Grants

STERN Grant – a Scholarship Award for Young Photojournalists

January 31, 2018

With its powerful images and opulent visuals the German weekly STERN magazine has been setting international standards in magazine photojournalism for decades.

STERN magazine calls for submissions for the STERN Grant, a 10,000 Euro scholarship award that honors the best proposal for a photo reportage from around the globe. With this award the sponsors aim to give talented young photographers the opportunity to work on a long-term photojournalism project they are passionate about.

Applicants will need to submit a short exposé of their project's central idea and purpose. The winner will have the chance to work on their story in tandem with an experienced STERN reporter and develop it into a reportage feature which will in turn be published by a title from the STERN group of magazines.

"At STERN magazine we have a proud tradition of discovering and nurturing new talent – it's just what we do," explains Art Director Frances Uckermann, "that's why we want to create a forum for the next generation of photographers. In addition to our Young Photography bursary which enables photography graduates to become part of STERN magazine's editorial team for a year, we have successfully established the STERN Grant as a means to realize the kind of projects that might otherwise never get completed due to lack of time or funding. We are looking forward to receiving many outstanding submissions."

Who can apply?
International photographers between 18 and 35 years of age at the time of application.

What are the entry conditions for the submissons?
The STERN grant is a production budget that enables its recipient to develop his/her photo idea into a reportage feature by connecting him/her to a STERN reporter. The joint work will then be published by a title from the STERN group of magazines. The STERN Grant is no prize money for already existing photo projects. It is important that the proportion of photos yet to be produced must be 70 % or more compared to those already available. We therefore regret that we have to exclude completed works from the competition. Any works that have already been published elsewhere or have been the recipient of any grant, bursary or scholarship from other institutions cannot be accepted.

How do I apply?
You will need to submit:

– CV in table form including a passport-sized portrait of yourself (max. 2 pages, 1 MB)
– Exposé about your planned photography project, including project title and applicant's name, which clearly outlines what the story is about, including an estimate of how and in what timeframe it can be realized (one standard A4 page, max. 1 MB)
– PDF-Portfolio with previous photography projects (no more than 25 images) which show the applicant's photographic style

Where and how can I apply?
We only accept online applications through our website www.stern.de/jungefotografie/grant. Please upload your application using the electronic form below. The application platform is open from January 1st, 2018 until midnight of January 31, 2018. Late submissions cannot be accepted as the application platform will automatically close after this period.

How will the winner be identified?
The jury consists of the following members of STERN magazine's editorial team: Art Director Frances Uckermann, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Giuseppe di Grazia, as well as the two Directors of photography at the STERN picturedesk, Andreas Kronawitt and Andreas Trampe.

When will the winner be announced?
The recipient of the STERN Grant will be announced on Thursday, May 03, 2018, as part of a range of events marking the opening of the World Press Photo exhibition at the publishing house Gruner + Jahr in Hamburg, Germany.

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