The Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting at the University of Rhode Island has been awarded an $856,479 grant by the National Science Foundation to expand its environmental reporting fellowship program for minority journalists.

For five years beginning in 2006, the Metcalf Institute will offer six working journalists -- four more than in previous years -- a 42-week paid fellowship to learn basic science, connect science to public policy issues and ideas, and work as an environmental reporter at several national news outlets to apply their new knowledge.

"This award, supporting diversity, science, and journalism truly represents the values important to the Metcalf Institute. We're so proud be able to provide this valuable experience to journalists from across the country for the next five years," said Jackleen de La Harpe, Director of the Institute based at URI's Graduate School of Oceanography.

The Metcalf Institute Diversity in Environmental Reporting Fellowships begins with a three-day science immersion workshop integrating science with environmental justice issues, followed by four weeks of independent study at the University of Rhode Island focusing on science and working in cooperation with scientists at the Graduate School of Oceanography. Following this independent study, the fellows will work for 37 weeks reporting on science and the environment for one of six media outlets including NOVA Science Television/NOVA Online, Boston; Talk of the Nation: Science Friday, New York City; The Providence Journal, Providence; or NPR-member station, WBUR, Boston.

This fellowship program builds on a smaller program that was started at Metcalf Institute in 2001 and supports several journalists each year to work at the Providence Journal and at WBUR. For the last two years, the fellowship has been funded by The Providence Journal Charitable Foundation. Other funders have included the Sharpe Family Foundation, The New York Times Foundation, The Rhode Island Foundation, the Telaka Foundation, and private donations.

The Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting was established in 1997 with funding from the Belo Corporation, The Providence Journal Foundation, the Washington Post's Philip L. Graham Fund, and the Telaka Foundation. The Metcalf Institute was named in honor of the late publisher of The Providence Journal, Michael P. Metcalf.