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The goals of the fellowship are to:

• Increase effective and accurate reporting on mental health issues.
• Equip journalists with the tools needed to produce high-quality work that reflects an understanding of mental health.
• Develop a diverse cohort of better-informed journalists who can more effectively report on mental health across evolving and emerging platforms. 

Fellows are notified individually via telephone by program staff prior to the Carter Center’s official press release and website announcement. These calls are confidential. Due to the high volume of applications, applicants not selected will not be contacted. Click here for the announcement date. 

New Zealand 

In 2006, the New Zealand Mental Health Media Grants program was established to sustain the work of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships in New Zealand without The Carter Center. The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand and the national anti-discrimination campaign, “Like Minds, Like Mine,” are co-creators and supporters of the program.

The grants are awarded each year to creative and journalistic projects in New Zealand that challenge people’s perceptions of the experience of mental distress and the journey to recovery.

New Zealander applicants should visit mediagrants.org.nz to apply, pre-register for next year’s Grants round or find out more about past winning Creative and Journalism projects.

For more information about the New Zealand Fellowships Program, please contact: 

Danielle Whitburn
Grants Coordinator
Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
danielle.whitburn@mentalhealth.org.nz 

Applicants must have at least three years of experience as a journalist or working directly in journalism. Previous fellows include audio journalists, documentary journalists, photojournalists, producers, reporters, and related roles. Blogging, academic writing, and public relations do not count toward journalism experience. Experience in mental health is not required.

Applicants must submit a full fellowship application and be available to attend in-person meetings at The Carter Center in September at the beginning and end of the fellowship year.

Applicants must be citizens or residents of the United States. Citizens or legal residents of the Republic of Ireland who are eligible to travel to the United States are also able to apply, but the application process is different. View application procedures for international applicants.

The fellowship is highly competitive, so we encourage applicants to reapply. Review your previous application for opportunities to improve and consider the current mental health landscape to select a relevant topic. Those reapplying receive the same consideration as new applicants.

Any project related to mental health will be considered for a fellowship project. Please keep in mind that the topic should be timely and show the potential for a strong impact.

The recommendation letters speak to the quality of your work and commitment to your project be mental health reporting. The letter of support indicates that the media organization for which you work or freelance is committed to affording you the time and editorial support to work on your project and to publishing your project once complete.

Letters of recommendation should come from someone who has managed and/or is familiar with your work. They should be able to speak to your journalistic abilities and commitment.

The letter of support should come from a leader in the supporting news organization who has decision-making authority related to the project, —such as affording you time and editorial support to work on the project and publishing your project once complete. The letter of support also may be written by a recommender. Letters from friends or relatives are strongly discouraged.

Get more details on letters of recommendation and letter of support.

Once an applicant completes the online application, recommenders will receive an email with instructions for submitting recommendation letters and the letter of support. Applicants will receive an email when each letter of recommendation and the letter of support is submitted.

Please encourage your recommenders to check their spam or junk email folders to ensure that they do not miss the email regarding the submission of their letters. If you do not receive emails confirming receipt of your application or recommendation letters or your recommender does not receive your recommendation request, please contact carterfellows@cartercenter.org. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all documentation is completed. Applications with missing criteria will not be considered. 

Recommenders and supporters receive an email with detailed instructions for submitting letters of recommendations and letters of support. Once submitted, the letters should be uploaded directly to your application.