Retraction Watch and The Open Notebook are thrilled to announce a new fellowship program funded by The Center for Scientific Integrity. This six-month program will equip up to six reporters and editors at local newsrooms to report stories of scientific integrity unfolding at research universities or institutions in their areas.
The scientific process is designed to be rigorous and objective, but it’s also innately human, just as prone to bad actors, tricky financial ties, and broken incentives as any other industry. With the training and mentorship provided by this fellowship, reporters will gain skills and confidence in covering issues of scientific misconduct, fraud, data manipulation, ethical missteps, and problematic publishing that frequently go uncovered at the local level.
“For more than a decade, Retraction Watch has been investigating issues of scientific integrity playing out at universities across the country,” says Ivan Oransky, executive director of the Center for Scientific Integrity and Retraction Watch cofounder. “Now, with the generous support of our donors, we are pleased to offer this fellowship to train local newsrooms to hold researchers and institutions using taxpayer dollars accountable.”
Newsrooms working with selected fellows will receive $7,500 to support a reporting project investigating a local scientific integrity issue. Fellows will also receive one-to-one mentorship from Retraction Watch staff throughout the six-month fellowship period as well as a series of virtual trainings on the craft of scientific accountability reporting.
“We’re honored to partner with Retraction Watch to facilitate this fellowship program, which will empower local journalists to evaluate scientific evidence critically,” says Rachel Zamzow, deputy executive director of The Open Notebook. “Local reporters are on the frontlines of covering science for their communities, yet opportunities for individualized training to do this reporting well are scarce.”
Covering scientific accountability informs audiences and promotes transparency in scientific research and publishing—with the ultimate goal of strengthening public trust in science.
About the Fellowship
Over the course of this six-month fellowship, newsrooms will receive:
- $7,500 in funding to support reporting on a specific local issue concerning scientific accountability, such as retractions, fake data, and fraud
- One-to-one mentoring support from a Retraction Watch staff member, including honing story ideas, reporting coaching, and preliminary editing
- Four virtual trainings led by staff of Retraction Watch and The Open Notebook on science accountability reporting skills such as:
- Finding and reading scientific papers
- Interviewing scientists
- Reporting on retractions
- Requesting documents and data
- Using online tools to support accountability reporting
- Invitation to join The Open Notebook’s Covering Science Slack Community for Local Journalists
Selected fellows and their newsrooms will be expected to:
- Report a story or series of stories with the ultimate goal of publication at the fellow’s outlet
- Connect with their fellowship mentor on a regular basis
- Attend and participate in virtual trainings
- Engage in Slack community discussions
- Participate in a webinar to showcase their completed reporting project
Eligibility Requirements
Any U.S.-based local or regional journalist working on staff or freelancing for a media outlet that has a research university or institution in their coverage area is invited to apply. Participating newsrooms will receive the fellowship stipend to support the fellows’ proposed reporting projects. Applicants must provide a letter of support from a staff editor at the outlet they work for or contract with.
Learn More
Join us on Thursday, March 26 at 1:00 p.m. ET for a webinar about this fellowship program, the application process, and a brief primer on how to cover issues of scientific integrity at your nearby institutions.
Retraction Watch cofounder Ivan Oransky will feature local examples of the types of reporting this fellowship will support, and Stephanie M. Lee, senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education, will share about her experience reporting on this beat.
How to Apply
Applications for the fellowship will open on March 26. Prospective applicants will be invited to submit an interest form outlining a story idea, any preliminary reporting done on the subject, and how the fellowship would help bring the story to fruition. Up to six fellows will be selected on a rolling basis as early as May 4, 2026.
About Retraction Watch
For over 15 years, Retraction Watch has delivered international reporting on research integrity, scientific misconduct, corrections to the literature, and mechanisms aimed at keeping the scientific record as healthy as possible. Retraction Watch articles are frequently picked up in the national and international press as well as in science journalism outlets. Founded in 2010, it is published by The Center for Scientific Integrity, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose projects include the Retraction Watch Database, the Medical Evidence Project, the Hijacked Journal Checker, the Sleuths in Residence Program and the Elisabeth Bik Science Integrity Fund.
Retraction Watch is led by Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus (Cofounders) and Kate Travis (Managing editor).
About The Open Notebook
The Open Notebook is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2010 that is widely regarded as the leading online source of training and educational materials for journalists who cover science. Through our comprehensive library of articles on the craft of science journalism and our extensive training and mentoring programs, we empower journalists at all experience levels, around the world, to tell impactful, engaging stories about science.
The Open Notebook is led by Siri Carpenter (Executive director) and Rachel Zamzow (Deputy executive director).
Questions?
Please email [email protected] with questions about the fellowship program or upcoming webinar.