I was an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Science Fellow in 1995 (during medical school). The program was truly fantastic and life-altering.
Applications for this year's fellowship are already open and will remain so through January 1, 2026. The scholarship is a 10-week summer program that places science, engineering, and math undergraduate and graduate students at media organizations across the nation - outlets like NPR, the Los Angeles Times, and WIRED. I worked at the Oregonian in Portland and had a tremendous time, learning how to write effectively and edit. I also gained an appreciation for the immense public health influence journalists can have.Here are the anticipated dates for this cycle:
Application window: October 1, 2025 - January 1, 2026
Fellowship: June 3, 2026 - August 18, 2026
Orientation in DC: June 3 - 5, 2026
Dates onsite: June 8 - August 14, 2026
Wrap-up in DC: August 17 - 18, 2026
