The Environmental Reporting Collective (ERC) is now again accepting applications for its Collaborative Reporting Grants to support journalists working together on tracing environmental crimes across borders.
In 2022, ERC supported nine teams of reporters working from more than a dozen countries. The collaboration allowed the reporters to investigate global stories with a local perspective as well as find new and innovative ways of telling stories. They uncovered environmental issues across the globe, from how oil and gas burning is suffocating minorities in northern Iraq to how glacial retreat is causing food insecurity in the Himalayas and how locals here turn to community-based methods of adaptation.
In this round, ERC seeks to support similar stories as well as reports specific to sand mining as a follow-up to Beneath the Sands. The grants are aimed at promoting collaborations to allow journalists from different countries to fill in gaps in each others’ reporting. Applications must include at least two journalists or news outlets from two different countries or regions. Freelance journalists are welcome to apply.
Application Process
Please send your application to with the subject head “Your Surnames Grant Application.” ERC will get back to you within a month after receiving your application.
Required Documents:
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A one-page story proposal with details of your idea and reporting plan. The proposal must emphasize what’s going to be new or revelatory about your story and how each reporter will contribute to the story.
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A budget that lays out the anticipated expenses for the project. This may include fees for records requests, travel and lodging, and stipend for freelance reporters. Please use ERC’s budget template here.
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Resumes for each journalist with links to previously published reports and at least two professional references.
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For media outlets, data about your reach, audience, and links to previous investigations. Note: News outlets are strongly encouraged to sign up as a partner newsroom with ERC before or when applying, but it's not required and will not jeopardize their application.
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For staff writers, a letter of support from an editor in your newsroom.
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For freelance journalists, a letter of interest from a news outlet that is willing or committed to publish your story.
