Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence

Deadline: 1 March 2011
Open to: journalists from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania or Serbia
Fellowship: 2,000 bursary, up to another €2,000 for travel expenses and will attend career development seminars in Berlin and Vienna

Robert Bosch Stiftung and ERSTE Foundation, in cooperation with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, are launching the fifth Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence program.

Ten Balkan journalists will be chosen, through open competition, to receive funding and professional support to research and report on a topic of regional and European importance. The topic for this year’s program is justice. Applicants are encouraged to consider the theme in broad terms and investigate issues surrounding access to and delivery of justice in both legal and social senses.

Eligibility

* citizen of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania or Serbia
* demonstrable experience in journalism
* ability to communicate fluently in English (NB: reporting may be done in local languages)
* have the agreement of his/her employer to participate in the fellowship (where applicable)

Application

Download the application form here.
Send it as an electronic file by e-mail to fellowship@birn.eu.com or by post to:
Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence – Application
c/o: BIRN
Gospodar Jevremova 47/III floor
11000 Belgrade
Serbia

Timeline

* May 2011:  4-day seminar in Vienna
* Until August 2011: research phase: at least one trip to another country in the Balkan region and one country in the European Union must be completed
* 1 September 2011: first drafts reports
* From 1 September to 15 October 2011: editorial phase
* November: final seminar in Berlin (4-days)
* December 2011: report launch and promotion

Fellowship

* fund of 2,000 EUR per selected fellow
* introductory training seminar in Vienna, with regional and international expert trainers (scheduled for May 02 – May 06, 2011)
* ongoing support from BIRN representatives in fellows’ own country
* grant of up to 2,000 EUR for research expenses, including at least one regional trip and one trip within the EU, with guidance and organisational support provided by programme partners
* final evaluation seminar and award ceremony in Berlin (scheduled for November 2011)
* publication of reports in all local languages and English (October -December 2011)
* promotional events to mark publication launch in countries of southeast Europe (December 2011)
* membership of fellowship alumni network

Award

The selection committee judges the quality of the reports and awards prizes to three fellows. The top prize-winner will win 4,000 EUR, the second will receive 3,000 EUR and the third 1,000 EUR.

Contact

Dragana Žarković Obradović
Fellowship programme manager
BIRN
Gospodar Jevremova 47/III floor
11 000 Belgrade, Serbia
Tel/fax: +381 (0)11 6 555 91
Email: fellowship@birn.eu.com

Official webpage

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