Applications are open for the Bertha Challenge Fellowship for Activists, Investigative Journalists, Filmmakers, and Lawyers 2026. The Bertha fellowship is open to those working to expose and counteract the effect of disinformation and corruption on the climate crisis. This Bertha Challenge paid fellowship is a unique international fellowship program for activists, investigative journalists, filmmakers, and lawyers by Bertha. This Bertha Challenge Fellowship 2026 seeks to explore those responsible for spreading the unquantifiable amounts of climate disinformation and expose how this false information is used to the advantage of corporations and politicians with an agenda related to corporate profit.
Bertha Foundation is very excited to launch the sixth Bertha Challenge. This sixth Bertha challenge is an opportunity for investigative journalists, activists, filmmakers, and lawyers to spend a year working on one crucial social justice challenge and to deliver an output of work at the end of this Bertha fellowship. Successful applicants for this international fellowship will receive non-residential paid fellowships. They will also get project budgets to work independently and together to investigate the reasons and solutions to the annual Bertha challenge question, increase their findings to a larger targeted audience, and connect with different stakeholders for the support, information, and sustainable impact through this 2026 Bertha Challenge Fellowship for Activists and Investigative Journalists.
The Bertha Challenge recognizes that Activists, Investigative Journalists, Filmmakers, and Lawyers have different roles. This Bertha Challenge Fellowship 2026 will provide an opportunity to engage with the complications of the Bertha Challenge question while enhancing the relationships through shared work. Bertha Challenge Fellows will be expected to analyze new ways of working together and outside their traditional silos while maintaining their autonomy and integrity. Investigating stories that expose injustice is increasing work that cuts across professions and organizations. The Bertha Challenge provides a place for a group of mid-career leaders in their specific fields to create professional while compelling work on the subject matter. The Bertha Challenge Fellowship for Activists, Investigative Journalists, filmmakers, and lawyers also encourages debate and strengthens networks beyond the one-year project cycle.
More Details About the Bertha Challenge Fellowship 2026:
Eligibility Criteria :
Are you ready to apply for the Bertha Challenge Fellowship 2026? Before you start the Bertha Fellowship application, check their criteria to ensure your eligibility for the paid international fellowship. Opportunities Circle has listed the criteria below.
Eligibility Criteria for the Bertha Challenge Fellowship for Activists, Investigative Journalists, Filmmakers, and Lawyers 2026:
For activists:
- Applicants should have at least five years of experience working with social movements, activists, grassroots, social justice organizations, community organizations, or campaigns.
- Applicants should have strong connections to relevant groups in the Fellow’s country, city, or region, including community organizations, social movements, NGOs, journalists, academics, progressive government officials, etc.
- Applicants should have experience developing organizing tools or famous educational products, such as training courses, pamphlets, publications, films, arts, podcasts, theatre productions, etc.
- Applicants should have experience using media, research, and the law in advocacy.
- Applicants should have an affiliation with any appropriate host organization to increase work production during the Bertha Challenge.
For investigative journalists:
- Applicants in this category should be mid-career journalists with at least five years of experience and a record for doing investigative journalism.
- Applicants should have a strong interest and experience in creating work on the Bertha Challenge question and demonstrate a proven ability to work with affected social movements, communities, community organizations, academics, NGOs, scientists, etc.
- Applicants should have research and investigative journalism ability, an understanding of the political landscape related to the subject matter, and an understanding of political structures and law(s) that determine policy direction and power.
- Applicants should have the ability to work independently.
- Applicants should be affiliated with an appropriate host media organization that will publish the work they produce during the Bertha Challenge.
For Filmmakers:
- Applicants should have at least five years of relevant experience as a filmmaker with at least one conpleted film project.
- Previous experience of running a campaign and international work with filmmaking communities.
- Applicants should have creative ability and a comprehensive understanding of the political landscape and structures that affect people and communities in the proposed film project.
- The applicants’ host organization should be a production company registered to receive funding with relevant tax authorities.
For Lawyers:
- They must have at least five years of relevant work experience and a relevant qualification.
- Their proposed project must align with the 2026 Bertha Challenge Fellowship question.
- They should have a substantive relationship with communities or movements.
- For lawyers, their host organization should support and have a proven long-term relationship with the applicants (lawyers) and the project.
