Fellowships & Scholarships

EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship

About the fellowship

The EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship aims to recognize outstanding journalistic talent among young Canadians. Since 2001, three candidates have been selected every year to participate in a week-long study tour to experience the EU institutions, the Canadian Mission to the EU, and media outlets in Brussels. Winners will also attend the daily European Commission press briefing. All expenses are paid for by the European Union Delegation to Canada. Winners will also benefit from a one-year CAJ membership or one-year CAJ membership renewal.

Winners will also be invited to an awards ceremony co-hosted by the Office of the Speaker of the House of Commons and the CAJ on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

The EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship seeks to foster links between Europeans and Canadians and to raise awareness of the European Union among a new generation of Canadian students and journalists.

Winners are required to submit a sample of their work and to chronicle their study tour experience online or in print during the study tour or upon their return from Europe (i.e. published articles, blogging, social media platforms).

The study tour to Brussels is scheduled for the week of November 16, 2026.

In order to be eligible, participants must be:

  • Actively enrolled in a Canadian university/post-secondary institution or active in the field of journalism
  • Between the ages 18-30
  • Canadian citizen or permanent resident

Applications must include:

  1. Sample of work
    • Applicants are invited to submit a recent sample of their work in any format, in English or French, about the European Union or European Union-Canada relations. One work sample only.
    • Entry requirements:
      • If print or digital: News stories or opinion pieces of maximum 1,000 words, unpublished or published within the previous six months from application date.
      • If audio-visual: News reports of up to 90 seconds duration or mini-documentaries of anywhere between 4 and 5 minutes.
      • The date of the unpublished text or report must be indicated. In case of published text or broadcast report, the date and name of media outlet must be indicated.
    • The jury will pay particular attention to journalistic qualities and talent, rigorous research, factual accuracy and topic relevance to EU and EU-Canada relations.
  2. Letter of motivation
    • Applicants must write a letter of motivation clearly outlining specific topics they plan to write about during/upon return from Europe and where their work will appear (media outlet, social media, blog etc.)
    • Winners will have complete editorial independence and, while the Delegation and the Canadian Association of Journalists will retain the right to publish/reproduce their work to promote the program in future years, applicants will maintain intellectual property rights of their work.
    • The letter should also include the reasons for applying and the anticipated benefits to be derived from participation in the study trip.
  3. Curriculum vitae
  4. Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status

The closing date for applications is May 6 2026.

Please note that incomplete applications, i.e. applications not containing all of the above documents submitted at the same time, will not be considered.

For audio-visual entries, please send online link by e-mail or USB by mail with the application.

Applications are to be sent either by e-mail to DELEGATION-CANADA-POL@eeas.europa.eu or by mail to the following address:

Delegation of the European Union to Canada
Ref.: EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship
150 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1900
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1P1

Final selection by the Jury:

The Jury, consisting of EU Delegation representatives, professional journalists and academics, will meet in spring 2026 to select the best pieces received by the closing date. The decisions of the Jury will be final. The three winners will be notified directly.

The Study Tour is scheduled for the week of November 16, 2026

Established in 1976, the European Union Delegation to Canada is a fully-fledged diplomatic mission and, as such, the natural contact point in Canada between the EU and the Canadian authorities. It also has a strong public diplomacy mandate designed to enhance the knowledge and understanding of the European Union as well as EU-Canada relations.

The Canadian Association of Journalists is Canada’s largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing members across the country. The CAJ’s primary roles are public-interest advocacy work and professional development for its members.

For further information:

Diodora Bucur, EU Delegation Press Officer
Diodora.Bucur@eeas.europa.eu | 613-563-6354 | Socials: @EUinCanada on LinkedIn, X, Facebook

Monique Durette, Canadian Association of Journalists Operations Manager
monique.durette@caj.ca | Facebook: @CdnAssocJournalists | Instagram: @cajournalists | BlueSky: @cajournalists.bsky.socail

FAQ

Q: I noticed that for the eligibility criteria, it mentioned that you must be actively enrolled in the journalism field. I just wanted to double-check that I am still eligible if I am enrolled in university, but not in a journalism program.
A: According to the call for submissions, applicants must be actively enrolled in a Canadian university/post-secondary institution or active in the field of journalism. In other words, in any university or post-secondary programme, not necessarily journalism.

Q: I am interested in applying for the EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship but my 18th birthday is in December. Can I still apply?
A: Candidates must be 18 years old at the time of the study tour. In this particular case, since the study tour would have already taken place that calendar year (usually in the fall), you would be eligible to apply for the next cycle beginning in March.

Q: If I’m already 30 at the time of submitting my application/the study tour, am I still eligible?
A: Yes, you would still be eligible.

Q: I am interested in applying for the EU-Canada Young Journalist Fellowship. I noticed the age range is 30 and I am 39. I’m writing to ask if I can still apply anyway.
A: The age range for this particular scholarship programme is 18-30. However, the European Union offers other career development opportunities for professionals, such as EU Visitors’ Programme. Find details here: https://visitors-programme.europa.eu/application-procedure

Q: I was looking at the application requirements, and I noticed there was no length requirement mentioned for the letter of motivation. Is there a rough word/page count I should stick to?
A: There’s no length requirement for the letter of motivation, although generally a page or so is recommended.

Q: For the writing sample, should the story clearly address EU-Canada relations or could it focus on a topic within the EU that is relevant to a Canadian audience?
A: We encourage applicants to read carefully the application requirements. The call for submissions makes it clear that, “judges will pay particular attention to topics of relevance to the EU and EU-Canada relations.” In different words, a topic in the EU relevant to the Canadian audience meets the criteria.

Q: Should applicants submit just one work sample along with the other materials, or are we allowed to submit more than one?
A: One work sample only. Submitting multiple samples does not increase winning chances. On the contrary, it will earn the applicant demerit points, given the call for submissions makes it clear only one sample is accepted.

Q: I wanted to inquire about the requirement for writing or covering the study tour. I’m wondering what you are envisioning for this part? I ask because my newspaper has strict rules about us covering an event that we are subsidized to attend.
A: This is an open-ended requirement to allow laureates to explore different possibilities – i.e. blogging, documenting the study tour on social media, stories, reels, testimonials, first-person stories about their experiences or news stories about subjects or topics of interest heading to Brussels or that may come up during the study tour.

Q: The deadline for the journalism fellowship in Brussels has passed, but I’m wondering if this will be offered again next year in Brussels or if it will take place somewhere in Europe.
A: This particular study tour takes place every year and mainly, but not exclusively, in Brussels, home to EU institutions. In the past, young journalists also visited the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, and the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, depending on the year’s programme. Generally, the annual fellowship is launched in early March, submissions are due in early May, and the study tour takes place in the fall of the same calendar year.

Q: Are CAJ board members prohibited from applying?
A: Neither CAJ board members nor active CAJ members are prohibited from submitting an application, as long as they are not directly involved in the actual selection process. Prior to deliberations, jury members are required to declare full disclosure of potential conflict of interest regarding candidates.

Q: Are submissions from previous winners accepted?
A: There are no rules to disqualify past winners. The objective of this fellowship programme is to give a chance to as many candidates as possible. Ultimately, the decision rests with the jury and it is merit-based.