Deadline:
Oct 12, 2026About the McGraw Fellowship:
The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Center for Business Journalism provides experienced journalists with grants of up to $15,000 and the editorial support needed to produce deeply reported enterprise and investigative stories with a strong economic, financial, or business angle. The Centre was established at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in 2014 by the family of the late Harold W. McGraw, Jr., former chairman and CEO of McGraw-Hill and long-time publisher of BusinessWeek magazine. The Centre is dedicated to enhancing the depth and quality of business and economic news coverage.
The fellowship motto is "Follow the Money" — stories that trace where money flows, who benefits, and who bears the cost are especially competitive. The fellowship has supported stories published in outlets including MIT Technology Review, Politico, Los Angeles Times, Mother Jones, Salt Lake Tribune, and many others.
What Fellows Receive:
Financial grant of up to $15,000 per project, with the exact amount depending on the scope and expenses. Freelance journalists may use part of the grant as a stipend for living expenses during the fellowship period. Editorial supervision throughout the reporting phase — the McGraw Centre works closely with fellows to develop and refine their ideas during reporting and edits drafts into publishable stories. Assistance with placing completed stories in established print, audio, or digital outlets for fellows who do not already have an outlet lined up. Publication on the McGraw Centre website. This is NOT a residency fellowship — all fellows work from their own offices anywhere in the world.
What They Are Looking For:
Strong, compelling ideas that shed light on a poorly covered area or advance understanding of well-covered ground. Stories with a strong economic, financial, or business angle — but you do NOT need to be a business reporter. Stories in any form of media — text, audio, photo, short-form video, and multimedia packages are encouraged. Fresh perspectives, particularly on economic issues that impact under-covered communities or have not traditionally been followed within business journalism. Given current US policy changes, proposals examining the impact of changes in federal spending and policy priorities are of particular interest, though this is not a requirement. Evidence of preliminary reporting to show feasibility.
Previous Fellows Have Covered:
Ocean-based carbon capture development. Private equity ownership of hospitals and impact on patient care. Politicisation of international students and higher education economics. Corporate environmental accountability. Workplace safety enforcement failures. Farm worker conditions in extreme heat. For-profit healthcare growth. Economic impact of immigration policy on local communities. And many other topics spanning healthcare, environment, education, corporate accountability, and economic justice.
Application Requirements:
A well-focused story proposal of no more than THREE PAGES submitted through the online form. The proposal should explain what makes the story new, significant, and impactful, and include a proposed reporting plan and timeline. Three professionally PUBLISHED WORK SAMPLES showcasing ability to tackle an in-depth story in the proposed medium. An up-to-date RÉSUMÉ. No references required at application (finalists asked to provide two editor references). No budget required at application (finalists asked to submit estimated budget). Extensions and late submissions are NOT permitted.
Application Timeline:
Applications accepted TWICE YEARLY — spring and fall. Spring 2026 deadline: April 13, 2026. Fall 2026 deadline: October 12, 2026. Finalists selected approximately one month after deadline. Fellows selected approximately two weeks after finalists. Funding begins approximately two months after application deadline. Time-sensitive projects may be considered outside deadlines — contact mcgrawcenter@journalism.cuny.edu to discuss.
Nepal Eligibility and Relevance:
The fellowship is open to anyone with at least five years of professional journalism experience — no geographic restriction is stated. However, the programme is US-based (CUNY) with a primarily US orientation, and one source notes that "U.S. publication preferred for international applicants." This means Nepali journalists CAN apply but should be aware that stories ideally need to be placeable in established international or US outlets.
Nepal Stories with Strong Business/Economic Angles: Remittance economy — Nepal's remittances constitute approximately 25% of GDP; investigating the financial infrastructure, money transfer industry, predatory lending to migrant families, or the economic impact of remittance dependency. Chinese and Indian investment in Nepal — Belt and Road Initiative projects, Indian infrastructure investment, geopolitics of investment competition, and the economic impact on local communities. Hydropower business and investment — Nepal's massive hydropower potential (83,000 MW estimated), the business of dam construction, foreign investment, environmental costs, and the gap between potential and actual generation. Foreign aid economics — following the money of international aid to Nepal, examining effectiveness, overhead, and impact on local economies. Microfinance and financial inclusion — the rapid growth of Nepal's microfinance sector, cooperatives, fintech, and whether they truly serve the poor or create debt traps. Garment and textile supply chains — Nepal's carpet and garment industry, labour conditions, and connections to global supply chains. Tourism economics — the business of Everest tourism, trekking industry economics, porter exploitation, and environmental costs. Climate economics — the financial cost of climate change in Nepal, adaptation financing, loss and damage, and who pays. Brick kiln industry — one of Nepal's largest industries, with significant labour exploitation, environmental damage, and economic dynamics. Pharmaceutical industry — drug pricing, quality, and access in Nepal's growing but poorly regulated pharmaceutical market.
What Makes a Strong Nepal Application: A compelling story idea with a clear "follow the money" angle. Evidence of preliminary reporting — show you have already begun investigating. Published work samples in English demonstrating ability to execute in-depth reporting. Clear connection to a broader audience — why should readers of an international outlet care? A story that would be NEW to international audiences — not already extensively covered. Ability to place the story in an established outlet (McGraw Centre can assist with placement).
Potential Nepal Applicants: Experienced Nepali investigative journalists with 5+ years and English-language publication record. Nepali journalists working for international outlets (Reuters, AFP, BBC, Al Jazeera, etc.). International correspondents covering Nepal/South Asia with an economic angle. Nepali diaspora journalists with connections to both Nepal stories and international outlets. Freelance journalists who have published in established outlets and want to investigate a Nepal economic story. Journalists from Nepal's English-language media (Kathmandu Post, Nepali Times, The Record, etc.) with international publication experience.
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