CIJ Investigate Europe Lyra McKee Fellowship Announced
We are delighted to announce the first ever CIJ Investigate Europe Lyra McKee Fellowship.
Offered exclusively to CIJ Lyra McKee bursary scheme graduates, the fellowship will offer one or two part-time paid fellowship positions, where the fellow(s) will work alongside journalists from Investigate Europe.
Investigate Europe is an award-winning journalism cooperative. In 2025 their Deadly Prices investigation into inequality in access to medicines was recognised by the IJ4EU Impact Award, organised by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. The €5,000 prize money is being used to fund the fellowship.
The #CIJLyraMcKee Bursary Scheme was established by the CIJ in memory of the young and courageous Northern Irish investigative journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot dead by dissident republicans in Derry in April 2019.
The aim of this five-month bursary scheme is to train and mentor people from under-represented backgrounds, who aspire to become journalists or who are at the very early stages of their journalism career.
The CIJ has long aspired to offer our graduates an opportunity to gain paid work experience following the scheme. We are now delighted to team up with Investigate Europe to do just that.
Breaking into journalism can be very hard. While nearly 50% of the CIJ Lyra McKee bursary scheme graduates find full-time or part-time employment in journalism, an opportunity to work with a team of European journalists on real investigations and be paid for it is exciting and unique.
There are 10-12 bursary places on the 2026 CIJ Lyra McKee Bursary Scheme to receive training and mentorship from the CIJ. At the end of the programme, in collaboration with Investigate Europe, we will recommend the best graduates to be considered for the CIJ Investigate Europe Lyra McKee Fellowship. Depending on the candidates’ ambitions and availability either one longer paid fellowship or two shorter paid ones will be offered.
Applications for the CIJ Lyra McKee Bursary Scheme are now open. Only UK and Republic of Ireland residents can apply, and the deadline for applications is Mon 6 April, 23:59.