Call for Proposals: STOP Spillover Story Grants 2022

More than 6 out of every 10 known infectious diseases are zoonotic – transmitted from animals to humans through direct contact or through food, water or the environment. One estimate suggests that 75% of emerging pathogens are zoonotic in origin. COVID-19 highlights the devastating global consequences of zoonotic diseases, yet, more than two years into this pandemic, we do not yet understand everything we need to know in order to prevent the next one.

Public awareness of the risks of zoonotic diseases is limited, and in many parts of the world the pandemic response has been characterized by a lack of data and rampant misinformation. In order to act effectively, governments, policymakers and communities need reliable, evidence-based and robust information to make informed decisions and push for change.

To enable journalists to disseminate science-based information to the communities most at risk, EJN has joined a global consortium led by Tufts University and USAID, known as STOP Spillover, which is working to understand and address the risks posed by known zoonotic viruses with the potential to spill over from animals and cause outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics in humans.

As part of this project, EJN is offering story grants to journalists to increase public information and journalists’ capacity around this topic. With 1-1 mentoring, journalists will be well-positioned to combat mis- and disinformation and produce high-quality reporting on the threats of zoonotic diseases as well as the solutions to prevent future spillover events.

Only journalists based in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Vietnam are eligible to apply.

Story Themes

We welcome story ideas that focus on the following zoonotic viruses: