Start of the application phase for Nina-Grunenberg-Fellowship
This year, Publix is once again awarding the Nina Grunenberg Fellowship, a professional development scholarship for journalists that offers insight into the German school system. The application deadline is February 1, 2026.
“A journalist must know their subject in order to ask targeted questions (even impertinent ones, if necessary).”
Nina Grunenberg, who was regarded as an expert on education and higher education policy, wrote this. The fellowship named after her was initiated and first implemented in 2023 by the Schöpflin Foundation, the Wübben Stiftung Bildung, and the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS. Since 2024, Publix has assumed responsibility for the sponsorship and implementation of the program. The Nina Grunenberg Fellowship continues to be funded by the three founding organizations.
The professional development scholarship for education journalism is aimed at freelance journalists as well as those working for local and national media outlets and news agencies. It supports journalists and media professionals who are interested in in-depth reporting on schools and the education system in Germany.
The program consists of two two-week modules and offers opportunities for networking and research, as well as insights into the German school system, state and federal politics, public administration, and academia. It also facilitates exchanges with schools, newsrooms, educational institutions, and political bodies. You can find an overview of the most recent cohort of fellows here.
Program period:
April 20–30, 2026 and November 2–13, 2026, in Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and other cities.
Fellowship benefits:
Participation is free of charge. Travel and accommodation expenses are covered, as well as a salary replacement grant of €3,500.
Application:
Journalists, editors, and media professionals who work either on a staff or freelance basis for German newsrooms (public-service or private media), news agencies, or with their own formats on online and social media platforms are eligible to apply.
Application materials to be submitted:
- A compelling motivation letter: Reflect on the current state of education journalism in Germany: What challenges and opportunities do you see in reporting on education topics? How do you situate your own journalistic work in this field? What contribution can/would you like to make?
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- A topic proposal: Create a clear and concise pitch (max. 1,000 characters), including potential interviewees, for an education-related topic. This will allow the jury to assess your ability to develop a journalistic question on the subject of education. Topics that explicitly relate to your own educational biography are excluded.
- A short video: Summarize your personal motivation for applying in a 1.5-minute video and explain what you hope to gain from participating in the fellowship for your journalistic work.
- Two to three strong work samples (texts, graphics, links, videos, audio; to be submitted as a PDF file).
The application deadline is February 1, 2026.
For questions about the content and structure of the program, as well as the application and selection process, please contact Dr. Juliane Schallau: juliane.schallau@publix.de.
Journalists and media professionals who have already completed the program can also apply for a research fellowship (Apply here) on the topic of education.
