NanoCorrespondent Fellows Program at the Medill School

The IIN NanoCorrespondent Fellows Program is a partnership between the International Institute for Nanotechnology and Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, & Integrated Marketing Communications (MSJ). At the beginning of the academic year, Medill names one graduate student in its MSJ Health, Environment and Science Journalism Specialization as the IIN NanoCorrespondent Fellow. The Fellow spends nearly a year reporting from inside the first and largest institute of its kind in the United States.

The Fellow covers IIN research in areas such as nanomedicine, materials discovery, advanced manufacturing, and energy and environmental science. They also report on our educational programs and events and on the experiences of the researchers doing the work. Their stories and multimedia content run on IIN websites and social media, on the Nanoscape podcast, and on our REACH screens. Fellows take on assignments from the IIN and are encouraged to pitch their own story ideas.

The fellowship includes a $50,000 award. Each Fellow works with an IIN advisor who coordinates their schedule and assignments and supervises their work. At Medill, the program is coordinated by Abigail Foerstner, director of the Science Journalism Specialization.

How the year works

Fall: The Fellow gets to know the IIN by visiting labs, meeting researchers and staff, and attending events like the Frontiers in Nanotechnology Seminar Series and the IIN Rosemary Schnell Symposium.

Winter: The Fellow spends one day each week producing stories and multimedia content for IIN communications as part of a not-for-credit internship.

Spring: Through Medill’s embedded reporting program, which pairs student science reporters with research teams and institutes, the Fellow spends two days a week on IIN assignments and earns two credits. They also produce two major stories for Medill, which go through several rounds of fact-checking and editing before publication.

Summer: The final quarter of the MSJ degree is a practicum. The Fellow works onsite at the IIN three or four days a week for academic credit, reporting to one or more IIN editors or advisers. Midway through the quarter, the IIN supervisor meets with the Fellow and Medill to review their work.