The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism funds enterprise and investigative reporting that brings fresh insight to business, finance, or economics. It is run by the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Center for Business Journalism at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.
Fellows work from their own offices rather than attending a residency. Projects may use text, audio, photo, or short-form video, and the Center provides editorial supervision and help placing completed work.
Benefits & funding
- Each project may receive a grant of up to $15,000; the amount depends on the time and reporting expenses involved.
- Freelance fellows may use part of the grant toward living expenses while completing the project.
- The Center provides editorial guidance during reporting, may edit completed stories, and helps place work with established outlets.
Eligibility
- Applicants must have at least five years of professional journalism experience.
- Freelancers and reporters or editors at news organizations or journalism nonprofits may apply.
- U.S. citizens or residents, and applicants who pay U.S. taxes, may apply. Foreign applicants must have U.S. residency and a U.S. tax ID, file taxes with the U.S. government, and publish the proposed Fellowship work in English through a U.S.-based media outlet.
- Proposed work may be in text, audio, photo, or short-form video, but long-form documentaries are not supported.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Experience required
≥ 5 yrs
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Complete the official online application by October 12, 2026.
- 2Upload a PDF containing a two- or three-sentence elevator pitch and a full proposal of no more than three pages.
- 3Include preliminary reporting, what is new and significant, likely impact, prior coverage, a reporting plan, a completion timeline, and any interested outlet.
- 4Submit a current résumé and three professionally published work samples in the proposed medium.
- 5If selected as a finalist, provide an estimated budget and two professional references.
Program timeline
October 12, 2026
Fall 2026 application deadline