Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

TBA

Fellowship•USA · Ann Arbor

Knight-Wallace Fellowship

Wallace House Center for Journalists, University of Michigan

Application Deadline

Closed · December 1, 2025

Reopens ~Dec 2026

Official Page

The Knight-Wallace Fellowships, run by the Wallace House Center for Journalists at the University of Michigan, bring up to 20 mid-career journalists to Ann Arbor for an eight-month academic year (late August to April). Fellows leave daily deadlines behind to design and pursue an individual project — sharpening skills, tackling a newsroom challenge, digging into a long-term reporting or data project, or building a journalism venture — while drawing on the resources of a world-class university. The program has awarded fellowships since 1973 and is open to both U.S. and international journalists.

Benefits & funding

  • US$85,000 stipend plus US$5,000 for relocation expenses, paid monthly from August through April.
  • Health insurance, the cost of auditing university courses, and the required workshops and fellowship activities are covered by Wallace House.
  • Access to University of Michigan faculty and specialized resources for the individual project.
  • Private, off-the-record seminars with newsroom leaders and world-renowned experts, plus workshops to sharpen professional and leadership skills.
  • An international study trip that adds context to the political, economic and social forces shaping the news.
  • Individual housing assistance; spouses and partners may join fellowship activities and audit university courses.

Eligibility

  • Open to accomplished journalists worldwide from all facets of journalism; both U.S. and international (non-U.S. passport) journalists may apply, on separate deadlines.
  • Aimed at mid-career journalists ready to take the next career step; no degree is required.
  • Two specialized tracks — applied for through the same general application — are open to U.S. journalists only and each explicitly require at least five years of professional experience: the Great Lakes Local News Fellowship (for those serving Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio or Wisconsin) and the Arts Journalism Fellowship (for arts reporters and critics).

Can you apply?

Open to all applicants

No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.

  • Appears to have an age limit “up to 20”

    confirm in the requirements

We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.

Application process

  1. 1
    Wait for the next cycle to open: applications for the 2027-28 academic year open in October 2026 (they were closed at the time of writing).
  2. 2
    Apply through the general Knight-Wallace application, including a personal statement and a project proposal; applicants for the specialized fellowships address those tracks’ requirements within the same application.
  3. 3
    International (non-U.S. passport) applicants apply by the earlier December deadline; U.S. applicants by the February deadline.
  4. 4
    Selected fellows are notified — international offers by mid-February, U.S. offers by early May — then relocate to Ann Arbor for a mid-August start.

Program timeline

  1. Deadline for international (non-U.S. passport) applicants, 2026-27 cycle

    Dec 1, 2025

  2. Deadline for U.S. applicants, 2026-27 cycle

    Feb 1, 2026

  3. October 2026

    Applications open for the 2027-28 academic year

  4. Late August 2026

    2026-27 program begins in Ann Arbor

  5. April 2027

    2026-27 program ends