Health in the Global South: A Call for Stories

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The Pulitzer Center is launching a special call for journalism grants focusing on the effects of cuts to U.S. health aid in the Global South. Journalists are invited to submit proposals by March 30, 2026.  

The Pulitzer Center is offering grants to report on the impact of unprecedented cuts to U.S. health aid in the Global South. Journalists are still welcome to apply for grants for other types of health stories, but this is a special opportunity to reach U.S. audiences with eyewitness stories in Africa or other regions where the end of USAID and other cuts have left health advances with an uncertain future. 

Priority interests include: 

• Children’s health 
• Women’s health, including maternal care 
• Control and treatment of HIV and other infectious diseases 
• The status of programs to reduce malnutrition, starvation, or waterborne diseases. 

You might know of other profound changes in ground-level aid or relevant scientific research that’s gone underreported. 

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must be a staff reporter or editor with a U.S. newsroom, or a freelancer with a commitment or at least strong interest from a U.S. outlet or an outlet with a significant U.S. audience. 

What We're Looking For/Budget

We’re seeking ambitious reporting (text, visual, audio, or multimedia). 

We are accepting budgets ranging from $5,000 to $20,000, depending on how ambitious the reporting is. Budgets beyond this range must demonstrate an extraordinary potential for reach and impact.

For freelancers, we’re accepting budgets with a reasonable stipend. Costs should largely be for travel and other hard costs of reporting. 

Deadline

The deadline to apply is March 30, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline. 

Here is a link to frequently asked questions about applying for a grant.

This special health reporting grant is intended for stories that will reach U.S. audiences. Click here for the application form.

The following are examples of health projects and stories supported by the Pulitzer Center:

• “Slashed by Trump, This Cutting-Edge HIV Vaccine Has a New Path” (NPR)
• Asia’s Timor-Leste Nation Copes With End of USAID (NYT, The Lancet) 
• The Children Left Behind in Global Health Cuts (Science magazine) 
• Tragedy in Paradise (Atlanta News First) 
• Cuts and Consequences: The End of USAID (PBS NewsHour) 
• “US Funding Cuts Imperil Global Efforts To Eliminate Cervical Cancer” (CNN)

If you have questions, contact Pulitzer Center Senior Editor Susan Ferriss at [email protected].