We are proud to announce our sixth annual scholarship program. This year we are teaming up with The Pudding, a visual essays online publication.

ProPublica, with additional support from The Pudding, will be sponsoring need-based scholarships for 25 students to attend an eligible journalism conference in 2021 and/or to contribute toward journalism related expenses such as subscriptions to news publications, software, FOIA fees, or equipment (think cameras, recorders, etc.).

Residents eligible to file a W-9 can apply. We especially encourage students from an underrepresented group in journalism — including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities — to apply.

The $750 scholarships will go to students who would otherwise be unable to attend conferences or purchase supplies to support their education and ongoing reporting.

The following conferences offer great opportunities for networking and professional development, especially for those just starting out in journalism. Scholarship recipients will also have the opportunity to meet ProPublica and The Pudding staff throughout the year at conferences (virtual or in person). Check out last year’s scholarship recipients.

You can apply for the scholarship here. The deadline is Feb. 22. Students have the option to select a conference as part of their application. We understand many have yet to announce dates and that formats may change, but we would still like to know which you are interested in attending.

• AAJA, Asian American Journalists Association. Location and dates TDB.
• AHCJ, Association of Health Care Journalists. Austin, Texas, June 24-27.
• IRE, Investigative Reporters and Editors. Indianapolis, June 17-20.
• JAWS, Journalism and Women Symposium. New Mexico, Sept. 24-26.
• NABJ National Association of Black Journalists. Houston, Aug. 18-22.
• NAHJ National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Virtual, July (exact date TBD).
• NAJA, Native American Journalists Association. Phoenix, Sept. 15-19.
• NICAR, The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting. Virtual, March 3-5.
• NLGJA, Association of LGBTQ Journalists. Location and dates TBD.
• NPPA, National Press Photographers Association (Northern Short Course). Location and dates TBD.
• ONA, Online News Association. Location and dates TBD.
• SND, Society for News Design. Location and dates TBD.
• SRCCON, organized by OpenNews. Location and dates TBD.

Every year, we share what ProPublica is doing to increase the diversity of our newsroom and of journalism as a whole. These scholarships are a small but important step to help student journalists from underrepresented communities take advantage of everything these conferences offer.

High school, college and graduate students are welcome to apply. You must be a student at the time of application, but it’s OK if you’re graduating this spring.

Questions about the application process? Want to contribute to our scholarship fund to send more students to these conferences? Get in touch at [email protected].