Journalist-in-Residence Fellowship

About the Journalist-in-Residence Fellowship

The Journalist in Residence Fellowship (5 months) is intended for journalists who need a period of uninterrupted time to do research and/or complete an extensive piece of work that will be published in Dutch by at least one Dutch-language publisher. Journalists at NIAS benefit from being able to work without interruption, while at the same time being part of the academic environment at NIAS with a wide range of disciplines from the humanities and social sciences. It is believed that the exchange of ideas with scholars from the humanities, social sciences and other disciplines can enrich a journalist’s work. In this way, the fellowship contributes to the production of in-depth journalistic writing. At the same time, the journalist’s perspective, research methods and modes of communication open up new avenues for the scholarly work of other fellows.

Application and Selection

• Journalists can apply via the Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten (more information here)
• The Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten assesses the applications and proposes a suitable candidate to NIAS
• NIAS awards the fellowship in accordance with Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten

Read about what NIAS offers and the fellowship’s practicalities 

About the Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten

The Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten is a private initiative set up in 1990 by a group of well-known journalists. It funds a wide range of journalistic projects: articles, podcasts, documentaries, photography projects and non-fiction books, including biographies. The Foundation receives support from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. It has contributed to the success of journalists such as Judith Koelemeijer, Geert Mak, Jeroen Smit and Annejet van der Zijl, and many projects financed by the Foundation have been awarded journalism prizes.

Partnership NIAS and Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten

The Journalist-in-Residence programme was initiated by NIAS Rector Henk Wesseling and Ben Knapen, director of PCM, and aimed to give journalists from the Volkskrant and NRC the opportunity to work on a book in an academic setting and without interruption. The first fellow arrived in 2002. Currently, the Journalist-in-Residence Fellowship is open to a greater variety of candidates working on a wider range of journalistic projects.

An applicant who has previously held a NIAS fellowship may apply for another residency, but only if there are at least 10 years between their application for the previous fellowship and the current application date.

Fellows' reports

• Kasper van Laarhoven (2023/24), worked at NIAS on his book ‘Het Cornelius Haga Lyceum, orthodoxie in tijden van islamkritiek’. In his report, you can read how Kasper experienced his time at NIAS (in Dutch).
• Lynn Berger (2021/22), journalist for De Correspondent, about writing in a room of one’s own
• Saar Slegers (2020/21), radio journalist and podcast maker, on her fellowship in an interview
• Marijn Kruk (2019/20), writing for De Groene Amsterdammer, on his corona-ridden fellowship
• Sarah Venema (2018/19), freelance journalist writing for De Volkskrant and De Groene Amsterdammer, reports about what happens when you enter NIAS (in English)
• Sanne Blauw (2017/18), journalist and numeracy editor at De Correspondent, writes about her 5 months at NIAS (in Dutch)
• Anne-Lot Hoek (2016/17), historian and journalist, writes on her experiences as journalist-in-residence and being part of a diverse academic community (in Dutch)
• Journalist Margreet Fogteloo (2015/16), journalist/editor at Magazine De Groene Amsterdammer, reflects on her NIAS Stay and the Institute’s relocation (in Dutch)
• Journalist-in-Residence Koen Haegens (2014/15), editor at de Groene Amsterdammer, reports on his NIAS stay, and working in an environment away from the everyday hectic of a journalist’s life (in Dutch).