Lyra McKee Bursary Scheme 2026
Applications for the #CIJLyraMcKee Bursary Scheme 2026 are now closed. We have now selected and contacted the successful applicants. If you have not received an offer, this means that unfortunately your application has not been successful this year.
Thank you to everyone who applied. We are grateful for the time and care applicants put into their submissions, and we regret that we are unable to offer individual feedback.
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We are delighted to announce that for the first time this year all the graduates of the CIJ Lyra McKee Bursary Scheme 2026 will be considered for the inaugural CIJ Investigate Europe Lyra McKee bursary, which will offer 1-2 paid part-time remote fellowship positions with Investigate Europe, an award-winning journalism cooperative.
#CIJLyraMcKee Bursary Scheme:
The #CIJLyraMcKee Bursary Scheme was established 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 underrepresented backgrounds, who aspire to become journalists or who are at the very early stages of their journalism career.
The Lyra McKee Journalism Training Bursary was inspired by Lyra’s determination to become an investigative journalist despite personal disability, the need to care for her disabled mother, as well as fighting the in-built bias against working-class entrants to journalism.
Launched in 2019, this will be our seventh intake (the 2020 bursary scheme was postponed due to the global Covid-19 pandemic).
What to expect?
It is not just a paid-for training.
The #CIJLyra McKee Bursary Scheme is a five-month programme which incorporates training at #CIJSummer Conference 2026 and online, as well as a mentoring programme with regular meetings.
It builds towards a Pitch to the Editors session, where the trainees will pitch stories to working UK and Ireland editors.
“[Pitching to the editors] was a hugely insightful experience, and an opportunity I never would have had outside of the programme. The chance to get live feedback from working editors, from major publications, was invaluable.”
Introducing CIJ Investigate Europe Lyra McKee Fellowship 2026
After completing the scheme, the best graduates will have a chance to apply for the CIJ Investigate Europe Fellowship 2026, which will be offered exclusively to the CIJ Lyra McKee bursary scheme graduates.
Our partners Investigate Europe, a journalism cooperative, will offer one or two part-time paid fellowship positions, where the fellow(s) will work alongside their reporters and editors, gaining valuable international newsroom experience. All fellows will work remotely.
Read more about the fellowship.
Time Commitment
Mentoring: 9-10 x 1.5-2 hours online evening sessions: Middle of May – late July, weekly in September 2026. (Exact dates – TBC).
#CIJSummer Conference: 2 full days of training at Goldsmiths, University of London. Dates: 25-26 June 2026.
Online data course: 6hrs of online data journalism course. Dates: 30 June, 1 July 2026.
CIJ Investigate Europe Fellowship – duration will depend on the selected individual(s)’ availability.
Why apply?
#CIJLyraMcKee provides cutting edge investigative journalism training (online courses and in-person #CIJSummer Investigative Journalism Conference 2026), and regular online mentoring from leading investigative journalists, culminating in a Pitch to the Editors Day, when the trainees pitch their stories to working UK and Ireland editors.
“An amazing scheme. I was so surprised at the level of detail and training we received, plus how well we were supported. I would 100% recommend this to others.”
It is a tough and very practical training programme with a great success record.
About 45% of the CIJ Lyra McKee graduates work (or have worked at some point) in journalism. This is a very high number, especially once we take into account that all the CIJ Lyra McKee trainees come from disadvantaged backgrounds. (To compare, the percentage of the UK journalism courses university graduates working in the media 18 month after graduation is 17%).
In 2025, Cherise Hamilton-Stephenson (CIJ Lyra McKee 2021 graduate) was nominated for New Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards for her investigation into unregulated skin whitening IV drips, while Nathaniel Peutherer (CIJ Lyra McKee graduate 2025), was part of the 2025 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism winning team, whose cross-border investigation into the Russian shadow fleet won this prestigious award.
Assisted by the mentors, lots of participants secured journalism jobs and internships following their training at #CIJSummer Conference, a fantastic measure of the programme’s success. These include positions at the BBC Scotland Disclosure team, BBC Asian Network, BBC Humberside, UTV Northern Ireland, The Times, the Guardian, The Daily Mail, The Belfast Telegraph, The Northern Echo, Tortoise Media, The Bristol Cable, Deutsche Welle, and FE Week among others.
Jax Sinclair (CIJ Lyra McKee 2021) works as an assistant producer/journalist for the BBC.
Rachel Keenan (CIJ Lyra McKee 2022) received the Scott Trust Bursary at Goldsmiths and worked at the Guardian.
Flávia Gouveia (CIJ Lyra McKee 2023) started doing paid shifts at the Belfast Telegraph and has recently had the story she worked on during her CIJ Lyra McKee traineeship about the disused properties in Northern Ireland published on the front page! She is currently working as a journalist at the Irish News.
Meg Byrom (CIJ Lyra McKee 2023) works as a junior commissioning editor at The Daily Mail.
Darcie Rawlings (CIJ Lyra McKee 2023) worked as an Apprentice Reporter for The Northern Echo.
Kateryna Pavliuk (CIJ Lyra McKee 2023) joined the BBC journalism apprenticeship scheme and secured a job as a video editor at Tortoise Media.
Maria Hassan (CIJ Lyra McKee 2024) works as a Production Journalist at UTV (Northern Ireland).
Gemma Lees (CIJ Lyra McKee 2024) writes for Travellers Times.
Who can apply?
Anyone who for the financial reasons faced barriers to break into journalism. We especially welcome applications from people from poor(er) backgrounds, people of colour, people with disabilities, carers, members of the LGBTQ+ community, Travellers and anyone who cannot afford to pay for the #CIJSummer training. It is open to UK and Republic of Ireland residents only. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
What is covered by the bursary scheme?
The 2026 bursary scheme has funding from the Lorana Sullivan Foundation, from Lyra McKee’s family and from The Press Council of Ireland.
The bursary covers training and mentoring, as well as, depending on the trainees’ needs, travel to and accommodation in London to attend the #CIJSummer Conference 2026.
Key dates:
Application opens: 1 February 2026
Application deadline: 6 April 2026. 23:59. UK time
Offers to successful applicants made by: Early May 2026
Programme starts: Mid-May 2026
#CIJSummer Conference: 25-26 June 2026
Data Journalism online course: 30 June, 1 July 2026
‘Pitch to the Editors’ Day: September 2026
Programme ends: September 2026
Recommendations for the CIJ Investigate Europe Fellowship made: Late September 2026
Investigate Europe Fellowship interviews: Late September-October 2026.
Fellowship(s) commence: flexible.
Testimonials:
“It is well recognised and quality training. It gives a great start for journalists in the industry and gives niche training not available elsewhere. Great for the CV! ”
“I really enjoyed [Pitch to the Editors]! Getting that level of feedback from people I would be pitching to in the future was really helpful, as I now understand what they would be looking for. Despite studying journalism at university I have always struggled to understand what an editor would want from me in a pitch and now I don’t feel in the dark anymore. It was also great to hear other people’s pitches and feedback for other stories.”
“I think the CIJ Lyra McKee Bursary Scheme is an incredible opportunity. It gave me practical investigative skills, the chance to connect with inspiring mentors and peers, and the confidence to pursue more ambitious journalism. […] I came away not just with tools I can use, but also with a sense of community and encouragement that will stay with me.”
More:
We also urge you to watch LYRA, an award winning documentary about Lyra McKee on Channel 4 On Demand.