Important Dates and Deadlines for Writers, 2021
grants, residencies, contests, events + more
Hi writer friends,
This big list of grants, residencies, writing contests, and events for writers is being updated throughout the year. If you know of something that should be added to this list, please email me at Britany.robinson@gmail.com.
Want to support the work that goes in to creating resources like this one? A subscription to One More Question is just $6/month. You’ll receive weekly paid writing opportunities, along with essays, Q&As, and even more exclusive resources to help you make freelance writing work.
Awarded on a rolling basis
Connected Coastlines grants from the Pulitzer Center
The Black Press Grant Program, fast grants up to $10K for Black freelancers and Black-owned media.
Spotlight DC grants for investigative journalism, up to $10K for projects focused on health care, crime, transportation, corruption, and other matters of public interest in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia region
Upcoming (deadlines will be added soon)
The Neil Pierce Foundation Journalism Travel Grant awards $1500 to individual journalists who are reporting on improving cities and their metro regions.
January
Applications/Submissions Due:
1/8: The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Is Work Working?
1/15: Rose Post Creative Nonfiction competition, $1,000 prize
1/15: Dobie Paisano fellowships, for Native Texans
1/15: Calibre Essay Prize from Australian Book Review, $7500 prize
1/15: Ellen Meloy Fund for Desert Writers, $5000 towards creative time in the desert
1/16 : Kim Wall Memorial Fund, $5000 grants for 2 journalists
1/18: Nine Dots Prize: What does it mean to be young in an ageing world?
1/23: Marquette University fellowship in public service journalism
1/30: Hillman Prize for investigative journalism
1/31: New Millennium Writing Awards for creative nonfiction, $1000 prize
1/31: Fish Publishing Short Memoir Prize, $1000 for first prize
1/31: Iowa Review Awards, $1500 for creative nonfiction
1/31: Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Artists Grants for Women, $1500
1/31: Crazy Horse Writing Prizes, $2000 for winning essay
1/31: The Victor K. McElheny Award for science journalism
Events:
1/6: One Page Wednesday with Literary Arts
1/13: Incite: Queer Writers Read with Literary Arts
1/13: Time Traveling webinar: The Magical Powers of the Memoir Narrator with Creative Nonfiction
1/16: One Day Memoir Writing Workshop with Susan Hodera
1/26: How to Price Freelance Writing Projects with The Writer’s Co-op
1/27: Balancing the Exterior and Interior Life in Memoir: How to Write Your Life Story
1/28: Climate Essentials Media Briefing from SciLine
February
Applications/Submissions Due:
2/1: Sigma Awards for data journalists
2/1: Philip Ross Fellowship Residencies, $5000 + 4 month residency
2/1: Arts Idaho Fellowships, $5000 recognizing the work of Idaho writer
2/5 Artist Entrepreneurial Grants for New Hampshire writers.
2/7: First Pages Prize, submit 5 pages of fiction or nonfiction manuscript, 5 winners, $5000 each.
2/14: Metcalf Institute’s Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists
2/15: Bloomberg-UNC-Berkeley Business Journalism Diversity Program
2/17: Good Hart Artist Residency, 1-3 week stays in Good Hart, Michigan
2/8: Fund for Investigative Journalism Grants, up to $10000
2/8: The Victor K. McElheny Award, $5,000 for journalism covering issues in science, public health, technology, or the environment..
2/9: The Deadline Club Awards for NYC journalists
2/12: NPR’s Reflect America Fellowship, 1 year, $70,000 salary
2/21: Susan M. Haas Fellowship, 2 writers will be awarded $25,000 to develop teleplays.
2/24: Maynard Institute for Journalism Education 2021 fellowship program is a 2-year mentorship for members of African American, Latino, Asian American, Native American, and Middle Eastern communities.
2/25: International Women’s Media Foundation’s Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship for women and non-binary journalists covering human rights and social justice.
