Funded by the Google News Initiative, in partnership with Northwestern University | Medill

The Data-Driven Reporting Project

Application submissions will close at 11:59 p.m. CDT on March 31, 2025. For more information about the application process, and answers to frequently asked questions, see the DDRP website.

Please note that this system does not support saving draft applications. Please prepare your answers so that when you submit this form, your application is complete and final. You may wish to view the complete set of questions in a Google Doc.

Contact Information
Name of the primary story/project leader
Preferred email for primary contact
Preferred phone of primary contact
Optional: Preferred gender pronouns of primary contact (e.g. she/her, they/their)
Name of the primary news organization, if applicable
The Data-Driven Reporting Project is only open to applications from the US and Canada.
Web address for the primary news organization, if applicable
Roughly, how many employees are in the primary organization’s newsroom?
List any organizations you intend to partner with for this project
How did you hear about this program?
Have any of the principals for this project been previously funded by the Data-Driven Reporting Program?
Project Information
Describe the investigation (3,000 characters or less). Explain the news value of the investigation.
The total amount requested from the Data-Driven Reporting Project. This should align with the budget provided below.
A link to a Google Sheets document shared so that “anyone with the link can view.” Based on our template (make a copy), this spreadsheet should provide roughly itemized breakdown of what the project will cost to complete, including which parts the DDRP award will be used to fund. DDRP can cover up to 80% of the total overall budget of the project. Include relevant information about other sources of support, whether from other funders or from your organization.
Describe documents and/or data relevant to the investigation (3,000 characters or less). Explain how the source material might be obtained and analyzed and an honest assessment of risks. What kind(s) of technical support would you want or need to complete this project?
How long do you think the main phases of the project will take and when might you publish?
For freelancers/independent journalists only, please provide a publication commitment letter from a news outlet, uploaded as a PDF.
Work Samples

Provide links to three published work samples. For each work sample, briefly provide relevant background. If the story is behind a paywall, include a way to log in or create a PDF version of the story and include a link to the PDF.


3000 characters max.

3000 characters max.

3000 characters max.
References

For freelancers/independent journalists only, include three professional references — either contact information or the web address for a letter of support.


Preferred email or web address for a letter

Preferred email or web address for a letter

Preferred email or web address for a letter
Optional

We want to ensure that journalists who serve local and underrepresented communities would benefit from this program. We want to especially encourage applications from historically underrepresented communities, including women and people of color. Applicants are not required to answer any of the following questions; it will not affect the chances your project is selected.

Do you or members of the proposed project team identify as (select all that apply)?
Do you or members of the proposed project team identify as (select all that apply)?
Are you or members of the proposed project team military veterans?
Are you or members of the proposed project team recent immigrants?

Note

An independent jury of academics, journalists and technologists will vet the applications and choose projects to fund. No one outside the project, including funders and Northwestern’s administration, will influence the jury members or the projects selected for funding.