Jefferson Fellowship grant for senior journalists and newsroom leaders

Programme details 

Dates: October 5 – 23, 2025  

Deadline for applications: 5pm, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. 

The East-West Center is providing one place on the Jefferson Fellowship programme, funded by Asia New Zealand Foundation, for a New Zealand journalist on this the three-week programme, which includes travel to Hawaii, Indonesia, and Thailand. 

The theme for the 2025 programme is ‘The Future of Food Security: Lessons from Southeast Asia’. The programme is made up of an immersive dialogue, travel, and reporting program to Hawaii, Indonesia, and Thailand that will enable participating journalists to explore growing concern about food security in the Southeast Asia region caused by changing environmental conditions, rising prices, declining fisheries, and disruptions in global supply chains.  East-West Center website - more information about the Jefferson Fellowship https://www.eastwestcenter.org/apply/2025-jefferson-fellowships 

Grant details 

Asia New Zealand Foundation will cover most travel and programme-related costs for the successful participant. The estimated value of this grant is NZ$16,000 to NZ$17,000. 

The journalist must cover: 

· all applicable visa fees and any additional visa-related expenses 

· travel-related health insurance 

Who can apply? 

Newsroom leaders and senior journalists who are based in New Zealand are eligible to apply. 

Applicants must also be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. 

How to apply 

A successful applicant will need to show a proven track record as a journalist and a level of seniority and influence in New Zealand newsrooms. 

You will also need to supply 

• A letter of interest (maximum 3 pages, double-spaced). Letter should include: (1) a brief description of your news organization or freelance work, job duties and experience; (2) what you expect to accomplish and what issues you want to explore during the program, including specific story ideas; (3) the relevance of the theme to a New Zealand audience and your areas of coverage; (4) how participation will benefit your work as journalist. Please also include a proposed topic for the paper and presentation you will share as part of the Fellowship (see ‘What is required of the grant recipient’ section below). 

• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (maximum 2 pages). 

• An employer's statement of support completed by the applicant's supervisor/employer indicating that the applicant has the support of their media organisation to attend the Fellowship. (Does not apply to freelance journalists.) 

• Two (2) professional references with letters of recommendation. 

Click here to apply.

For more details on the Jefferson Fellowship programme, you can check the East-West Center website.

For any questions, please email [email protected] with ‘Jefferson Fellowship 2025’ in the subject line. 

What is required of the grant recipient 

The East-West Center requires that a successful candidate: 

• Prepare and submit a short paper (1,000–1,500 words) several weeks prior to their arrival at the Center. Papers should address the theme and discuss how the journalist’s home country or region/field of coverage – at the government, private sector and/or socio-cultural level – is responding to the issue. 

• Prepare an oral presentation (approximately 10-15 minutes) based on the previously submitted paper and participate in discussion of his or her topic. The purpose of the presentations is to leverage the knowledge and experience of participating journalists in ways that are professionally useful to fellow participants as they study, assess, and report on the theme of the fellowship as well as the Indo-Pacific region.  

For the Foundation, you will also be required to report back on your experience, including providing a web story and photos, and be available to speak to other New Zealand journalists and Asia New Zealand Foundation stakeholders about the fellowship programme. 

Selection process 

Applications will be assessed by a panel process. 

The Foundation will then forward the successful candidate’s application to the East-West Center for final approval. 

The Foundation reserves the right not to provide a grant should no application prove suitable.