In Country Press Tour for Emerging Journalists | ND NOFO 23 101

Opportunity Information: Apply for ND NOFO 23 101

The "In Country Press Tour for Emerging Journalists" grant (Funding Opportunity Number: ND NOFO 23 101) is a discretionary U.S. Department of State award run through U.S. Mission India, led by the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. It funds one organization to design and deliver an in-country reporting and training program for emerging journalists in India, combining practical journalism skill-building with guided exposure to U.S. government-supported programs on the ground. The overall idea is to help early-career reporters produce stronger, more accurate stories while also giving them direct access to see U.S. government initiatives in action, meet people and communities affected by those initiatives, and speak on the record with senior Mission India leadership about the policy goals behind the work.

Under the program model described in the announcement, U.S. Embassy New Delhi and each U.S. consulate will nominate a total of 25 participants (five each), drawn from freelance journalists, journalism students, and early-career journalists working with a publication, across print, digital, and broadcast platforms. The selected implementing organization is responsible for organizing quarterly, two-day workshops delivered in smaller cohorts of five participants, grouped by region or consular district. These workshops are meant to be hands-on and foundational, covering core newsroom capabilities such as fact-checking and verification, conducting effective interviews, developing and pitching story ideas to editors, and writing in Associated Press (AP) style.

A key feature of each workshop is that it does not end in the classroom. Each session concludes with site visits to U.S. government program locations where participants can observe projects first-hand, meet beneficiaries and implementing partners, and gather material for real reporting. Participants also get a chance to engage directly with a Mission India principal to better understand the rationale, objectives, and intended outcomes behind the featured programs. The implementing organization must coordinate closely with Public Diplomacy staff in New Delhi when building the schedule, both to ensure the embassy and consulates can support the program and to balance timing and staffing constraints across the mission.

The workshop series culminates in a final in-person representational event that brings all 25 participants together, serving as a capstone convening and networking moment. In addition to the travel, training, and reporting components, the program includes a publication pipeline requirement: every participant is expected to pitch at least two article ideas to SPAN magazine, with the goal of strengthening SPAN's longer-term ability to reach and resonate with key demographics in India by expanding its pool of contributors and improving the quality and relevance of submitted stories.

Financially, the opportunity offers a maximum award amount (ceiling) of $150,000, with the expectation of making a single award. The activity category is listed as Education, Information and Statistics under CFDA/Assistance Listing 19.040. The funding instrument is a grant, and eligibility is broadly identified as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full notice. The opportunity was created on April 12, 2023, and the original application closing date was June 11, 2023.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to India in the education, information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "In Country Press Tour for Emerging Journalists" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.040.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 12, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 11, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for ND NOFO 23 101

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