Spencer Fellowship for Education Reporting 2027/28

Columbia Journalism School invites journalists and educators to apply for the Spencer Fellowship. Four fellows each spend a year developing an ambitious long-form education project. Applications close on 4 February 2027.

Program Snapshot

• Host Organization: Columbia Journalism School
• Funding: Residential, $85,000; non-residential, $43,000; plus $7,500 for project costs
• Duration: One academic year, starting in late August 2027
• Location: Columbia University in New York, or non-residential
• Positions: Four fellows
• Deadline: 4 February 2027, 11:59 PM EST

Focus Areas

• Education journalism
• Juvenile justice, economics, and poverty
• Arts, culture, and the science of learning
• Long-form reporting and storytelling

About the Fellowship

The program combines study and research with advice from faculty at Columbia, Teachers College, and elsewhere. Each fellow has a full-time faculty mentor from the Journalism School. Fellows also pick an outside content advisor from another department. They meet regularly as a group with the director.

All fellows take the school’s “Evidence and Inference” methods course in the fall. A board of education journalists and scholars selects fellows in March or April. New fellows attend a May orientation at Columbia. Two options are available:

• Residential: Fellows live near campus and have a workspace in the Journalism School. They enroll as non-credit graduate students. They cannot take outside work without the director’s approval.
• Non-residential: Fellows live and work off campus. They may keep a part-time job and join the course remotely. They enroll as exchange scholars.

What Fellows Receive

• Residential: An $85,000 scholarship in four quarters, $7,500 for project expenses, tuition and fees, and basic student health insurance
• Non-residential: A $43,000 stipend and $7,500 for project expenses; no health insurance
• A faculty mentor and an outside advisor
• Access to Columbia libraries and campus facilities
• An optional researcher partnership
• Residential fellows find their own housing.

Who Can Apply

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or green card holders. They may be working journalists, freelancers, or education professionals. The source sets no degree requirement. Judges look for experience in education journalism, broadly defined. They also look for strong research and storytelling and a strong project idea.

Required Materials

• A resume or CV
• A short narrative autobiography
• Up to four work samples
• A proposal essay
• A research plan using Columbia resources
• A brief statement on residential or non-residential status
• Three letters of professional recommendation

How to Apply

Submit your application online through the Spencer Fellows website. Columbia notifies candidates in the spring. Email director Sarah Carr at #339966;">#339966;" href="mailto:sec2002@columbia.edu">sec2002@columbia.edu with questions.

#339966;">#339966;" href="https://spencerfellows.org/about-the-fellowship/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click Here to Apply

Conclusion

This fellowship gives education reporters funded time and expert guidance to finish a major project. Eligible candidates should start their proposals early and apply before 4 February 2027.

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