Lipman Center’s Initiative in Reporting on Race and Criminal Justice

The Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights at Columbia University administers the Initiative in Reporting on Race and Criminal Justice, a grant program aimed at exposing systemic inequalities and abuses within the American criminal justice system. Rooted in the center’s overarching mission to advance reporting in the public interest on civil and human rights issues, this initiative supports local newsrooms and independent journalists undertaking in-depth, long-term investigative projects. The program highlights racial injustice and human rights violations within law enforcement, prosecutorial conduct, judicial proceedings, and the carceral system. Funded by Arnold Ventures, the initiative seeks to fill critical gaps in reporting capacity, especially in under-resourced areas and outlets. It responds to an urgent societal need to better understand how criminal justice policies and practices contribute to systemic inequality. With an emphasis on accountability, the initiative encourages investigative journalism that can trigger institutional reform by uncovering specific failures, documenting lived experiences, and fostering public awareness through compelling, data-informed storytelling. Each year, the Lipman Center awards up to five grants of between $30,000 and $50,000 to selected applicants. Grant funds may be used for a wide range of project needs, including but not limited to data acquisition and analysis, staff augmentation, travel expenses (contingent on public health guidelines), filing of FOIA requests, and data visualization tools. The total funding pool can vary year to year, with $180,000 disbursed across five grantees in 2025. The application process is open to all local newsrooms and individual journalists. A completed application includes a 1,000- to 1,500-word description of the proposed project authored by the lead journalist or editor, a detailed budget, a list of team members, and an expected publication or broadcast date. Applications must be submitted by February 27, 2026. Submissions are accepted via email to [email protected] or by mail to the Lipman Center at Columbia Journalism School, Pulitzer Hall, New York, NY. Projects must be completed within one year of funding. There is no explicit mention of a cost share or matching requirement. The selection process emphasizes project impact potential, originality, feasibility, and alignment with the program’s focus areas. Grantees from the 2025 cycle include both nonprofit newsrooms and freelance journalists, underscoring the program’s inclusivity and openness to a broad range of applicants committed to investigative reporting on justice-related issues. The grant opportunity is recurring annually. With the current cycle closing on February 27, 2026, and no changes to program structure indicated, the next application round is expected to open in January or February 2027. As this is an open call with a fixed deadline and no pre-application phase, applicants are advised to prepare materials well in advance of the close date. All inquiries should be directed to the Lipman Center via the email provided.