NileWell Scientist-Journalist Co-Production Fellowship Program

Application Deadline:  April 10, 2023

InfoNile, through the NileWell platform, invites applications from journalists and scientists in the Nile Basin countries (Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, DRC, Ethiopia and Rwanda) for a fellowship program running from May to December 2023 that will involve training, mentorship, and coproduction of communication outputs based on scientific research. 

This fellowship is organized by InfoNile. InfoNile is a cross-border group of geo journalists with a mission to uncover critical stories on water issues in the Nile River Basin through data-based multimedia storytelling. InfoNile is a project of Water Journalists Africa, the largest network of journalists reporting on water in the African continent.

This program is through the NileWell platform. NileWell is InfoNile’s new online platform whose main objective is to  connect journalists and scientists in the Nile Basin. The program is being run in partnership with the Nile Basin Capacity Building Network Foundation and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, with funding from JRS Biodiversity Foundation and IHE Delft’s Water and Development Partnership Programme.

The co-production fellowship program seeks to improve the communication between the scientific community, the media,and audiences in the Nile Basin, including local communities, individuals and organizations working in the fields of water and environmental conservation, and policymakers.

This program also aims to facilitate collaboration between scientists and journalists working in or around water-related fields to enhance the media understanding of science and research. By partnering with each other, scientists and journalists will work together to make science more accessible, understandable, and engaging to each other and the public.

Journalists with an interest in water and environment; and scientists and researchers from different disciplines working on topics related to water and/or the environment, such as climate change; biodiversity; water quality; WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene); water infrastructure, hydrology; and social sciences in the Nile Basin countries are invited to apply for this program running from May to December 2023.

Eligibility Requirements

• Professional journalist with an interest in reporting on water-related science
• Scientists and researchers from different disciplines working on topics related to water and/or the environment

Programme Details

16 participants (8 journalists and 8 scientists) will be selected and trained on biodiversity reporting, transboundary water resources reporting, science journalism, science communication, and data journalism during the fellowship program.

This program will entail an inception in-person residential training workshop for both scientists and journalists on how to work together effectively; follow-up online training and mentorship sessions on specific topics; collaborative projects between scientists and journalists to produce communication outputs; and events that bring scientists and journalists together to showcase their work with the general public.

During the program, participants will then co-produce communication outputs based on the scientists’ research such as stories, podcasts, Twitter threads, blog posts, short videos, MoJo videos and others.

How to Apply

Submit your application by completing this form. 

Please note you will need to prepare:

• Your CV
• Information/links to the research you plan to communicate (if you are a scientist) 
• Related research studies you have done in the past (if you are a scientist)
• Links to any scientific communication you have produced in the past, such as science stories, blog posts or social media posts especially on water and environmental topics(if you are a journalist)

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the NileWell Scientist-Journalist Co-Production Fellowship Program 2023