Kaiser Family Foundation Offers Media Fellowships in Health

Deadline: March 3, 2009

Kaiser Family Foundation Offers Media Fellowships in Health

A program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Kaiser Media Fellowships in Health program is a flexible opportunity for print, broadcast, and online journalists to pursue an area of interest in U.S. health policy issues.

Any journalist, editor, or producer specializing in health reporting — or wanting to do so — is eligible. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, or must work for an accredited U.S. media organization. There is no age restriction, but typically fellows are in the early to mid-career range, with at least five years experience as a journalist. Fellows are selected primarily on the basis of previous and potential work, on the applicant's demonstrated commitment to report on health issues, and on the committee's determination of which candidates would benefit most from the particular opportunities this program offers.

Research/reporting projects should be focused on U.S. health policy and financing issues such as prescription drugs, health insurance coverage, the uninsured, Medicare, Medicaid, health care costs, and racial and ethnic disparities in care. Priority will be given to projects otherwise unlikely to be undertaken or completed, focusing on issues that have not been reported or are under-reported, and which have a high likelihood of being published/aired and of reaching a mass audience. Priority may also be given to those that are complex and would benefit from an in-depth study or the opportunity to travel.

Each fellow will be awarded a stipend of up to $55,000 for a nine month fellowship, or a prorated amount for fellows who spend less time completing their project. Additional expenses, including travel, will also be met.

Complete program information is available at the Kaiser Foundation Web site.