The Pulitzer Center is pleased to release two new calls for proposals for Rainforest Journalism Fund grants. Journalists reporting on environmental and climate issues relating to tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia and the Congo Basin are now encouraged to apply.

There are two newly open applications:

Southeast Asia Rainforest Journalism Fund : for journalists reporting on tropical rainforests for local or regional media outlets in Southeast Asia. Applications may be received in English or bahasa Indonesia.

: for journalists reporting on tropical rainforests for local or regional media outlets in Southeast Asia. Applications may be received in English or bahasa Indonesia. Congo Basin Rainforest Journalism Fund: for journalists reporting on tropical rainforests for local or regional media outlets in the Congo Basin. Applications may be received in English or French.

The calls for proposals and guidelines for Rainforest Journalism Fund grants are available in English (for Southeast Asia and the Congo Basin), bahasa Indonesia, and French.

Applications for local and regional projects are independently reviewed by Advisory Committees, composed of experienced journalists. The Committees work with the Pulitzer Center on final selection of grantees, assisting journalists on their projects, and fostering relationships with news-media organizations in each region.

The Advisory Committee for Southeast Asia includes:

Wahyu Dhyatmika , Editor in Chief, Tempo.co - Indonesia

, Editor in Chief, Tempo.co - Indonesia Dan Grossman , Journalist - USA

, Journalist - USA Isabel Hilton , CEO, The China Dialogue Trust - UK

, CEO, The China Dialogue Trust - UK Anchalee Kongrut , Writer and Assistant News Editor, Bangkok Post - Thailand

, Writer and Assistant News Editor, Bangkok Post - Thailand Kuang Keng Kuek Ser , Data Journalist, Data-N Founder & Consultant - Malaysia

, Data Journalist, Data-N Founder & Consultant - Malaysia Audrey Tan , Environment Correspondent, The Straits Times - Singapore

, Environment Correspondent, The Straits Times - Singapore Coordinator: Harry Surjadi - Indonesia

The Advisory Committee for Congo Basin includes:

David Akana , Knowledge Management & Communications Specialist at African Development Bank - Cameroon

, Knowledge Management & Communications Specialist at African Development Bank - Cameroon Adrienne Engono Epse Moussang , Mutations - Cameroon

, Mutations - Cameroon Privat Tiburce Massanga , Radio MUCODEC - Congo-Brazzaville

, Radio MUCODEC - Congo-Brazzaville Alfred Ntumba , Enviro-News - Democratic Republic of the Congo

, Enviro-News - Democratic Republic of the Congo Sonia Rolley , Radio France International (RFI) - France

, Radio France International (RFI) - France Coordinator: Augustine Kasambule - Democratic Republic of the Congo

Pulitzer Center continues to accept Rainforest Journalism Fund proposals in English, Spanish, or Portuguese for local and regional reporting projects in the Amazon region. The application for journalists reporting for wide-reaching international media outlets on tropical rainforests anywhere in the world also remains open. To learn more, visit the RJF Grants page.

Launched at the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, the Rainforest Journalism Fund is a five-year, $5.5 million initiative focused on raising public awareness of the urgent environmental issues facing the world’s tropical forests.

Supported by a grant from the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment through the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI), the Rainforest Journalism Fund represents a major investment in international environmental and climate reporting. The initiative will support nearly 200 original reporting projects over the five-year period along with annual regional conferences designed to raise the level of reporting on global rainforest issues. During the course of the grant, the Fund will also provide hostile-environment and first-aid training to 75 journalists operating in rainforest regions.

NICFI, the Pulitzer Center and the journalists involved are committed to the editorial independence of the Fund’s grantees. One of the Pulitzer Center’s key roles in administering the Fund is to ensure that the Fund’s grantees are free to conduct their reporting within the highest standards of journalism.

The full announcement for the Rainforest Journalism Fund is available here.