Applications Open for the Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellowship Now in its second year, the fellowship will offer two early career journalists an opportunity to study at MIT and write for the digital publication STAT.

STAT, the leading health and science news publication, and the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT are accepting applications for the Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellowship, which has the goal of diversifying the ranks of science and health journalists and fostering better coverage of science that is relevant to all people. It combines a paid reporting position at STAT with an educational component through MIT’s prestigious Knight Science Journalism program.

The one-year fellowship is intended for early-career U.S. journalists from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the profession and will prepare them for a successful career in science journalism. We will be hiring two fellows this year, who will start in late August and work through August 2023.

Fellows will be based at STAT’s Boston office and report and write articles. At the same time, they will participate in KSJ training seminars and fellowship community events, have access to MIT libraries, and be able to audit classes at MIT and Harvard.

An applicant must be residing in the U.S. and live in, or be willing to relocate to, the Boston area. Applicants must have some previous journalism experience; between six months and five years is desirable. Previous work as a science writer is not required.

Fellows will be paid $75,000 and receive health insurance through MIT. They will receive 10 days of vacation and get standard holidays off.

Applications are being accepted online until May 6, 2022 at 5 p.m. ET. Please submit:

• A personal statement of up to 1,000 words describing yourself, your goals for the fellowship, and how your background, experiences, and career path influenced your decision to pursue this opportunity.
• A resume.
• Links to 3-5 published articles that showcase your reporting and writing skills.
• A letter of recommendation from an individual familiar with your work who can comment on your abilities, your commitment to journalism, and your suitability for this fellowship.

Vaccination Statement

MIT requires Covid-19 vaccination and booster for all MIT employees, including fellows, who work in the United States. New employees must be fully vaccinated, including the booster, before their date of hire; if not eligible for the booster at date of hire, they must receive the booster within two weeks after becoming eligible. Individuals may request exemption from the vaccine requirement for medical or religious reasons. More information may be found at: https://now.mit.edu.

Boston Globe Media Partners, STAT’s parent company, requires that all employees provide the company Human Resources team with proof of Covid-19 vaccination status through the secure system that will be provided for this purpose. For those who are not vaccinated for company-approved and verified medical and/or religious reasons, that same system will allow you to upload required weekly Covid-19 test results.