2/26: Sustainable Arts Foundation writing awards, $5000 for writers with children
2/28: Red Hen Press Women’s Prose Prize, $1,000 and publication of nonfiction book-length work
2/28: Nowhere Emerging Travel Writers Prize, $500 + publication
Events:
2/6: National Association of Hispanic Journalists virtual career fair
2/24: How to Set Up a Successful Blog in 12 Months with Journo Resources
March
Applications/Submissions Due:
3/1: Alabama State Council on the Arts Literary Arts Fellowships, $5000 for writers who have lived in Alabama 2+ years
3/1: Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Artist Fellowships, $5000 for creative nonfiction writer in Mississippi
3/1: Maine Farmland Trust, 1-month writing residency, focused on essays/nonfiction
3/1: Fountain Essay Contest on theme: Reflections on life and human existence during the pandemic
3/1: AWP Prize for Creative Nonfiction, $2500 and publication for book-length work
3/1: Energy Journalism Initiative with Columbia Center of Global Energy Policy
3/10: The Writer Magazine’s Essay Contest, publication and $1,000
3/10: The National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowships, $25000 grants for creative nonfiction writers
3/12: NPR’s Code Switch fellowship for recent college graduates, full-time for 6 months, $25,000
3/14: Ida B. Wells fellowship for investigative reporting
3/15: Education Reporting Fellowship with at CUNY, $2,500
3/21: MIT Technology Review’s COVID Inequality fellowships, includes $7500, editorial support, and publication in publication in MIT Technology Review
3/22: Lighthouse Works’ fellowship program, 6-week residency + $1500 stipend
3/26: Words Without Borders editorial fellowship, knowledge of one or more foreign language preferred, paid $16/hour
3/28: The Center for Investigative Journalism’s Collaborative Community Journalism fellowships for investigative journalism projects.
3/31: Geminga, $500 for micro fiction and nonfiction (100 words)
3/31: Open Doors Review Literary & Arts Magazine, submissions open to anyone with a connection to Italy for the May 2021 edition.
Rolling (March-December): The Black Press Grant Program, fast grants up to $10K for Black freelancers and Black-owned media.
Events:
3/10: Juggling Journalism with Your Job with Journo Resources
3/11: BBC Young Reporter Festival: Careers Workshop
3/18: Climate Reporting Masterclass live event: Climate Solutions are Health Solutions
3/20: The Uproot Project Launch from SEJ (discussing the need for more journalists of color in environmental journalism.)
3/24-26: Science Talk ‘21 a virtual workshop for communicators
April
Applications/Submissions Due:
4/1: The Alpine Fellowship, $10,000 prize for fiction or essay on theme: Untamed: On Wilderness and Civilization.
4/1: Registration for Green River Field Institute registration, A seven-day journalistic exploration of the Green River’s Desolation Canyon (Takes place June 12-18)
4/17: Louisiana Division of the Arts Individual grants, up to $1,500, must be Louisiana resident
4/26: Vermont Law School and ASPCA’s Animal Law Media Fellowship
4/29: F(r)iction contest for creative nonfiction, $1600 in prizes
4/29: The National Critic’s Institute, two-week program for arts writers and critics
4/30: Wow Women on Writing essay writing contest
4/30: The Irene Adler Prize, $1,000 scholarship for a woman pursuing a degree in journalism
4/30: Applications to OZYGenius Awards, $10K will be awarded to 10 students.
4/30: KSJ @ MIT fact-checking workshop. The free online workshop will be held on June 4, but space is limited and you must apply by 4/30.
Events:
4/12-18: Get Lit! Festival, free online events and craft classes for $35/each.
4/20-23: Pulitzer Center Conference, focus on environmental reporting
4/24: Workshop: Writing Authentic Characters and Stories With Heart with Sheryl Haft
4/28: Free Masterclass: Finish Your Nonfiction Book in 2021
May
Applications/Submissions Due:
5/3: Texas Tribune Student Fellowships for college students.
5/4: Civil Eats’ Indigenous Foodways Fellowship, a year-long contracted position that includes a $20,000 stipend.
5/10: Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellowships, $2,000 plus seminar and travel expenses
5/10: Vermont Arts Council Artist Development Grants
5/15: The Kurt Brown Prizes, $500 scholarships to first place winners
5/16: Wired’s Resilience Residency, aimed at non-journalists (or journalists who are also in another industry) who will collaborate with writers on stories about their industries.
5/16: Vox Media Writers Workshop, includes three days of workshops and mentorship from Vox writers and editors. Online workshops are 6/8, 7/7, 8/10.
5/17: Center for Health Journalism’s National Fellowship, $2-10K and 6 months of expert mentorship, to help journalists “report deeply and authoritatively on the health, welfare and well-being of children, youth, families and communities, as viewed through the lenses of COVID-19 and systemic racism.”
5/18: Grist Environmental Justice Fellowship, 6 months paid
5/31: Moondancer Fellowship, for authors expressing “love of nature and concern for the environment.” Two-week residency takes place in Eureka Springs, AK.
Events:
5/11: How to Make Your Freelance Business More Efficient webinar with The Writer’s Co-op. Tickets are $20.
June
Applications/Submissions Due:
6/1: The New Republic is hiring a reporter-researcher for a year-long fellowship. Applicants should be recent graduates or have up to two years of work experience.
6/1: Earth Journalism Network fishing subsidies story grants. 20 writers will be awarded around $1,000, depending on proposal and budget.
