United Nations Development Programme and Advertisement Board of Nepal announce the Development Reporting Fellowships for 2023. This year, the fellowship will be focused on the theme of gender responsiveness in the advertisements and other forms of media, including films and mass media.

Development Reporting Fellowship is a fellowship for journalists/researchers who are writing on or are interested to write on emerging development issues in Nepal’s context. The fellowship aims to promote in-depth reporting on topics of pressing concern, particularly those that relate to Nepal’s development discourse. In this regard, the fellowship awards individual journalists with small grants that support them in making a systematic inquiry and investigation into selected topics, organizing the findings, and presenting the same through appropriate media outlets. Journalists are encouraged to both explore the development challenges facing Nepal and also bring to fore the best practices that promise new and innovative solutions to the enduring problems.

The fellowship is intended for mid-career journalists working in Nepali, English and other media outlets, including newspapers (daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly), FM radio stations (community-based or private), television channels and online news portals in Nepal—open to both national- and local-level outlets. Before applying for the fellowship, please ensure your eligibility.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a brief proposal (with proposed title, and a 100- to 300-word brief note about the story/report/article to be written under the title) on any one of the following issues/themes:

The Fellowship Research Agenda

• Gender responsiveness of advertisements in Nepal
• Consumer-friendliness of advertisements in Nepal

Deadline: July 10, 2023

Eligibility criteria 

1. The Developing Reporting Fellowship is open to citizens of Nepal with at least three years of professional journalistic experience with newspapers, television channels, FM radio stations, online news portals and/or other news organizations. 
2. Freelance journalists/writers can also apply for this fellowship provided they could demonstrate documentary evidence of journalistic experience of over three years.
3. Applicant must demonstrate his/her reporting and analytical skills through submitting writing samples.

Terms and Conditions 

• The candidate must have met all the criteria mentioned above
• All applicants must have a unique idea or topic (related to any areas listed above) for news/feature/story to be investigated, researched and published with the support of the fellowship within a fixed timeframe. This should be explained in a 100- to 300-word brief note describing the proposed topic.
• Each awardee must publish/broadcast the article/report in the relevant media outlet as per the fellowship.
• Candidates from socially/historically excluded/marginalized groups will be given a priority. Women journalists are strongly encouraged to apply. 
• The fellowship amount will be Rs. 50,000, excluding applicable tax.

How to Apply?
Interested candidates may apply for the fellowship by the deadline with the following documents:

1. A brief note on the proposed topic of investigative research/article (the shorter the better, max 300 words) explaining the proposed topic. 
2. An updated CV not more than three pages, including links to three investigative reports published by the candidate.

Send your application to webmaster.np@undp.org  & info@adboard.gov.np by or before the deadline (see above). Only selected candidates will be informed for further process. We reserve the rights to reject applications without providing any reasons whatsoever. 

UPDATE 

(as of 20 July 2023)

We are pleased to announce following names who have been listed to receive Development Fellowship 2023.

1. Ms. Durga Rana Magar – Himal Khabar 
2. Ms. Bidhya Rai – Kantipur Daily 
3. Mr. Bishan Chettri – Baarakhari.com 
4.  Mr. Yubaraj Bhattarai – Clickmandu.com
5. Ms. Subhadra Gautam – NTV
6. Ms. Tara Chapagain – Annapurna