Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship 2027 | Study in United Kingdom — Durham University, Sir Harry Evans Memorial Fund

A newsroom placement in Toronto, London, Sydney, or New York, a Reuters-trained mentor, and nine months to chase an investigative story most reporters never get the runway to pursue. The Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship exists because rigorous, fact-based investigative journalism increasingly needs institutional backing to survive.

Delivered through Durham University’s Institute of Advanced Studies, the fellowship pairs newsroom mentorship with genuine academic research support.

About the Scholarship

The Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship gives an early-career journalist nine months to undertake a substantial investigative project inside a working newsroom, mentored directly by editors at Reuters or another media partner. Durham University formally employs the selected fellow as a member of the Institute of Advanced Studies, which means the fellowship carries real academic backing alongside its journalistic mentorship, giving fellows access to university researchers and resources most working journalists never get to draw on.

The fellowship’s placement city, whether Toronto, London, Sydney, or New York, is decided by the Fellowship Committee rather than chosen freely by the applicant, and successful candidates must meet the immigration requirements for whichever country they are assigned to. Once placed, fellows work to identify and build a network of international researchers at Durham to support their investigative work, treating the university’s academic community as an active resource for their reporting rather than a distant institutional sponsor.

Toward the end of the fellowship, each fellow delivers a public seminar at the Institute of Advanced Studies, sharing both what they investigated and what they learned about the practice of journalism itself through the experience of working inside both a newsroom and a university research environment simultaneously. That dual grounding, in professional newsroom mentorship and academic research infrastructure, is what makes the fellowship distinct from a standard journalism residency or grant.

Named for the legendary Sunday Times editor Sir Harry Evans, the fellowship carries the weight of his reputation for dogged, evidence-based investigative reporting. Applicants weighing other paid, research-intensive fellowships in adjacent fields sometimes also look at the New York Public Library Cullman Center Fellowships, which similarly fund a substantial writing project over several months, though centered on library-based research rather than newsroom-embedded investigative reporting. Journalists interested in policy-adjacent research might also consider the Wilson Center Fellowship Program, which explicitly welcomes journalists into a 12-month, Washington, D.C.-based policy research fellowship rather than a newsroom investigative placement.

The four-city placement structure reflects the fellowship’s genuinely international ambition. Rather than tying the program to a single English-language media market, the committee can match a fellow’s proposed investigation to whichever newsroom and regulatory environment makes the most sense, whether that means access to specific public records regimes, language communities, or subject-matter expertise concentrated in one of the four host cities. That flexibility comes with a real practical constraint, though: fellows need to be prepared for immigration processes in a country they may not have chosen themselves.

The explicit disqualification of AI-generated proposals is also worth understanding as a deliberate signal about what the fellowship values. In an era where AI writing tools are increasingly used across creative and professional writing, Durham University and the Sir Harry Evans Memorial Fund are drawing a clear line: the fellowship exists to develop and showcase individual human investigative judgment and voice, not to reward the most polished AI-assisted pitch.

Scholarship Benefits

The fellowship’s financial package is structured to let a fellow focus on a demanding investigative project without financial strain for the full nine months.

• A monthly salary of approximately £4,444, equivalent to a pro-rata salary of approximately £53,333 per year
• A living stipend of £1,250 per month
• A one-time payment of £1,800 for travel and related expenses
• Direct mentorship from editors at Reuters or another media partner
• Access to Durham University’s academic community, researchers, and resources
• A platform to deliver a public seminar sharing findings and reflections at the Institute of Advanced Studies
• A globally recognized credential tied to one of journalism’s most respected names

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to applicants from anywhere in the world
• Applicants should have two to five years of professional experience in journalism
• Those not currently working as journalists but with related investigative experience, such as authoring investigative work, research-based journalism, or in-field photo, video, or documentary projects, may be considered on a case-by-case basis
• Applicants from underrepresented groups in journalism are actively encouraged to apply
• The placement city is decided by the Fellowship Committee, and successful candidates must meet the immigration requirements for that specific country
• Proposals generated using AI tools will be disqualified

