The application for Journalismfund Europe Pascal Decroos Fund 2023 is now open. With this project Journalismfund Europe wants to stimulate in-depth science journalism in Dutch-language media in Belgium.
The programme offers grants to science journalists to work on projects that have great newsworthiness and depth but that cannot be realized in regular media. The projects should be original, innovative and time-consuming and must involve investigative reporting on science and its impact on society.
Grant types:
The Pascal Decroos Fund has three types of grants:
- INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM: A working grant for investigative journalism allows the applicant to concentrate on one particular topic for a longer period of time.
- IN-DEPTH JOURNALISM: The projects must go beyond regular reporting, daily journalism or correspondence. The subject or theme must be special, or else the approach or angle.
- PRELIMINARY RESEARCH: When it is not clear whether the inquiries will yield the expected results, it is possible to apply for a grant to cover the expenses of the preliminary research.
Grant:
A grant can cover two types of costs:
- Expenses (both for freelance journalists as for employed staff journalists).
These can include travel, visa, accommodation, translation, fixers, access to pay-databases, FOI requests, legal screening, etc. - Research time (only for freelance journalists).
- Following expenses are NOT eligible for a grant: investments goods (such as IT equipment, cameras, …), office costs, production costs, food and beverage, per diems.
Applications need to include budget calculation according to the budget template.
Eligibility:
- Both beginning (starters) and experienced journalist (seniors) can submit a project that cannot be realized through the normal channels of journalism, that has major news value and depth and that is also original, innovative and time-consuming.
- The applicant must be a journalist (written or audio-visual press), or be able to prove that he/she is aspiring to a career in journalism. Personal references and/or references to earlier work are essential in that respect.
- Only natural persons can apply for a grant.
- Projects with regard to investigative and special journalism must deal with topics that are relevant for Flanders.
- The project must be published in a Dutch-language medium in Belgium. A letter of intent for publication from at least one professional news outlet is required for journalists with more than 2 years of experience. For starters this is considered a plus.
- All journalistic end products qualify for a grant: newspaper and magazine articles, radio and television documentaries and series, photo-reportages and books, podcasts and journalistic non-fiction books
Application :
Before you start, please consult the grant details, where you can find the rules, eligibility criteria, timing etc.
You can easily apply via our online application form. You’ll be asked to provide us with:
- personal details
- information about the project
- information about the dissemination of your story
- a detailed budget
Please make sure you have following documents at hand:
- copy of your ID (for Belgian residents) or passport
- CV
- letter(s) of intent of (a) Dutch language media outlet(s) in Belgium.
- a detailed budget (please use the budget template)
