AI Accountability Fellowships 2026-2027: Get Up to $25,000 to Report on AI's Real-World Impact

The Pulitzer Center has opened applications for the fifth cohort of its AI Accountability Fellowships, a global program supporting journalists who investigate how artificial intelligence is reshaping governments, corporations, and everyday life. If you're a journalist looking to dig deeper into how AI systems affect real people, this could be your next big opportunity.

What Is the AI Accountability Fellowship?

The AI Accountability Fellowships support journalists working on in-depth stories that examine how governments and corporations use predictive, generative, and surveillance technologies to guide decisions in policing, medicine, social welfare, criminal justice, hiring, and more.

Run under the Pulitzer Center's AI Accountability Network (launched in 2022), the Fellowship is a 10-month program starting in September 2026. Over its first four cohorts, the Network has supported 35 journalists reporting from 29 countries, with stories that have prompted new legislation in Brazil, surfaced evidence used in lawsuits, and inspired student investigations in Indonesia.

This year, for the first time, the Fellowship also includes dedicated funding, mentorship, and training to help Fellows develop and execute an impact plan, ensuring their investigations reach the audiences who can actually drive change.

What You Get

Selected Fellows receive:

-Up to $25,000 in total funding (up to $20,000 for reporting expenses and $5,000 for engagement and impact activities)

-Funds can cover records requests, travel, data analysis, and stipends

-Access to mentors across different fields

-Training alongside a global peer group of journalists

-Support to develop and execute an impact strategy for your investigation

-Freelancers may allocate up to one-third of their total funding as a personal stipend.

Who Is It For?

The Fellowship is open to journalists worldwide, including staff reporters and freelancers, from all beats, desks, and formats. The Pulitzer Center is recruiting 8 to 10 journalists globally for this cohort.

Eligibility (Country/Region):

-Open to journalists from ANY country worldwide, no geographic restriction

-Both individual journalists and collaborative reporting teams are welcome

-Freelancers and staff journalists are both eligible

-Journalists from the Global South and from communities underrepresented in media are especially encouraged to apply

-The entire 10-month program is conducted remotely, so location is not a barrier

-Meetings and training are held in English, but your published stories can be in any language

-You'll need a concrete reporting project, not just a general theme, and it should show evidence of some pre-reporting already done on the subject.

What You Need to Apply

-A short statement of purpose (500 words) on how the Fellowship fits your career path and why you're a strong fit

-A detailed, concrete description of the reporting project you want to pursue

-A letter of commitment from a media organization willing to publish your story, or, if you're on staff, a signed letter from your editor confirming support and time allocation

-Three professional references (contact info or recommendation letters)

-Your resume or CV

Note: Proposals are evaluated partly on your own voice, editorial judgment, and specificity, so avoid using AI tools to draft your application. The Pulitzer Center has noted that AI-generated proposals tend to read as generic and can contain factual errors.

What's Expected If You're Selected

Fellows commit to a mandatory monthly meeting (1.5 to 2 hours), contribute to at least one community call, engage with fellow journalists on a dedicated online platform, and are encouraged to attend monthly virtual training sessions. You'll also be asked to share your methodology so your story can serve as a blueprint for others.

Deadline for Submission

July 12, 2026, at 11:59 PM EDT.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit well before the deadline to avoid last-minute technical issues.

Not Ready for a Full Fellowship?

If you have a strong AI story but can't commit to the full 10-month Fellowship requirements, you can apply instead for an AI Reporting Grant, a shorter-term option under the same Network.