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

Wallace House returned to our in-person Knight-Wallace Fellowships for the 2022-2023 academic year. Our in-person fellowship adheres to the University of Michigan’s Covid-19 protocol for all students, staff and faculty. This currently includes Covid-19 vaccine and booster requirements and following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

*Effective for the 2024-2025 academic year

Introducing the Knight-Wallace Arts Journalism Fellowship

This year, Wallace House and the University of Michigan Arts Initiative created the Knight-Wallace Arts Journalism Fellowship, a specialized fellowship designed to underscore the importance of arts reporting and criticism in American journalism at a time when coverage in these areas is dwindling.

The inaugural fellow will be a member of the Knight-Wallace Fellowship class and a member of the campus-wide Arts Initiative, which seeks to illuminate and expand human connections, inspire collaborative creativity, and build a more just and equitable world through the arts.

Applications for the Knight-Wallace Arts Journalism Fellowship are now open to arts journalists and critics with at least five years of professional experience. Coverage areas may include but are not limited to music, dance, theater and other performing arts, visual arts and museum culture, literature and poetry, film and new media architecture and design.

On the application form, applicants for this specialized fellowship must describe their arts journalism work experience in their personal statement and explain in their journalism project proposal how their fellowship project is related to coverage of the arts. 

Application Deadlines

Applications to apply for the 2024-2025 academic will open October 13.

The deadline for international applicants (journalists who do not hold a U.S. passport) to apply for the 2024-2025 academic year is December 1, 2023.

The deadline for U.S. applicants to apply for the 2024-2025 academic year is February 1, 2024.

Fellowship offers are extended in 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 »