The CJF Indigenous Health Journalism Fellowship in Partnership with the Canadian Medical Association

This NEW year-long fellowship is a groundbreaking initiative, in partnership with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) aimed at fostering expert reporting on critical health issues affecting Indigenous communities in Canada. Open to Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) journalists with a minimum of five years of professional experience, this prestigious Fellowship provides a one-year research stipend of $100,000, up to $20,000 for expenses and up to $30,000 additional funding to support an early career journalist support and/or travel to remote communities. Fellows will collaborate with a national media partner to produce impactful stories  in one or more of the following media: broadcast documentary series, podcast, series of published articles with a national publication partner or media distributor by the end of 2026. 

This first -of-its-kind reporting Fellowship will fill a critical gap by fueling in-depth reporting on an underserved topic, Indigenous health. 

Indigenous health encompasses a wide variety of topics, such as access to healthcare for marginalized communities, systemic biases, the impacts of social determinants of health for Indigenous Peoples, mental health disparities, the effects of systemic racism in healthcare, genocide, intergenerational trauma, and equitable access to trauma informed care for all. 

This Fellowship will also help inform work to improve Indigenous health outcomes, value and hold safe space for Indigenous world views, medicine and healing practices all while helping to ensure equitable access to culturally safe, trauma informed care for all. 

Pre-Application Details for Candidates

Your application must include the following:

1. i) Updated curriculum vitae
2. ii) Statement about your applicant’s connection or ties to the Indigenous community.

iii) A tightly-focused story pitch of no more than 1,000 words on a Indigenous health topic that demonstrates command of and insight into the proposed subject area, and that explains the story’s interest to a Canadian audience. Applicants are also encouraged to highlight any potential impacts on public policy, if applicable.

The pitch should address a single topic, reveal research into the subject matter, and offer insight into possible storylines and interviewees. 

Applicants should clearly indicate as part of their application whether they have applied for any other grants, fellowships or related funding, or whether there are any current or potential institutional partners associated with the proposal. 

They should also indicate the media format(s) they intend to use for their project.

1. iv) A reporting plan (no longer than one page) outlining the logistics of how and when the work will be researched, produced and distributed/published within the 2026 calendar year.
2. v) A letter of support from an established and reputable Canadian media outlet with national reach, recognized for its journalistic integrity and high editorial standards, including a commitment to publish or broadcast the finished project to a Canadian audience in both English and French.
3. vi) A budget plan indicating how the award will be used. CJF will provide a template.

vii) Links to three examples of the your work displaying the range of the skills needed to deliver on the story pitch. Any work behind a paywall should include a working username and password to access the story, or should be saved in a downloadable format (eg. PDF) and uploaded to a file sharing service with a functioning link.

viii) References: all applicants should supply the names, titles and contact information (email and phone) of two supervising editors familiar with their work. Be sure the referees know that if they are required to write a letter, they will have two weeks in which to do so.    

THE CJF IS GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF OUR FELLOWSHIP PARTNER:

The deadline for applications is January 24, 2025.

For information, contact:

Natalie Turvey

President and Executive Director

The Canadian Journalism Foundation

nturvey@cjf-fjc.ca

About the CMA 

The Canadian Medical Association leads a national movement with physicians who believe in a better future of health. Our ambition is a sustainable, accessible health system where patients are partners, a culture of medicine that elevates equity, diversity and wellbeing, and supportive communities where everyone has the chance to be healthy. We drive change through advocacy, giving and knowledge sharing – guided by values of collaboration and inclusion.