Fields of Study Covered

Because the fellowship centers on investigative journalism practice rather than a fixed academic subject, past and current fellows have pursued investigations spanning:

• Political and government accountability reporting
• Business and financial investigations
• Social justice and human rights reporting
• Environmental and public health investigations
• Technology and data-driven investigative journalism
• Documentary and long-form visual investigative work

Required Documents

• A short statement, up to 500 words, describing yourself, what you want to achieve through the fellowship, and how your vision of journalism aligns with the program
• A detailed proposal of 600 to 800 words for the investigative project you would pursue during the fellowship
• A one- or two-page CV or resume, including a link to your LinkedIn profile
• Examples of your work
• A letter of recommendation

How to Apply (Step-by-Step)

1. Prepare your short statement and detailed investigative project proposal before starting the online form.
2. Complete the online application form, entering your short statement directly and noting “To be uploaded” if your proposal exceeds the form’s word limit.
3. Wait for an email with a link to the upload folder once you complete the initial application form.
4. Upload your full proposal, CV, work examples, and letter of recommendation to the provided folder.
5. Ensure all submitted materials, including any work originally produced in another language, are submitted in English.
6. Review all materials carefully before the deadline, since the application involves multiple separate submission steps.
7. Submit everything before the July deadline, noted precisely at 12 noon BST.

Selection Process

The Fellowship Committee evaluates applications on the strength and originality of the proposed investigative project, the applicant’s demonstrated journalism or related investigative experience, and the clarity of vision expressed in the short statement. Because the fellowship explicitly disqualifies AI-generated proposals, reviewers appear to place particular weight on authentic, individually developed investigative thinking rather than polished but generic submissions.

Given the fellowship’s global reach and its openness to applicants working outside traditional journalism roles, such as documentary makers and investigative authors, competition draws from a genuinely wide pool, and successful applications tend to combine a sharply defined project with a track record that credibly supports pulling it off.

Tips to Improve Your Chances

• Propose an investigative project that is specific and genuinely original, rather than a broad topic area without a clear angle or thesis
• Use the short statement to connect your personal journalism philosophy directly to the kind of rigorous, evidence-based reporting the fellowship is named for
• Include work examples that best demonstrate investigative rigor, not just strong writing generally
• Choose a recommender who can speak specifically to your investigative capability and journalistic integrity
• Write and submit your own proposal without relying on AI tools, since AI-generated submissions are explicitly disqualified
• Research the specific newsroom or media partner likely tied to your preferred placement city, and reference relevant reporting traditions or beats where genuinely applicable

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get to choose which city I am placed in?

No. The Fellowship Committee decides the placement city among Toronto, London, Sydney, and New York, and the successful candidate must meet the immigration requirements for that specific country.

Can I apply if I am not currently working as a journalist?

Yes, in some cases. Applicants with related investigative experience, such as authoring investigative work or producing in-field photo, video, or documentary research projects, may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Is this fellowship only open to certain nationalities?

No. It is open to applicants worldwide, though the successful candidate must meet the immigration requirements applicable to their assigned placement country.

What happens if I use AI tools to help write my proposal?

Applications built around AI-generated proposals are explicitly disqualified, so any proposal submitted must reflect the applicant’s own original investigative thinking and writing.

How long is the fellowship, and what does it pay?

The fellowship runs nine months, with fellows receiving a monthly salary of approximately £4,444, a £1,250 monthly living stipend, and a one-time £1,800 payment for travel and related expenses.

What happens at the end of the fellowship?

Each fellow delivers a public seminar at Durham University’s Institute of Advanced Studies, sharing their investigative findings and reflections on what they learned about journalism through the fellowship experience.

Is a journalism degree required to apply?

No specific degree is required. The fellowship weighs professional journalism or related investigative experience more heavily than formal academic credentials in the field.