Marquette.edu // O'Brien Fellowship In Public Service Journalism //

Application

Applications are closed for 2025-26. Applications will reopen December 2025.

Tips for a successful application:

We ask for a personal statement, summary biography, references, work samples, resume and project proposal. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their project ideas with O’Brien Director Jeffery Gerritt (obrienfellows@marquette.edu).

The project proposal should address these points, in alternating Q/A format.

In a tight paragraph, please summarize the project and your familiarity with the topic.
What is the key question you are trying to answer?
Based on your preliminary research, what makes this a timely and important story?
How would your work be made available to the public and in what format(s)?
What steps will you take to ensure that your reporting will broadly consider how discrimination based on race, gender or identity has impacted the people and places in your story, and how such bias affects efforts to change the situation? How do you currently navigate covering issues around race and equity, and how has that changed in recent years? How will you encourage students you work with during the fellowship to pursue ideas at the intersection of race and equity?
The O’Brien Fellowship is centered on deeply incorporating student journalists into the projects as researchers, data analysts, reporters, writers or multimedia specialists. What roles might students play in your project, and what experiences of yours might help you guide young reporters?
How might your project break new ground? If other outlets have taken on the topic, explain how your work would advance the story.
Discuss what you would need to do to pursue the story. Is it a data or document-driven story? If so, what are the documents, what will it take to get them, etc. Is it a source driven story? If so, who are the sources? Are they cooperative? Hostile?
What are possible obstacles to completing the reporting, and how do you plan to address them?
What is the “minimum” story that would come out of your project? What is the greatest potential upside?
Estimate how long you would need to complete the project.

Introduction

O’Brien Fellows complete an in-depth reporting project of their choosing on a topic of state, regional, national or international interest over two academic semesters. See the Our Work section of our website for examples of the journalism produced by past fellows.

In the past, most Fellows have worked from a home base in the O’Brien newsroom in the Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We accept both remote and residential applications, but give extra weight in the selection process to applicants ready to take up residency in Milwaukee.

Mentor and team with top Marquette journalism students in the pursuit of an investigative or explanatory journalism project.

SEE OUR CODE OF CONDUCT >>

Eligibility

We seek applications from staff-employed or independent journalists residing in the United States or its territories. Applicants should have at least five years of professional experience and produce journalism regularly as an employee or freelancer. Applicants may be connected to print operations, radio, television, websites, podcasts, online publications, wire services, or magazines of general public interest. There are no academic prerequisites.

Stipend and Benefits

A stipend of $75,000 for nine months for your salary, paid to your sponsoring organization, or directly to the fellow in the case of independent journalists.

A residency allowance based on family requirements for fellows moving to the Milwaukee metropolitan area for the duration of the fellowship: up to $7,000 for a single, married or partnered fellow, up to $9,000 for a fellow with one child, up to $10,000 for a fellow with two children, up to $12,000 for a fellow with three or more children. Fellows submit rent receipts from the rental property owner. The allowance is paid in equal monthly installments over the course of the fellowship.
A moving allowance of up to $7,000. (Fellows from the Milwaukee metropolitan area are not eligible for a moving allowance.)
A travel and research allowance up to $9,000. This covers project-related travel as well as technology, data and document costs and equipment needs.
Employee benefits continue to be paid by the fellow’s employer, where applicable. Independent journalists can choose to select Marquette employee health insurance.

Selection and Criteria

A proposal to produce a rigorous, multimedia public service journalism project with the potential to have major impact, lead to significant reform, and explain how individuals and groups can identify creative solutions to social problems.
The ability to complete the project during the fellowship.
The ability to integrate Marquette students as part of a reporting team.
The capacity to ensure the greatest possible exposure for the reporting once completed.
An advisory committee consisting of distinguished journalists and Marquette faculty and alumni interview candidates from a pool of finalists recommended by College of Communication journalism faculty. Following those interviews, the advisory committee will send a list of recommended fellows to the dean of the Diederich College of Communication for final review.

How to Complete Your Application

Method 1 (Preferred)

We provide space in our official online application form for you to link to your supporting files from a file sharing service such as Dropbox or Google Drive, or from your personal or company’s website. This allows us to view your materials online. This is our preference.

Method 2

If you are unable to send us a link to your materials, you may email them to us at obrienfellows@marquette.edu with the subject "O’Brien Application Materials: Your Name."

Method 3

As a last resort, we will accept physical copies of materials at the mailing address below. These materials won't be returned to you. Please call us before sending them.