Apply for a fellowship to attend IRE Data Journalism Bootcamp 

As one of IRE’s signature training programs, Data Journalism Bootcamp empowers newsrooms to pursue hard-hitting, data-driven stories.

We call it “bootcamp” because the training is intense – but don’t let that scare you! Each year, journalists across different beats and media walk away from the weeklong workshop more confident and eager to work with numbers and data.

In 2025, IRE will host three separate bootcamps at the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia, Missouri: Google Sheets Deep Dive (January 13-17), Google Sheets Deep Dive (March 24-28) and Advanced Data Journalism Bootcamp in R (August 4-8).

Fellowships are available to help TV journalists, radio journalists, journalists of color, educators of color, journalists serving rural communities, and journalism educators who teach data journalism and investigative reporting.

Please note, IRE uses a common application for most, but not all, fellowships. Learn more and apply using the links below.

Holly Whisenhunt Stephen Fellowship

TV and/or radio journalists are eligible for this fellowship, which provides assistance to attend an IRE Data Journalism Bootcamp. Fellows receive a one-year IRE membership/renewal (up to $75 value), complimentary bootcamp registration (up to $1,250 value) and a travel stipend (up to $750).

Deadline (for January Bootcamp): Nov. 18, 2024
Deadline (for March Bootcamp): Jan. 6, 2025

Apply here. (This fellowship uses the IRE Common App)

Ottaway Fellowship

Journalists and educators of color are eligible for this fellowship, which provides assistance to attend an IRE Data Journalism Bootcamp. Students are not eligible. Fellows receive a one-year IRE membership/renewal (up to $75 value), complimentary bootcamp registration (up to $1,250 value) and a travel stipend (up to $1,000).

Deadline (for January Bootcamp): Nov. 18, 2024
Deadline (for March Bootcamp): Jan. 6, 2025

Apply here. (This fellowship uses the IRE Common App).

R-CAR Fellowship

This fellowship is designed to help journalists serving rural communities attend an IRE Data Journalism Bootcamp. Fellows receive a one-year IRE membership/renewal (up to $75 value), complimentary bootcamp registration (up to $1,250 value) and a travel stipend (up to $500).

This application is open to:

U.S.-based professional journalists working for:

• A newspaper with circulation fewer than 40,000 with a significant rural audience.
• A television or radio station outside the top 100 Nielsen markets with a significant rural audience.
• A nonprofit news organization with demonstrated rural coverage and readership.

Freelance journalists who have:

• A clearly defined project with rural impact; a small, rural news organization committed to publishing the story; and most of their income from independent journalism.

Deadline (for January Bootcamp): Nov. 18, 2024
Deadline (for March Bootcamp): Jan. 6, 2025
Deadline (for August Bootcamp): May 6, 2025

Apply here.

David Donald Fellowship

This fellowship is designed to support journalism educators who teach data journalism and investigative reporting. Fellows have the choice of attending an IRE Data Journalism Bootcamp OR the NICAR Conference, which will take place in Minneapolis March 6-9. 2025.

The fellowship includes a one-year IRE membership/renewal (up to $75 value), complimentary event registration (up to $800 value) and a travel stipend (up to $500). If attending the NICAR Conference, the fellowship will include four hotel nights.

Deadline: Jan. 6, 2025

Apply here. (This fellowship uses the IRE Common App).

Please note, eligibility for IRE fellowships /scholarships renews every three years. For example, if you receive a fellowship in 2025, you will be eligible again in 2028. If you have questions or need more information, please contact IRE’s Director of Partnerships Anna López.