Reporters Without Borders Rest & Resilience Fellowship 2025 (Fully-funded)

The Rest & Resilience Fellowship is a joint project of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the taz Panter Foundation. Since 2015, two journalists from countries with restricted freedom of the press and information have been invited yearly to Berlin.

The fellowship program can be individually tailored to each fellow’s needs and interests and does not require participation in a structured daily program. However, during the stay in Berlin, joint activities and visits to media houses are offered, and the fellows gain insights into the work of Reporters Without Borders, a globally active human rights organisation, and the taz Panter Foundation, which supports independent and critical journalists in close cooperation with the tageszeitung (taz).

Benefits of Rest & Resilience Fellowship

The program covers:

• Visa and travel costs
• Furnished apartment in Berlin
• Travel health insurance for the six months spent in Berlin
• Monthly grant of €1,000
• Psychological support
• Workshops (e.g. on digital safety training, stress management)
• Professional journalistic and/or personal training opportunities

Check : Erasmus Mundus MAPP Scholarship 2025-27: Study in Europe with a Prestigious Scholarship | Fully Funded

Eligibility for Rest & Resilience Fellowship

• Open to journalists from countries with restricted freedom of press and information.
• The applicant has a firm idea of how the six-month fellowship in Berlin can have a positive impact on his or her current working situation.
  Please Note: The fellowship should be used for personal development and, if necessary, professional reorientation; the journalist can return to their home country with new viewpoints and replenished energy.
• Several years of relevant work experience as a professional journalist.
  Please note: Although the work of human rights activists is very valuable, they cannot invite individuals who are not professional journalists, as they do not fall under RSF’s mandate.
• Personal threat profile due to journalistic work or difficult working conditions caused by external risk factors.
• Proven knowledge of the English language. The applicants must be able to communicate well in a professional context.
• A passport that is valid for at least twelve months at the time of application (or can be independently re-applied/renewed).
• A state of health that permits longer travel and the six-month stay in the host country, as well as sufficient independence to handle everyday affairs on their own in a foreign setting.
• Ability and willingness to return to the country of origin after the fellowship period.

Application

Your application must include the following documents in PDF format:

• The completed and signed online application form.
• A scan of your current passport (valid for another 12 months, or independently renewable).
• Your curriculum vitae in tabular form (CV).
• A letter of motivation (1-2 pages) in which you explain why you are applying for the Rest & Resilience Fellowship. Address what specific factors endanger or complicate your individual working situation. Also write how you plan to use your stay in Berlin and how it will positively impact your future work in your home country.

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