A Fellowship to Pursue Ambitious Journalism Ideas

Our Knight-Wallace Fellowships offer accomplished journalists two rare commodities: time and resources. Journalists eager for growth and deeply committed to the future of journalism spend an academic year at the University of Michigan to access the resources of a world-class university and dive into a journalism project. Areas of focus can include but are not limited to sharpening professional skills, addressing a challenge facing your newsroom, digging into data and research for a long-term reporting project, or developing a journalism venture.

We select up to 20 Fellows from all facets of journalism who are ready to take the next career step and join us in Ann Arbor for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

• Eight-month program from late August through April of immersive study away from daily deadlines
• Individual journalism projects designed to develop topical depth, gain new skills, address a newsroom challenge or explore a journalism venture
• Specialized resources and access to faculty at the University of Michigan
• Private seminars with newsroom leaders, change agents and world-renowned experts for candid, off-the-record conversations
• Workshops to sharpen professional skills and leadership ability
• $85,000 stipend plus $5,000 for relocation expenses distributed monthly from August through April for living expenses (costs for health insurance, auditing courses, and participating in required workshops and fellowship activities paid for by Wallace House)
• Individual relocation support and assistance with finding and securing housing to meet each Fellow’s housing needs
• Spouses and partners are invited to participate in fellowship activities and audit university courses as well

New Specialized Fellowships

Each year Wallace House Center for Journalists awards Knight-Wallace Fellowships to a small cohort of U.S. journalists for immersive projects touching on a range of areas including education, public policy, sports, health and medicine, technology and news innovation, transportation and environment, and international reporting. For the 2025-26 academic year we’re building on our long-running fellowships with three new fellowships focused on areas critical to the future of journalism.

The Great Lakes Local News Fellowship, James S. House and Wendy Fisher House Social Science Fellowship and Arts Journalism Fellowship will allow selected journalists to be members of the Knight-Wallace Fellowship class and pursue directed study in entrepreneurship, data-driven survey research, and cross-disciplinary arts research. Applicants for these three new fellowships should apply using our general application. Their applications essays must address the focus and requirements of the specialized fellowships as outlined below. 

Revitalizing Local News in the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes Local News Fellowship is designed to support the development of new or reimagined locally-focused journalism projects serving communities in the midwestern Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The fellowship will offer support and training to two journalists or journalism strategists from the focus states. Fellowship support includes access to experts in entrepreneurship, business law, organizational development and post-fellowship consulting to aid in developing and implementing entrepreneurial journalism projects. Projects may include but are not limited to crafting business plans, developing funding and revenue models, addressing technical or distribution challenges, or designing community engagement strategies to rebuild public trust in journalism or reach underserved communities. Read news announcement »

• Eligibility: Open to U.S. journalists and journalism strategists building or growing local news outlets in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio or Wisconsin. Applicants should live in or have a demonstrated understanding of the area they are proposing to serve and have at least five years of working experience. Applicants should have a clear intent to remain in and serve a community in one of our focus states after the completion of their fellowship. 
• Application Requirements: Applicants must explain in their personal statement their current connection to local news in one of the Great Lakes states and, in their project proposal, describe their entrepreneurial journalism project and how the fellowship and extra resources would help them achieve their goals. Applicants should be specific in the skills they have and the skills they need to develop.

FAQs about applying for the Great Lakes Local News Fellowship »

Deepening Storytelling with Polls, Surveys and Data

The James S. House and Wendy Fisher House Social Science Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for a journalist with a deep interest in social science research to participate in the Knight-Wallace Fellowship while collaborating with the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (ISR), the largest academic social science and research organization in the world. The Social Science Fellow will work closely with ISR scholars, exploring broad topics such as the future of data collection, as well as specific reporting-related issues like economic inequality, health inequities, and political polarization. 

• Eligibility: Open to U.S. journalists whose work is informed by polling, surveys, data and research, with at least five years of professional experience.
• Application Requirements: Applicants must detail how social science research informs their journalism in their personal essay. In their project proposal, they should outline a data or survey driven journalism project they hope to pursue during the fellowship and explain how ISR’s research and expertise would advance their work and skills as a journalist.

Reinvigorating Arts Reporting

In collaboration with the University of Michigan’s Arts Initiative, the Arts Journalism Fellowship supports journalists specializing in arts reporting and criticism, addressing the decline of arts coverage in U.S. newsrooms. In addition to being a member of the Knight-Wallace Fellowship cohort, the Arts Journalism Fellow will also be a member of the university-wide Arts Initiative, gaining access to valuable professional development opportunities and engaging with leading scholars, creators and innovators in the arts as well as university student interested in arts writing. Read news announcement about our inaugural fellow »

• Eligibility: Open to U.S. arts journalists and critics with at least five years of professional experience.
• Application Requirements: Applicants must describe their arts journalism work experience in their personal statement and, in their project proposal, outline a fellowship project focused on coverage of the arts. 

Application Deadlines

International applications are now closed for the 2025-2026 academic year.

U.S. applications are now open for the 2025-2026 academic year.

The deadline for international applicants (journalists who do not hold a U.S. passport) was December 1, 2024.

The deadline for U.S. applicants to apply for the 2025-2026 academic year is February 1, 2025.

Fellowship offers are extended by early May, giving Fellows ample time to plan a move to Ann Arbor for the start of the fall semester. As relocating for the fellowship does take some planning, we provide assistance with finding housing based on the needs of individual Fellows.

More information on applying for the Knight-Wallace Fellowship »