About the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence

In order to encourage regional networking among journalists and advance balanced coverage on topics that are central to the region as well as to the European Union, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the ERSTE Foundation, in cooperation with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, have initiated the Balkan Fellowship for Journalistic Excellence programme in 2007.

Each year, ten Balkan journalists are competitively chosen to receive funding and professional support to conduct their own research project.

Selected journalists receive a fellowship of 2000 euros, a travel allowance of up to 2000 euros and a chance to participate in a seven-month programme for professional advancement.

The fellowship features an introductory seminar in Vienna, mentorship of each fellow's research and reporting, individual research trips to countries of the region and the EU, as well as a concluding seminar and award ceremony in Berlin.

Experienced editors from the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network provide hands-on support to fellows throughout their work, while seminars in Vienna and Berlin ensure that fellows learn about current issues of concern in the EU, meet Austrian and German political and economic actors and establish contact with media partners - Süddeutsche Zeitung and Der Standard.

In addition, the independent Selection Committee will award bursaries of € 4,000, € 3,000 and € 1,000 to the authors of the three winning articles.

Fellowship reports are disseminated widely in all local languages as well as in English and German, and published in a book which assembles the ten works that have been produced in the course of the fellowship year.

Fellows are encouraged to maintain contact and support new intakes through an alumni network.