The Fellowships

The Fellowships are designed for self-motivated journalists who hope to improve their coverage of science, technology, medicine or the environment. We are part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The nine-month program is divided between individually-chosen activities and twice-weekly Knight seminars arranged by the director. A Fellow's work usually includes courses audited at MIT and Harvard, attendance at departmental colloquia, field trips, lab visits, interviews, reading and writing. Each Fellow designs his or her own course of study in discussion with the director. Some Fellows audit three or four courses. Others choose to spend time in a lab.

Our twice-a-week seminars, laboratory visits and field trips bring Fellows up-to-date on current research and broaden their exposure to various fields of science. A number of seminars are devoted to the craft of science writing and issues involving interactions between science and society. Knight Fellows also gain automatic admission to our highly competitive week-long Boot Camps.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is the principal sponsor of the Fellowships.

 

Collegiality

Many Knight Fellows have said that one of the most valuable and lasting benefits of their year at MIT is the interaction with other Knight Fellows. The fellowship year is a time to learn how other science writers work, how they think, how they judge story ideas, and, not least, how they have fun. For many at smaller news organizations and for freelance writers, science writing can be a lonely pursuit. The professional community fostered by a Knight Fellowship offers new opportunities for collegiality.

Read what former fellows say about being a fellow.

 

Stepping back

The basic premise of the fellowship is to lay aside the journalist's normally narrow focus on getting "the story," and instead to explore science more deeply and more broadly—to follow intellectual digressions, to learn the history of a field, to understand how scientists and engineers pursue their work. This requires a leave of absence from one's employer. Although academics are an important part of the Fellowship, there is also time for self-reflection.

 

The Stipend

Knight Fellows receive $60,000, divided into ten installments over the academic year. Fellows must pay all their living costs in the Cambridge area. Apartments are relatively expensive by U.S. standards. Many employers subsidize Fellows by paying the difference between the stipend and their regular salary. In return, employers customarily have the right to ask Fellows to return and remain for at least one year following the fellowship.

The Afterlife

Since the program began in 1983, 265 journalists have been—or are—Knight Fellows. They remain part of a growing group of journalists who share questions, information, ideas, job opportunities, and thoughts about the craft—all through our email network and web site. We encourage former Fellows to return for seminars or to use our office as a base of operation when in town. We also have yearly reunions at the annual Amercian Association for the Advancement of Science meeting, held each winter. Our 25th Anniversary Celebration/Symposium was held in Cambridge in February 2008.

Fellows catch up at the 20th reunion

 

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