Applications for The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) 2022-23 Robert Novak Journalism Fellowships are now open. Early-career journalists are encouraged to apply by April 14 for the exclusive opportunity.
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The year-long Fellowships give writers the opportunity to research and report on a topic of their choosing related to the principles of a free society. Each Fellowship provides $35,000 in grant funding and expense assistance, as well as relevant academic retreats, writing workshops and an extensive mentorship network.
Applicants for the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowships will also be considered for a special honor, the John Farley Alumni Fund Fellowship. The Fellowship was renamed in March 2020 to honor TFAS friend and former colleague, the late John Farley. In the fall of 2020, TFAS welcomed Charles McElwee, Novak ’20, as the inaugural Farley Fellow, followed by Oliver Wiseman, Novak ’21, as the second recipient.
Past Novak Fellows include notable writers and journalists like Katherine Mangu-Ward, Novak ’05, Steve Hayes ’94, Novak ’00, Jason Willick, Novak ’17, and Naomi Schaefer Riley, Novak ’01. Previous Fellowship projects have focused on topics ranging from the Republican party’s generational divide to “population policymaking.” Research from these projects often appears in major publications like The Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times and National Review. Several best-selling books have been published as a result of Novak Fellowships, including “The Big Ripoff: How Big Business and Big Government Steal Your Money” by Tim Carney, Novak ’03, “Boomers: The Men and Women Who Promised Freedom and Delivered Disaster” by Helen Andrews, Novak ’17, and “Panic Attack: Young Radicals in the Age of Trump” by Robby Soave, Novak ’17.
Novak Fellow Christian Britschgi, Novak ’20, focused his project on the many ways in which crises like the coronavirus pandemic have increased government power in the United States. Britschgi shared his research for “Coronavirus and Leviathan” with supporters during the 27th Annual TFAS Journalism Awards Dinner.
“Through a series of reported features, my Novak Fellowship project will probe the way this current pandemic is leading to the massive expansion and growth of the American state,” Britschgi said. “I’m looking forward to write and report on the ways in which ‘Big Brother’ is growing during this crisis, and I’m very thankful to The Fund for American Studies for having me as a Fellow.”
TFAS Manager of Continuing Education Programs Ryan Wolfe is looking forward to welcoming a new group of Novak Fellows to join the ranks of the best in American journalism.
“The Novak Fellowship is an opportunity for promising journalists to take their career to the next level,” Wolfe said. “Through their year-long reporting projects, Fellows will become experts in the subject of their choice and shape the country’s policy and cultural debates for years to come.”
The Fellowship was established in 1994 as a platform for the next generation of responsible journalists. In 2009, the program was renamed in honor of well-known journalist Robert Novak, whose dedication to American journalism serves as inspiration for writers, political commentators, and columnists across the country to this day.
The 2022-23 Fellowship recipients will be honored at the 29th Annual TFAS Journalism Awards Dinner in New York City on November 15 alongside the recipient of the Joseph Rago Memorial Fellowship for Excellence in Journalism. Fellows will join more than 145 Novak Fellowship alumni who are advancing the principles of a free society in journalism every day. This outstanding TFAS Novak Fellowship Alumni Network strives to create valuable mentor and peer connections among Fellows. The alumni support current Fellows with advice and guidance in editing, publishing, pitching, career tips and more.
For more information on the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program, visit TFAS.org/Novak.