About the fellowship
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) invites proposals from journalists for its Media Fellowship programme. This fellowship is designed to empower Eastern African health journalists to tell compelling and impactful stories about neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and the often-overlooked patients that they affect. Through workshops, pitch development, and reporting grants, the fellowship will equip journalists with the skills and resources necessary to produce high-quality, nuanced narratives that highlight the impact of NTDs across Eastern Africa.
Journalists selected for this fellowship are expected to produce at least two in-depth stories by engaging with affected populations and key stakeholders. Fellows will have the opportunity to work closely with mentors who are experts and thought leaders in journalism and neglected diseases, alongside research specialists from DNDi.
- Fellowship duration: 3 months (November 2024 to January 2025)
- Application deadline: 18 October 2024
About the grant
The grant focuses on raising awareness and fostering a deeper understanding of neglected diseases that affect millions of people in Eastern Africa, such as visceral leishmaniasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, cryptococcal meningitis, and mycetoma. These diseases are exacerbated by factors such as poverty, malnutrition, poor sanitation, inadequate treatment, and limited access to healthcare. The grant encourages the exploration of NTDs through various lenses, including gender, paediatrics, regional conflicts, and climate change, highlighting the urgent need for safe, affordable treatments and better healthcare infrastructure.
Children are particularly neglected in drug development for NTDs. They face double vulnerability: they are both at the highest risk of contracting many NTDs and suffer the most severe consequences, while also being underserved by the limited treatments available that are designed to suit their specific needs.
Who can apply
DNDi welcomes applications from journalists based in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, DRC, and Sudan.
Eligible applicants include journalists from diverse backgrounds, including staff reporters, photographers, radio/audio journalists, and television/video journalists working in print, television, and online media (including YouTube), as well as freelancers.
Applications must be submitted in English. However, applicants are encouraged to publish their stories in the local languages of their regions.
Selection criteria
- Reporting proposals must focus on NTDs in the countries mentioned above.
- Proposals should align with DNDi’s activities, social mission, and values.
- Relevance of the story pitch to current events.
- Innovative storytelling ideas that bring new insights to an issue.
- A minimum of three years of professional experience is required.
The fellowship award includes
- Coverage of reporting costs.
- Access to DNDi projects.
- Knowledge sharing on DNDi’s operational model.
- Mentorship from experts.
- Training and sensitization on relevant topics.
- Resources to produce in-depth, insightful reporting.
- Funding for reporting costs related to field visits
- Stipend
The fellowship duration is three months, with projects to be completed before 31 January 2025.
Deliverables
Fellows will work closely with DNDi’s Eastern Africa Communications Team and mentors to finalize their reports. They must ensure accurate presentation of facts, anecdotes, and lived experiences, both medical and non-medical, to protect patient privacy, rights, and access to healthcare.
Fellows must choose one of the following report types for their application:
- Print/digital:
- Publish a minimum of two article series (feature or analysis)
- Video/multimedia:
- Publish one video story or short film (minimum 5 minutes), OR
- Publish a photo essay with 15-20 photographs and 600 words, OR
- Two video series (4 minutes each).
If the journalist is already employed by a news organization, the organization must be willing to publish the story.
Fellows will be encouraged to participate in a webinar session, ideally in collaboration with DNDi or another media platform where the stories are published, where they will discuss their work and highlight the cause.
Application guide
Applicants are asked to provide the following:
- Reporting plan: A detailed reporting plan that lists preferred start and end dates, field visit dates, locations, risks involved, etc. (200-300 words). Pre-reporting on the subject is an advantage.
- Medium of publication: Indicate the medium (print, digital, TV, or podcast).
- Letter of commitment: A letter of commitment or interest from a media organization(s) willing to publish your story/stories.
- Relevant work examples: Three examples (with links) of your most relevant published stories.
Scope
The DNDi grant only covers travel costs and stipend. DNDi expects and encourages news organizations to pay journalists for their work. If you are applying on behalf of a newsroom, please note that overhead or indirect expenses are not allowed in the budget. For multimedia journalists, especially those producing news feature stories, DNDi may feature their work on its website, as well.
