Constructive Institute Fellows 25/26
Here are the new Constructive Institute Fellows for 2025-2026
The Constructive Institute has awarded sixteen journalists and editors the opportunity to spend five or ten months at the institute in Aarhus to dive into constructive journalism and the role of journalism in our democracy.
We are proud to present to you the talented constructive journalism fellows of 2025-2026. Read more about them here.
The 9th cohort of fellows at the Constructive Institute has been appointed, whereby sixteen journalists and editors bring the number of fellows since the start in 2017 up to over 100.
The 16 new fellows will have access to both courses at Aarhus University and an education in constructive journalism, and not least time to find new ways to make journalism more credible and meaningful for Danes.
“We are proud that we can set a record in the number of fellows who believe that proper journalism is essential for our public conversation and democracy,”
“More than ever, there is a need for critical and constructive storytellers, while the conditions for independent journalism are becoming increasingly difficult. But the new fellows are, like their predecessors, curious, decent and skilled, and we look forward to helping them develop new paths in our new and larger premises at Aarhus University from August 25th,” says founder and director of the Constructive Institute, Ulrik Haagerup.
The fellowship program is implemented in partnership with a number of foundations, such as TrygFonden, Novo Nordisk Fonden, Industriens Fond and Aarhuus Stiftstidendes Fond.
The new team of fellows will focus on, among other things, the development of local journalism, the dissemination of the AI revolution in Danish workplaces, media coverage of priorities in the healthcare system, development in the use of life science in the healthcare sector, sustainability and the relationship between citizens, the media and society.
This year’s team, which will be affiliated with Constructive Institute for five or 10 months, consists of nine women and seven men aged between 28 and 60 years old and comes from DR, TV2 regions, Børsen, Jyllands-Posten, the journalism programs at SDU and DMJX, the Greenlandic media house Sermitsiaq and the local newspapers Hernings Folkeblad, Lollands-Falsters Folketidende and Bornholms Tidende.
Constructive Institute was founded in 2017 and has since worked to change the global news culture, now with centers in Germany, Australia and soon also in Kenya.
The Fellowships
Trygfonden fellowships
3 fellowships are funded by Trygfonden.
Fellowship 1 and fellowship 2: 2 fellows will examine how to cover the development of local communities and local democracy.
They will focus on how local and regional media can contribute to supporting local communities in creating more engagement and involvement from citizens. Additionally, the project could involve local issues such as combating news deserts, studying local and hyperlocal journalism, and creating more user involvement in journalism.
Fellowship 3: 1 fellowship invites projects covering general issues such as security, health and well-being in Denmark. This includes studying the coverage of better mental health, positive communities, quality of living, security, disease prevention, crime prevention, participation in civil society and democracy and digital safety.
The fellowship can also focus on loneliness among vulnerable children and young people and it has an overall focus on general societal problems such as creating a better life for elderly people with a higher quality of life for next of kin for weakened elderly people. The applicant must describe one or more relevant projects.
Industriens Fond AI fellowships
6 fellowships are funded by Industriens Fond.
How is AI being used in Danish companies and how could the media coverage of the use of AI be improved?
In the academic year of 2025/2026 altogether 6 journalists and editors from Danish media will get the possibility of working with these questions in a so called AI Explorer Project.
3 journalists and editors will have the fellowship in the autumn semester of 2025, beginning in the last week of August, finishing at the end of January 2026.
Another 3 journalists or editors will have the fellowship in the spring semester of 2026, starting at the beginning of February and finishing at the end of June.
The AI Explorers in each semester will work together and gather information , knowledge and experiences that can be presented for both Danish companies and people in the media.
Aarhuus Stiftstidendes Fond fellowships
2 Autumn Semester Fellowships of 5 months for journalists, editors and other media people working in local and regional news rooms – for the support of local journalism and democracy.
The fellowships run from late August 2025 till late January 2026.
2 Spring Semester Fellowships of 5 months for journalists, editors and other media people working in local and regional news rooms – for the support of local journalism and democracy.
The fellowships run from the beginning of February till the end of June 2026.
Novo Nordisk Fonden fellowships
3 fellowships are funded by Novo Nordisk Fonden.
Fellowship 1:. Fellowship with a Focus on Health
A fellowship within health will focus on the growing challenges related to lifestyle-related diseases, health inequality, prevention of future pandemics, and technological developments in the healthcare sector. Through access to research environments in public health, medicine, and social sciences, a fellow will be able to explore how preventive measures can strengthen public health and which structural barriers maintain inequalities in the healthcare system.
Fellowship 2: Focus on Sustainability
Climate change and environmental sustainability are closely linked to both public health and societal development. A fellowship within sustainability will focus on how we as a society balance ecosystems, food systems, and climate policy to ensure a sustainable future. Fellows can work with researchers in environmental science, agricultural research, and climate modeling to explore how the reduction of greenhouse gases, green transition in the healthcare sector, and the connection between diet, population growth, and sustainable food production can play a central role in improving both human and planetary health. Constructive Institute already has extensive experience in covering climate issues and has had close collaboration with The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO₂ Research Center. Together with partners, fellows will develop journalistic formats that engage the public in a more nuanced climate debate, where solutions and innovations are given greater prominence in the news stream.
Fellowship 3: Focus on Life Science
A fellowship within Life Science will explore how we can strengthen basic research, foster collaboration across scientific disciplines, and enhance the population’s – especially young people’s – interest in the natural sciences. Fellows will have access to laboratories and research environments, thereby gaining exposure to the latest medical research, biological innovation, and technological breakthroughs.Through collaboration with leading researchers in biomedicine, bioinformatics, and engineering, fellows can learn to communicate complex research findings in a way that makes them understandable and relevant to the public. A particular focus may be on how research in Life Science can be translated into tangible societal solutions – for example, new treatments, personalized medicine, or technologies that can improve people’s quality of life.
Contact head of the Fellowship Programme, Orla Borg, for more information:
