In our daily lives, uncertainty and complexity are a given. We strive for our own understandings of the world and, through our work, seek to help others achieve theirs. Journalism is a formidable framework for comprehending such complexity and engaging others through stories of human experience around science and research.
Through The Open Newsroom, a partnership between RI-NEST and URI’s Metcalf Institute, undergraduates will assume the role of a local journalist and develop a deeper understanding of science issues facing RI communities. Through their work, Open Newsroom fellows will support public conversations about research and its role in society and culture.
The program culminates in the Community Conversation Night, an opportunity for the RI-NEST community and beyond to engage with news stories developed through The Open Newsroom and learn about the students’ experiences first-hand.
What students will do
Over 12 weeks, students will report on issues around science of their choice for a community to which they belong or care most about. Students in the Open Newsroom will:
- Explore topics of interest and conduct journalistic research.
- Establish trusting relationships with community members and expert sources to ethically report on issues of mutual interest.
- Engage with mentors, peers and journalism professionals from across RI to develop a portfolio of creative pieces of journalism.
- Reflect on how science journalism and the Open Newsroom experience impacts their perspectives on science and society.
Students will be paid for a 40-hour work week at $15 per hour. Over 12 weeks, this rate will total $7,200. Additional funding for mileage and supplies is also available.
2026 program dates
Application Period: Monday, January 26 to Thursday, March 26 (selected students will be notified by mid-April).
Fellowship Period: Tuesday, May 26 to Friday, August 14
Expectations & outcomes
By the end of the program, students will be able to:
- Develop solutions-based approaches to reporting on potentially sensitive issues around science.
- Build authentic and trusting relationships with community members in order to report on issues of science ethically.
- Identify credible sources and summarize essential information about a science topic through journalistic research.
- Create engaging news pieces that capture the current moment around an issue and make research accessible to non-expert audiences, as well as human experiences of those trying to solve environmental, societal and economic issues via science.
Both mentors and students will be expected to listen to and support each other throughout the Open Newsroom experience.
For questions, contact RI-NEST Communications & Outreach Coordinator Shaun Kirby at skirby@uri.edu. You may also view past student journalism projects supported by RI-NEST.
Meet the Team
Training Program Coordinator
URI's Metcalf Institute
RI NSF EPSCoR is supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation under EPSCoR Cooperative Agreements #OIA-2433276 and in part by the RI Commerce Corporation via the Science and Technology Advisory Committee [STAC]. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the RI Commerce Corporation, STAC, our partners or our collaborators.