ICFJ’s Disarming Disinformation program has a robust track designed to promote collaborative investigations that help to unravel who or what funds disinformation in the Americas. 

We launched this track in November, when more than 300 professionals gathered online for two days to attend four master classes led by journalists and researchers Claire Wardle, Craig Silverman, Giannina Segnini and Patrícia Campos Mello.

You are now able to apply for the second stage, an in-person “Investigathon,” which will take place in Austin, Texas, April 11-15. The event will bring together 20 professionals who will present proposals for collaborative investigations with a high potential for impact. 
 

Apply for the Scripps Howard Foundation Grants

Apply for the Serrapilheira Grants (Brazil)

Registration

Registration for the Investigathon is open from Dec. 13 to Feb. 5.  

Selected candidates will have all travel, accommodation and food expenses covered by ICFJ during the Investigathon and the International Symposium on Online Journalism (ISOJ), which takes place right after ICFJ's event. 

The Investigathon will have two categories:
 

• Wide competition: In this first category, there are 15 positions, supported by the Scripps Howard Foundation. Only those who participated in the master class series are eligible to apply. Applicants must also be professionals from any country in the Americas who have proposals to investigate the funding behind disinformation in a collaborative and cross-border way on any topic. Proposals linked to false narratives circulating in the United States will be prioritized.
   
• Scientific disinformation in Brazil: The second category has five positions, supported  by the Serrapilheira Institute, open to candidates who are Brazilian and/or work professionally in Brazil. Candidates for one of these five slots will work collaboratively to investigate the financing of scientific disinformation. Partnerships, however, need not necessarily be cross-border. Participation in the master class series is not mandatory. Applications will be sent in Portuguese.

Candidates can apply for only one of the categories.

See the comparative chart: 

After the Investigathon, ICFJ will announce the collaborative reporting proposals that will receive funding for their execution and publication – which must happen by June 30. 

Grants are up to USD 10,000. The exact value will be defined on a case-by-case basis, depending on the needs of the project. 

Candidates who are approved for the Investigathon should prepare a budget for the proposal before traveling to Austin. 

The grant must be spent exclusively on the project and should cover the expenses of all partners in the collaboration.

Requirements and selection criteria for the Investigathon

Candidates must:  

• Live and/or prove that they work professionally in one of the countries of the Americas. Note: entries from other regions of the world will not be considered.
   
• Be able to actively participate and interact at an event in English. ICFJ may request an interview with some of the candidates to assess this competence.
   
• Be willing to work in a truly collaborative way and according to a schedule previously defined by ICFJ with the interested parties.
   
• Be a journalist, communicator, researcher and/or professional from other areas who have proven ability to contribute to the production and/or distribution of an investigative report on the financing of disinformation.
   
• Have knowledge and experience in investigative journalism and/or ​​disinformation. 
   
• Have a valid passport to enter the United States and a valid U.S visa. Candidates who have already started the visa process will be asked to share that information with ICFJ.
  
  Proposals must: 
• Aim to reveal (through journalistic content) who/what finances the disinformation circulating in the Americas. ICFJ seeks high-impact reporting, that is, that reaches a large audience and can have concrete impact.

• Be collaborative, that is, involve more than one organization in the production of the report. 
  • Partners in the investigation will work together throughout the entire process. Partnerships focused on republication don't qualify as fully collaborative.
  • Candidates applying for the category specific to Brazil must form national and/or transnational partnerships. 

Selection criteria

• Clarity in the presentation of the proposal (with an objective description of the problem and its scope)
   
• Clarity in the research strategy and methodology (with an objective description of the steps to be taken, the partners involved and the role of each one of them)
   
• Ability to publish before the deadline of June 30, 2023
   
• Originality, with a goal of revealing previously unreported information about the financing of disinformation in the Americas
   
• Partnerships that will be active in all phases of the project, not just at the time of publication of the material. With this program, ICFJ seeks to unite reporters, editors, researchers and communicators from across the Americas, creating a new network.
   
• Professional profile. ICFJ believes that multidisciplinarity is a key aspect in combating misinformation. Successful applicants will have a team bringing together professionals with varied profiles. 

The form

Important: The form is divided into four parts and must be completed by the candidate who intends/can travel to the United States on the dates of the event. Before applying please make sure that the applicant has a valid passport and a valid U.S visa to enter the United States. (Candidates who have already started the visa process will be asked to share that information with ICFJ.)