Soros Justice Fellowships

2018 Soros Justice Fellowships

Deadline: December 6, 2017 (11:59 p.m. EST)

The Soros Justice Fellowships fund outstanding individuals to undertake projects that advance reform, spur debate, and catalyze change on a range of issues facing the U.S. criminal justice system. The fellowships are part of a larger effort within the Open Society Foundations to reduce the destructive impact of current criminal justice policies on the lives of individuals, families, and communities in the United States by challenging the overreliance on incarceration and extreme punishment, and ensuring a fair and accountable system of justice.

Fellows receive funding through the following three categories:

Advocacy Fellowships

The Soros Justice Advocacy Fellowships fund lawyers, advocates, grassroots organizers, researchers, and others with unique perspectives to undertake full-time criminal justice reform projects at the local, state, and national levels. Projects may range from litigation to public education to coalition building to grassroots mobilization to policy-driven research. Advocacy Fellowships are 18 months in duration, may be undertaken with the support of a host organization, and can begin anytime between July and November 2018. Advocacy Fellowships come with an award of either $87,000 or $120,000 (depending on level of experience), plus project-related expenses, for the 18 months.

Media Fellowships

The Soros Justice Media Fellowships support writers, print and broadcast journalists, artists, filmmakers, and other individuals with distinctive voices proposing to complete media projects that engage and inform, spur debate and conversation, and catalyze change on important U.S. criminal justice issues. The Media Fellowships aim to mitigate the time, space, and market constraints that often discourage individuals from pursuing vital but marginalized, controversial, or unpopular topics in comprehensive and creative ways. Media Fellowships are 12 months in duration, and fellows are expected to make their projects their full-time work during the term of the fellowship. Projects can begin anytime between July and November 2018. Media Fellowships come with an award of either $58,000 or $80,000 (depending on level of experience), plus project-related expenses, for the 12 months.

Youth Activist Fellowships

The Soros Justice Youth Activist Fellowships, in partnership with the Open Society Youth Exchange, support outstanding individuals aged 18 to 25 to take on projects of their own design that address some aspect of the U.S. criminal justice system. Projects can range from public education and training to grassroots organizing and policy advocacy to social media campaigns and other forms of creative communications. Youth Activist Fellowships must be undertaken in partnership with a host organization. Projects can be full-time or part-time, 12 or 18 months, and can begin anytime between July and November 2018. Youth Activist Fellowships come with an award of $52,500 for full-time, 18-month projects (the award is pro-rated for part-time or 12-month projects), plus project-related expenses, as well as access to a range of training and professional development opportunities.

Guidelines and Application

The Advocacy Fellowship Guidelines are here; the Media Fellowship Guidelines are here; and the Youth Activist Fellowship Guidelines are here. To apply, applicants must first submit a brief Letter of Intent (LOI), a resume or bio, and work sample (for Media applicants) by December 6, 2017 (11:59 p.m. EST).  From the pool of initial LOIs, we will select a limited number of applicants to submit full proposals.To access the online application, click on the appropriate "Submit" button below.  Please be aware that there is no benefit to submitting an LOI well before the deadline, since we will only begin reviewing LOIs once the deadline has passed.

Applicants who are uncertain whether some aspect of their proposed project fits within the parameters of the fellowships guidelines or whether the project is otherwise likely to be of interest may submit an email inquiry. The email should provide a brief (no more than 200 words) description of the proposed project, as well as some background information on the applicant, and should be sent to sorosjusticefellowships@opensocietyfoundations.org.