and former fellows, mentors, and editors.

Fellows are expected to produce four articles of approximately 1,500–2,000 words each. The fellowship generally requires about 5–7 hours per week, although the workload may vary depending on the reporting and editing stage of each article.

 

Eligibility Requirements for the Early-Career Fellowship Program

• The fellowship is open to early-career science journalists worldwide, including applicants living outside the United States.
• Applicants must have some training or experience writing about science for a general audience. Extensive professional experience is not required.
• Applicants should have fewer than three years of regular professional science-writing experience. Internships and student work do not count toward this limit. Exceptions may be considered for applicants whose professional science-writing experience is partly or entirely in a language other than English.
• All application materials must be submitted in English, although translated materials are accepted.

What Applicants Should Demonstrate

The Open Notebook is looking for applicants who intend to pursue science journalism professionally and who understand the field and the areas in which they want to develop.

Applicants should also demonstrate an ability to develop story ideas appropriate for The Open Notebook, strong writing skills, and a commitment to meeting deadlines and completing revisions.

 

Application Requirements for the Early-Career Fellowship Program

Applicants will need to provide:

• Responses explaining their interest in the fellowship, previous science-writing experience, relevant skills and perspectives, and plans during the fellowship period.
• Two 100-word proposals for potential Open Notebook features or multimedia stories.
• A resume or CV.
• One letter of reference from a professor, editor, mentor, supervisor, or other colleague.
• Up to two writing or multimedia samples aimed at a general audience. Academic or scientific writing samples are not accepted.
• Optional information about personal background and experiences related to historically marginalized or underrepresented groups in U.S. journalism.

 

Deadline and How to Apply

Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. U.S. Central Time on October 31, 2026. Reference letters are due by November 7, 2026.

Interested applicants can apply through the official application form. 

For questions about the fellowship, contact editors@theopennotebook.com.