NIHCM Foundation Journalism Grants

The NIHCM Foundation Journalism Grants program supports impactful health reporting and educational projects that aim to improve the affordability and quality of health care in the United States. The program is designed for journalists working in print, digital, broadcast, nonprofit and for-profit news organizations, including freelancers, and also welcomes applications from universities, nonprofit organizations, and documentary filmmakers. Funded projects must address key issues affecting the U.S. health care system with the potential to inform managed care organizations, policymakers, and health care consumers. This program targets several core topic areas. Projects that explore affordability may examine systemic and policy-level factors influencing health care costs and accessibility. Initiatives under the pharmaceuticals category are encouraged to address drug pricing transparency, the impact of patents, and the role of policy in improving medication access, with particular interest in GLP-1 agonists and related drugs. NIHCM also invites proposals analyzing the impacts of provider consolidation and changing health care markets on pricing, competition, and access to care. Another area of focus is health care delivery, particularly how alternative care models may enhance quality and efficiency while reducing costs. Additional areas of interest include chronic disease management, where the emphasis is on reporting that evaluates ways to optimize outcomes while controlling costs, and the role of artificial intelligence in health care. Projects in this category might investigate both the benefits and potential risks associated with AI-driven innovations, especially in relation to electronic health records and coding intensity among commercially insured patients. Proposals outside these categories will be considered if they broadly align with the themes of affordability, care delivery, and managed care. Funding from this grant can support activities such as reporting, writing, producing data visualizations, and creating short videos. The program may also fund promotional support for documentaries but not full production costs. NIHCM Foundation stipulates that indirect costs are not covered, except in limited cases where up to 12 percent of direct costs may be approved. Applicants must submit their proposals through NIHCM’s online system, Good Grants, by the deadline of October 27, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET. Submissions may be completed in stages and should include all required project details. Once submitted, applications cannot be revised unless the applicant contacts NIHCM directly. Award recipients will be notified in December 2025. All projects are expected to produce results within one year of funding. Evaluation criteria include the significance of the topic, the potential impact on health care understanding and affordability, the qualifications of the project team, dissemination strategy, timeliness, and the proposed budget. For general inquiries, applicants may contact Sheree Crute at scrute@nihcm.org. For technical support related to the application system, Tiara Bidjou can be reached at tbidjou@nihcm.org. The NIHCM Foundation encourages early submission and aims to support high-impact journalism that advances meaningful health care discourse in the United States.

Applicants are encouraged to submit early and ensure all information is complete and legible. Only final submissions are accepted; contact NIHCM to revise if necessary.