Description
Take your journalism skills to the next level and deepen your understanding of environmental issues by applying for the Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism. Five accepted candidates will audit courses, participate in field trips and weekly seminars, and work on a significant project. These positions are offered by the Center for Environmental Journalism, part of the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information at the University of Colorado Boulder.
The fellowship is open to full-time journalists working in any medium who are interested in advancing their knowledge of environmental issues. It is aimed at outstanding journalists committed to a career in professional journalism.
Employment begins at the start of the Fall 2026 semester and runs for nine months through the end of the Spring 2027 semester. All university breaks and holidays will be observed.
WHO WE ARE
The Center for Environmental Journalism (CEJ) was established in 1992 at the University of Colorado Boulder to enrich public understanding of environmental issues by elevating the quality, range, and depth of coverage by journalists. The center does this by helping journalists enhance their knowledge of the scientific, economic, political, cultural and social aspects of these issues.
The College of Communication, Media, Design and Information (CMDI) is at the forefront of the revolution in communication, digital technology, and design. CMDI prides itself on offering students an interdisciplinary education with a focus on innovation and creativity! Our students and faculty from seven departments think across boundaries, innovate around emerging problems and create culture that transcends convention.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
We are pleased to receive applications from international applicants; however, please be advised that you must hold a current visa and be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application to be considered for this position.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER
The program provides an $80,000 stipend. It also covers tuition and fees, and attendance at the annual SEJ conference (all expenses paid). While we cannot offer the same benefits offered by the university, we can offer regional bus passes to offset the cost of transportation and parking as well as support for reporting trips.
Requirements
WHAT WE REQUIRE
Applicants must have five years of full-time professional journalism experience and must also have a BA or BS college degree, at minimum.
Applicants may include reporters, editors, producers, photojournalists, documentarians, and feature writers. Both salaried staff and full-time freelancers are welcome to apply. Prior experience in covering the environment is not required.
SPECIAL APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
The application deadline is March 1, 2026, at 11:59pm (MST).
Below are the specific components required for a complete application to the Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism. Please label each file clearly, as shown below, and upload as attachments. If you have technical issues, please email all files in one message to the Program Manager: cej@colorado.edu.
1. Resume/CV: Upload a resume in PDF format that includes your education, work history as a professional journalist, and journalism awards/honors you’ve received (with the year awarded). In addition to the dates that you held each position, briefly describe your duties.
2. Professional Autobiography: Please upload a PDF document of no more than 1,200 words addressing the following questions. Please do not duplicate your proposed study plan & project proposal.
Why are you interested in the fellowship and why are you the best candidate?
Describe your career as a journalist and the values that have shaped your work.
What are your most noteworthy achievements?
Why are you interested in covering environmental issues, and how would a Ted Scripps Fellowship benefit you?
Freelancers: At the end of your Professional Autobiography, please list the assignments/jobs you’ve completed in the last 12 months, and for whom, along with a few words about each. If your clients are not widely known, briefly explain who they are.
3. Study Plan & Project Proposal: Please upload a PDF document explaining what you would like to study while on the fellowship, including the academic areas you propose to concentrate in and some of the courses you might like to audit.
In addition to this study plan, describe a significant journalistic project that you would like to work on to provide focus for the fellowship year. This project could be a finished work, such as a newspaper series or a major magazine article, or it could lay the foundation for an even larger work, such as a book, documentary, or series of radio broadcasts.
4. Professional Work Samples: Three (3) professional work samples are required. Please upload a single PDF document containing links to your work samples (do not provide individual files). You can provide a combination of sample types, but do not exceed three samples. Samples may include:
Articles: In a PDF document, include links to each article. In each case, the date and publication venue must be clear.
Photographs/Illustrations/Other Journalistic Visual Material: In a PDF document, include links to the visual work you would like us to consider, a brief description of each image (a couple of sentences is sufficient), the date of publication, and where each was published.
If you have a portfolio site featuring your images, you can include that URL, as well as instructions on what you would like us to look at. Also include in the document a brief description of the images you want us to review, along with the date of publication, and where each one was published.
Broadcast/Documentary: In a PDF document, include links to the specific segments you would like us to consider, along with the outlets where they appeared and the dates.Maximum: one hour of samples.
Online Projects: In a PDF document, include links to online projects you would like us to consider. Include in the document a short description of your contributions to the site, story, package, etc. As with all types of samples, include details about when and where the work was published.
5. Contact Information for References: Please provide a list of three (3) references which includes name, phone number, email address, and relationship to you. We may request letters of recommendation at a later time if you are selected for an interview. This information will be kept confidential and viewable only by the search committee.
References will be given ample time to provide letters once contacted.
One reference should be your immediate supervisor or, for freelancers, an editor who has worked closely with you.
Note that you do not need to provide a letter of recommendation with your application; only contact information is initially required.
For more information on the application and fellowship requirements, visit the CEJ website: https://www.colorado.edu/cej/ted-scripps-fellowships-environmental-journalism. Questions about the application can be directed to the Program Manager at cej@colorado.edu.
The University of Colorado is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.