6/6: The Knight Science Journalism School is accepting applications for the KSJ fellowship program. Fellows can choose one of three tiers of support and compensation, ranging from $5,000 to $40,000.
6/15: Conference scholarships to HippoCamp 2021: A Conference for Creative Nonfiction Writers.
6/18: Twin Cities PBS and the Ready to Learn Education Grant for children’s television writers. Selected writers will work with Emmy-award winning professionals for 6 weeks.
6/21: The Google News Student Fellowship program, aims to support students of color “who are interested in careers at the intersection of technology, media, and journalism. $7,000 stipend and 10-12 weeks of work.
6/30: Nowhere Spring 2021 Travel Writing Prize, winner receives $1,000 and publication.
Events:
6/4: KSJ@MIT Fact-checking workshop (applications due 4/30)
6/22-25: The Online News Association’s ONA 21 global journalism festival
6/23-27: Jackson Hole Writer’s Conference (online)
July
Applications/Submissions Due:
7/1: Elk River Writers Workshop applications (Takes place Aug. 15-20.)
7/2: The New York Times Editing Residency, full-time for one year, starts in the fall of 2021.
7/8: Arizona Arts Commission artist development grants, up to $5,000 for artists/writers who live or work in Arizona.
7/31: Open Doors Review Literary & Arts Magazine: Submissions open to anyone with a connection to Italy for the September 2021 edition.
7/31: Logan Nonfiction Virtual Fellowship, 5-10 weeks, educational resources and mentorship, no stipend/grant.
Events:
7/21: Society of Environmental Journalists Webinar: Climate Science and Covering the IPCC 6th Assessment Report
7/22: The Freelance Solidarity Project is hosting a webinar on Why Medicare for All Matters to Freelancers.
7/28-31: Midwest Writer’s Workshop, online conference
August
Applications/Submissions Due:
8/9: MacColl Johnson Fellowships for writers from the Rhode Island Foundation, $25,000 for up to three recipients.
8/20: Montana Humanities Grants, up to $1,000 for Montana-based projects.
8/22: Rethink Outside Fellowship, “designed to support, connect, and elevate an intergenerational group of leaders and storytellers of color working to connect people with nature and the outdoors.” Six month commitment.
Events:
September
Applications/Submissions Due:
9/15: Work and Womanhood writing contest, 500-2,000 words on work and womanhood, hosted by Healthy Rich. First place prize: $250 + publication + mentorship.
9/30: Dzanc Book prize for book-length work of creative nonfiction, $1500 and publication
9/30: The Lascaux Prize in Creative Nonfiction, $1,000 first prize
9/30: Wild Atlantic Writing Awards, 500-word limit on creative non-fiction stories, any theme, 1,000 euro in prize money.
9/30: National Association of Science Writers diversity grants
9/30: Western Media Fellowship from Stanford University’s Bill Lane Center for the American West, up to $5,000 for stories about important issues in the western United States.
Events:
9/21: Building Passive Income Streams webinar with The Writer’s Co-op
October
Applications/Submissions Due:
10/17: Solutions Journalism Lede Fellowship, providing funding and editorial guidance on solutions-focused projects.
10/21: Science Writing fellowships with International Journalists’ Network. 10-month fellowship includes $4,000 stipend.
10/22: Outside Magazine survival essay content. $1000 and publication.
10/30: Politico Fellowship, 12-month position in political and policy journalism.
Events:
10/20-23: Global Fact 8, a fact-checking conference hosted by Poynter, taking place online.
10/24: The Business of Freelancing: Contracts, rates, platforms, and more, webinar with Tim Herrera.
November
Applications/Submissions Due:
PERIPLUS Fellowship, intended for early-career BIPOC journalists, mentorship-focused.
11/1: The Water Desk grants, up to $10,000 for journalists covering water issues in the Colorado River Basin from the University of Colorado Boulder.
11/1: Gabriele Rico Challenge for Nonfiction, $1,333 prize on theme: Cliche
11/4: AIPS Sports Media Awards
11/15: Grist 2022 Fellowships: Climate Solutions, Environmental Justice, Midwest, and more.
11/15: The Best of the Northwest Science Writing Awards, $300 prize for various categories of science writing based in the PNW.
11/30: Speculative Literature Foundation’s Gulliver Travel Grant, $1000
11/30: Tiny Foundation Fellowship for Investigative Journalism, $5,000-$20,000 CAD for stories on big tech and accountability.
Events:
11/1: National Novel Writing Month begins.
December
Applications/Submissions Due:
12/1: New York Times Fellowships, multiple positions, 1-year contract, pays $76,000 + benefits.
12/15: The Carey Institute for Global Good’s Logan Nonfiction Fellowship program, 10-week program to work on deeply reported project.
Events: