A Nieman Fellowship is an extraordinary, transformative learning opportunity open to journalists working in all media in every country around the world. About two dozen candidates annually are awarded paid fellowships to spend an academic year at Harvard, where they audit classes taught by some of the university’s greatest thinkers, participate in Nieman events, and collaborate with peers. Nieman Fellows are also able to audit some classes at MIT and Tufts University.
In addition, fellows attend seminars, workshops, and conferences designed to strengthen their professional skills and leadership capabilities. With the knowledge they gain on campus and the relationships they build, Nieman Fellows often return to work as journalism entrepreneurs, industry innovators, and top managers in their newsrooms.
All applicants for Nieman Fellowships, including freelancers, must be working journalists with at least five years of full-time media experience. Journalism-related work completed as a university student does not count as professional experience. Professionals who work in public relations or in a position whose primary focus is not the media are not eligible to apply.
During the two years prior to applying, an applicant should not have participated in a residential fellowship lasting four months or longer.
Candidates nominate themselves for Nieman Fellowships by submitting an application and supplementary materials. There are no age limits or academic prerequisites, and a college degree is not required. However, all candidates must speak, read, and write English fluently.
After candidates have been chosen, they must agree in writing to honor all leave stipulations made with their employers; to refrain from professional work during the fellowship year, except as approved by the Nieman curator; and to complete work in a minimum of one course per semester and honor commitments made to faculty as a condition of auditing a class. Fellows also must remain in residence in the Cambridge area while classes are in session and participate in all Nieman Foundation programs.
The only designated fellowship currently available is the Nieman-Berkman Klein Fellowship in Journalism Innovation, which offers awardees the opportunity to be part of the Nieman class as well as the community at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. Both U.S. and international candidates are eligible and may apply for consideration on the regular Nieman Fellowship application.
Nieman Fellows receive a stipend of $85,000 paid over a nine-month period to cover living costs.
The Nieman Foundation also provides a health insurance supplement (up to $6,250 each for the fellow and a spouse, and up to $3,750 for each child younger than 18). Additionally, the foundation offers a child-care allowance for children 12 and younger. This table outlines the child-care allowances, which are based on the number of children and their ages.
Fellows are not eligible for health insurance through Harvard University. Individuals who are unable to retain their current health insurance would have the option of purchasing a plan through the Massachusetts Health Connector, an independent state agency that serves as a marketplace for Massachusetts residents to find, compare, and enroll in health insurance programs.
Nieman covers the cost of attending Harvard classes for fellows and their “affiliates,” meaning spouses or partners. Affiliates enjoy many of the same privileges as fellows and may audit classes, use Harvard libraries and other facilities, and are welcome to participate in almost all Nieman activities.
Because funds from the original Nieman bequest are restricted to U.S. citizens, international Nieman Fellows are encouraged to work with Nieman staff to find financial support from foundations and journalism organizations in the fellows’ home countries. However, obtaining outside funding is not a condition of being selected for a fellowship; all Nieman Fellows, international and domestic, receive the same stipend and allowances throughout the fellowship year. The Nieman Foundation works with several international foundations that provide stipendiary support to citizens of certain nations or regions of the world.
Through generous gifts made to the foundation, Nieman is able to support a number of fellowships with endowed funds. Learn more about our named fellowships
Fellows choose their own course of study at Harvard. Some use the year to deepen their expertise in a field of interest while others seek to broaden their knowledge in several areas or prepare for a new assignment. Fellows are required to complete coursework in at least one class each semester. They choose their courses from offerings at Harvard College and the university’s graduate schools, such as the Law School and the Kennedy School of Government. View the Harvard course catalog.
In addition to taking advantage of all the university has to offer, Nieman Fellows participate in a series of weekly activities organized by the Nieman Foundation. These events bring the fellows together with members of the Harvard faculty, leading journalists, and other accomplished guests.
Soundings are talks given by the fellows, for the fellows, that address the question, “Why do I do what I do?” Every week, a member of the class shares the story of his or her journalistic life, which is followed by a group dinner.
Weekly seminars bring leading scholars from the Harvard faculty and prominent journalists, researchers, and thought leaders in the news industry to Lippmann House for presentations and lively discussions with the Nieman class. Fellows are also encouraged to invite speakers for “DIY” (do-it-yourself) sessions to address particular topics or interests.
Each semester, the Nieman Foundation offers writing courses in narrative nonfiction for fellows and organizes workshops on leadership skills, dealing with trauma, and other issues.
The foundation also occasionally convenes workshops and conferences that bring journalists together with leaders in a variety of fields, academics, and other experts to explore issues important to the press and the public good. The foundation regularly co-sponsors talks and events in partnership with other centers and schools at Harvard and in the Greater Boston community.
Nieman staff helps fellows and their families find housing and acclimate to their new surroundings by providing information on apartments for rent, local schools, shops and restaurants, and other practicalities of living in Cambridge and the Greater Boston area. Fellows and their families are encouraged to take advantage of Harvard’s museums, cultural events, athletic facilities, and libraries and to explore all the cultural and recreational activities that Harvard Square and the New England region have to offer.
Fellows also have access to Walter Lippmann House, the Nieman Foundation’s headquarters, located just a few blocks from Harvard Yard. In addition to the main seminar room where most Nieman events are held, the house has a small lounge and a computer lab where fellows can work and socialize, as well as explore a large collection of books. The house is named after journalist and Harvard graduate Walter Lippmann, whose counsel helped create the Nieman Fellowships. To learn about the history of the house, see Lippmann House: “Room just to hang out” from the 75th anniversary edition of Nieman Reports.
- International Nieman Fellowship (for non-U.S. citizens, including those working in the U.S.): December 1
- U.S. Nieman Fellowship (for U.S. citizens, including those working outside the U.S.): January 31
Candidates who are citizens of both the U.S. and another country should e-mail nieman_applications@harvard.edu for guidance on which category is the most appropriate.
For international fellowship candidates (non-U.S. citizens)
- December 1: Application deadline
- April: Applicants will be notified of their status, and Zoom calls will be scheduled with those advancing to the interview stage.
- May: International fellowship offers will be made.
- June: The press release announcing the Nieman class will be posted.
- Around mid-August: The fellowship will begin.
For U.S. fellowship candidates (U.S. citizens)
- January 31: Application deadline
- May: Applicants will be notified of their status, and interviews will be scheduled with those advancing to the interview stage. Fellowship offers will be made shortly thereafter.
- June: The press release announcing the Nieman class will be posted.
- Around mid-August: The fellowship will begin.
When I went back to my job … I carried the word ‘courage’ with me like a lucky charm, and to this day I’m fortified by the people who during my Nieman year helped me find it.
Mary Schmich, NF ’96