The Pulitzer Center seeks applications for enterprise and underreported stories about global health inequities and challenges. We’re interested in ambitious projects about systemic barriers to all sorts of care, as well as promising research, treatment advances, or emerging health threats that merit investigation. Crucially, we’re also interested in how massive cuts in U.S. global health aid and other support are unfolding on the ground, globally, and in the U.S. How will health access and efforts to reduce disease and deaths be affected? What about preparation for future pandemics, health threats linked to climate change, war, or other events? This competitive opportunity is open to text, broadcast, and multimedia newsrooms and freelance journalists in the U.S. and worldwide. Freelancers should seek strong interest and ultimately a commitment to publish from a trusted outlet. We are also open to solid plans for reporting collaborations and publishing by multiple outlets. More details below:
GLOBAL GRANT SPECIFICS
Reporting on global health and health science can be expensive, complex, and challenging for staff and freelance journalists. The Center provides a rare opportunity for journalists to apply for support to take on these stories. For example:
For inspiration, here are some recent projects we supported that were published in outlets in the U.S. and in other countries.
India
- Inside India’s Dangerous Silicosis Crisis, by Akhilesh Pandey for The Caravan
- India’s Crisis of Substandard Drugs, at Home and Abroad, by Vidya Krishnan for Himal Southasian
Africa
- “Nigerian State Winning War Against COVID Is Losing Its Children to Meningitis,” by Taiwo Adebulu for The Cable
- "Lassa Fever Is Surging in West Africa. Researchers Want To Know Why," by Leslie Roberts for Science
- "The Radical Plan for Vaccine Equity," by Amy Maxmen for Nature
Latin America
- The Insulin Oligopoly and the Diabetes Epidemic in Latin America, by a team of journalists from Peruvian, Colombian, and Mexican newsrooms
- Long COVID in Mexico: Neurological and Psychiatric Symptoms, byAlice Pipitone and Quetzalli Blanco for palabra., the Texas Tribune, Mexico’s Proceso magazine, and others
United States
- “Shortages of Key Drugs Have Alarmed U.S. Medical Officials. Could Puerto Rico Offer an Answer?” by Rick Barrett and Mark Hoffman for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- "They Stood Sentry Over America's Nuclear Missile Arsenal. Many Worry it Gave Them Cancer,” by Thomas Novelly for Military.com
- "’I Just Don’t Want To Die’: Black Pregnant Women Are Turning to Midwives for Personalized Care—And a Better Chance at Survival," by Karen Kasmauski and Louis Hansen for the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO
- “Next Generation of Doctors Prepares To Tackle Rural Health Care Shortage in West Virginia,” by a team of journalists for PBS Newshour
- “Could a Conflict-Borne Superbug Bring On Our Next Pandemic?,” by Eli Cahan for Rolling Stone
This opportunity is made possible by the Gates Foundation, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and other funders and donors who support the Pulitzer Center's mission.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is eligible to apply?
This opportunity is open to U.S. residents and journalists around the world. We are open to proposals from freelance journalists, staff journalists, or groups of newsrooms working in collaboration with a project idea. We want to make sure that people from many backgrounds and perspectives are empowered to produce journalism. We strongly encourage proposals from journalists and newsrooms who represent a broad array of social, racial, ethnic, underrepresented groups, and economic backgrounds.
When will you be notifying applicants on whether they've been selected?
We begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received and typically notify applicants within a month if they're being considered for support. If there is some urgency to the field reporting, the applicant should state the reason in the application.
What is the budget range for proposals?
We do not have a budget range. We will consider projects of any scope and size, and we are open to supporting multiple projects each year.
Do you pay stipends or salaries for freelance journalists?
We expect news organizations to pay freelance journalists for their work, though in exceptional cases, we may consider stipends to cover a reporter's time, if provided in the budget with an explanation. It is OK to include costs of contractors, such as data researchers, illustrators, or data visualization/story designers in your proposal and budget. Please do not include stipends for journalists/team members who are in the employ of newsrooms or are being paid by a publisher.
What are examples of editorial products or project expenses that the Pulitzer Center grants DON’T cover?
- Books (We can support a story that might become part of a book, as long as the story is published independently in a media outlet.)
- Feature-length films (We do support short documentaries with ambitious distribution plans.)
- Staff salaries
- Equipment purchases (Equipment rentals are considered on a case-by-case basis.)
- An outlet’s general expenses (for example, rent, utilities, insurance)
- Seed money for startups
- Routine breaking news and coverage
- Advocacy/marketing campaigns
- Data projects aimed solely at academic research. Data should be developed to enhance/support journalism.
More questions?
Email Pulitzer Center Senior Editor Susan Ferriss at [email protected] or Steve Sapienza at [email protected].
We check emails daily and look forward to hearing from you.