Council for the Advancement of Science Writing

Taylor/Blakeslee University Fellowships

Current and Past Recipients

The Council for the Advancement of Science Writing offers fellowships of $5,000 to both professional journalists and students of outstanding ability who have been accepted for enrollment in graduate-level programs in science writing.

 Journalists with at least two years of mass-media experience will receive preferential treatment in the selection process. Students must have undergraduate degrees in science or journalism and must convince the CASW selection committee of their ability to pursue a career in writing science for the general public. Fellows may attend school either full-time or part-time. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

 Science writing is here defined as writing about science, medicine, health, technology, and the environment for the general public via the mass media. Fellowships are not available to those pursuing or intending to pursue careers in public relations, public information, or technical writing.

 The fellowships are underwritten by a grant from the Brinson Foundation, a Chicago-based philanthropic organization devoted to supporting educational, public health and scientific research programs, and by funds derived from a special bequest to CASW from the American Tentative Society, which, for three decades, played an important role in promoting public understanding of science and the scientific process. The fellowships honor the late Rennie Taylor, a science writer for Associated Press, whose estate provided funds for the establishment of ATS, and Alton Blakeslee, former science editor of Associated Press who served as its longtime president.

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 PLEASE PROVIDE: THREE sets of the following items collated and stapled.

•  Completed application

•  Resume

•  Samples of your writing

•  A statement, not to exceed 500 words, of your career goals and why you want to be a science writer

•  Description of science-writing program you are entering and a list of courses to be pursued.
•  A letter of recommendation  from a teacher/someone who knows you.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS is July 1. Please send material to: