Annual Science Immersion Workshop For Journalists

January 18, 2019
The Metcalf Institute moves beyond power-point presentations to hands-on learning. The program is rigorous, non-stop and exciting, it’s like getting a B.S. in a week.
Bradley Campbell, PRI’s the World

Information

Do you need a stronger scientific background to distinguish your reporting on environmental issues? Are you looking for ways to more effectively translate scientific publications for your reporting? Would you like to build your confidence in discerning the credibility of scientific sources?

The 2020 Annual Workshop
The 22nd Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists will be held June 7-12, 2020. Ten journalists will be awarded Workshop fellowships, which include tuition, room and board, and travel support, thanks to the generosity of private donors and Metcalf Institute’s endowment. Two of the ten slots will be awarded to journalists based outside of the U.S.

Applications will open in Fall, 2019

About the Workshop
The Metcalf Institute Annual Science Immersion Workshop provides professional journalists with hands-on experience in field and laboratory science with expertise from leading scientists and policymakers who are working to project the impacts of global change, identify adaptation measures, and investigate the most effective ways to communicate these challenges. The workshop addresses topics of global significance while focusing on local and regional case studies in and around Narragansett Bay, one of the world’s best-studied estuaries. Held at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, one of the nation’s premier oceanographic research institutions, the Metcalf Workshop provides an intense week of learning in the field, classroom and lecture hall.

Metcalf Fellows will:

    • Receive a comprehensive overview of climate science and global change
    • Gain a deeper understanding of how scientists conduct research and handle scientific uncertainty
    • Develop the skills and confidence to interpret and translate the language of scientific journals for news audiences
    • Build confidence in their abilities to discern the credibility of scientific sources
    • Board a research vessel to study the impacts of rising water temperatures on ecosystems and fish populations
    • Visit wetlands, shorelines, and coastal communities to better understand adaptive management efforts and solutions in response to sea level rise and coastal storms
    • Discover new ways to write about global change to build audience understanding and engagement
    • Cultivate new sources by interacting with leading researchers and policy experts in an informal, off-deadline atmosphere
    • Network and develop lasting relationships with journalists from around the globe

Metcalf Alumni

Metcalf Institute has helped more than 800 journalists cover the environment with greater accuracy and nuance since its first program in 1999. Metcalf alumni represent all media types and a wide variety of large and small news organizations ranging from local and regional newspapers and broadcast outlets to online and national/international outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, Reuters, National Geographic, China Global Television Network, Marketplace, Politico and PBS NewsHour. Metcalf Institute alumni hail from the U.S. and around the world, including Pakistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Israel, Egypt, Italy, South Africa, and China.

“This experience has changed my entire outlook on covering the environment and climate science. I may have only been in Rhode Island for a week, but the tools I gained during my Metcalf fellowship will stay with me for the entirety of my career.” Tony Briscoe, Chicago Tribune reporter, and 2018 Annual Workshop alumnus

“Metcalf has greatly enhanced my ability to break down complex issues for my audience. Not only am I headed back home with a bunch of great story ideas, but the ability to set them against an international background and draw broader connections between issues in my region and the rest of the world.” Tegan Wendland, New Orleans Public Radio interim news director, lead coastal reporter, and 2017 Annual Workshop alumna

Note for journalists applying from outside of the U.S.
While the Workshop addresses environmental topics of global significance, it focuses on U.S. case studies and a U.S. perspective on environmental policies. Metcalf Institute receives applications from journalists worldwide. However, due to this U.S. focus and funding limitations, only two of the ten fellowships will be awarded to journalists based outside of the U.S.

Eligibility
The Fellowship is designed for early- to mid-career, full-time journalists from all media who are looking to start or expand their coverage of the environment. Applicants must demonstrate a clear need for scientific training in topics relating to global change coastal environments, specifically related to climate change and water resources. The fellowship includes room, board, tuition, and travel reimbursement paid after the program in the amount of up to US$500 for U.S.-based journalists and up to US $1,000 for internationally-based journalists. Journalists applying from outside the U.S. must provide written assurance that they have full travel funds and can obtain the appropriate visa. 

View Past Annual Science Immersion Workshops:
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999