CSE Media Fellowships - Deadline extended

14th CSE Media Fellowships

Lives transformed: Tales of climate change, its impacts and how populations are coping

Deadline for submission extended: May 30, 2012  

Climate change is for real – the world is loudly proclaiming it to be so, and nations are jousting amongst themselves on ways to control it. Monsoon cycles are reportedly going haywire, and extreme weather events -- cloud bursts, cyclones, floods -- are apparently becoming more intense and frequent the world over.

India must be witnessing these impacts as well – in its remotest villages, along its sea-swept coastlines and in its cities filled with teeming millions. But there really is very limited reliable information on how and where these impacts are being felt the most, what these impacts are doing to lives, livelihoods and the environment, and what are people and communities doing to live with them. There are stories out there which nobody is reporting on.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) invites applications from enterprising journalists across India to write about the struggles in rural and urban India to combat and adapt to changing climate. Some of the areas of research could be 

  1. Case studies on livelihood impacts in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry etc 
  2. Impacts on livelihoods and lifestyles of urban populations 
  3. Impacts on environment and weather conditions and what they, in turn, do to people 
  4. People’s perception of how climate is changing and what this means for them 
  5. How communities and populations are innovating and adapting to the changing climate 

We look forward to some interesting and well-researched proposals. 

Duration 

June-August 2012 

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June - August 2012

Applications are invited from journalists in India to investigate and report on any one of the following four subjects:

  1. Renewable energy: solution for the future?

  2. Sustainable mobility for livable cities

  3. Good news: Celebrating success stories in managing lives, livelihoods and the environment

Renewable energy: solution for the future?
India has ambitious national plans for tapping renewable energy, but will these plans stay on course? There are issues of transparency, cost and technology dogging the sector. Also, are RE projects any different from other industrial-mining projects in terms of the impacts they have on the people and environment? What is the current state of affairs in India’s renewable energy sector?

Last date for submission of applications
 
May 30, 2012

Sustainable mobility for livable cities
How are Indian cities planning their mobility? Are they banking on infrastructure solutions such as more roads and flyovers, or is public transport, pedestrian facilities and cycling spaces the norm for the future? What is working in our cities and what is not?

Last date for submission of applications
 
June 15, 2012

Good news: Celebrating success stories in managing lives, livelihoods and the environment
Environmental reportage has evolved from being disaster reportage to much more; but truly heart-warming stories – good news, literally – are still a rarity. Bring us tales of people, places, programmes and policies that have helped make a difference.

Last date for submission of applications
May 30, 2012

Duration
June - August 2012

Compensation
Selected fellows will each receive a stipend of Rs 50,000 (subject to tax deductions at source) to support research, travel and writing between the given period.

The stipend will be released in two instalments – the first as a travel grant at the start of the fellowship programme and the second after its successful completion.

Applications must be accompanied by the following documents:

  • Curriculum vitae

  • A letter of support from the editor that the output under the fellowship will be published/broadcast (mandatory for all candidates, including free¬lancers).

  • A comprehensive fellowship proposal outlining (a) the region on which the proposal is focused, (b) the subject/s and story ideas that the applicant proposes to focus on, (c) tentative travel plans and (d) a list of people who might be interviewed.

  • For print journalists, one sample of published work on any development/environment issue. By ‘published work’, we mean articles published by/in national or regional newspapers or magazines.

  • Those writing in regional languages must send an English translation of their article.

  • For television and radio journalists, one sample of telecasted/broadcasted programmes on any development/environment issue – those telecasting/broadcasting in regional languages must also give a short written summary of the programme along with the CDs of the samples.

Fellowships output
Selected applicants from the print media will be expected to generate feature and news article/s totalling 5,000 words or three stories, based on the research carried out under the fellowship. Original clippings of these articles will have to be submitted at the completion of the fellowship programme. They will also be expected to take and submit photographs of the areas they travel in for their stories.

Selected applicants from the audio-visual media will be expected to generate either a single film/broadcast or a series of episodes, based on the research carried out under the fellowships. Video and audio CDs of these outputs will have to be submitted at the completion of the fellowship programme.

Applications by post or email for the fellowship should be addressed to:

Papia Samajdar
Media Resource Centre
Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area
New Delhi 110 062
Ph: 011-29955124, 29955125, Fax: 011-29955879
Email: papia@cseindia.org

If you have any queries, you can contact Papia, or Souparno Banerjee at souparno@cseindia.org / 9910864339.