Eleven science writers based around the United States and beyond are recipients of the inaugural NASW Pivot Grant, made possible by the National Association of Science Writers.
Spurred by the recent economic climate and industry shifts, NASW launched the Pivot Grant program in March 2023 to support science journalists and writers facing unexpected challenges and transitions. Science writing professionals were invited to apply for up to $1,000 to offset costs in preparing for career changes and adapting to recent hardships.
In all, $9,930 were disbursed for the inaugural NASW Pivot Grant, across 11 recipients selected. The 2023 grantees are:
Elizabeth Angira
The Sun Weekly
Elizabeth is a multimedia journalist based in Kisii County, Kenya. Follow her on Twitter at @ElizabethAngir.
Gabriella Bernardi
Freelance
Gabriella is a freelance science journalist, writer, and podcaster based in Turin, Italy. Follow Gabriella on Twitter at @vindunno and on LinkedIn.
Katherine Bourzac
Freelance
Katherine is a journalist based in San Francisco with nearly 20 years of reporting experience, transitioning back to freelancing this spring.
Elizabeth Fernandez
Freelance
Elizabeth is a freelance science writer and communicator, and she also hosted and produced six seasons of her own podcast, SparkDialog. Follow Elizabeth on Twitter at @sparkdialog.
Brittany Kenyon-Flatt
UNC-Chapel Hill/Duke University
Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., Brittany is a science writer, editor, and researcher specializing in evolutionary biology and human health and medicine. Follow her on Twitter at @britkenyon01.
Swapna Krishna
Freelance
Based in the Philadelphia Main Line, Pa., Swapna is a space science and tech journalist and content creator. Follow her on Twitter at @skrishna.
Paige Madison
Freelance/Complexly
Paige is a science writer and historian of science based in Bozeman, Mont., and she is currently working on her first book (Scribner, Spring 2025). Follow her on Twitter at @FossilHistory.
Andrew Meissen
Freelance
Andrew is a New York City-based freelance science writer. Follow Andrew on Twitter at @AndrewMeissen.
Pratik Pawar
Freelance
Based in Bangalore, India, Pratik is a freelance science reporter who covers stories about global health, medicine, ecology, and science policy. Follow him on Twitter at @pratikmpawar.
April Reese
Freelance
Based in Aveiro, Portugal, April is a freelance science writer and editor and an aspiring documentary filmmaker. Follow her on Twitter at @areesesantafe and on LinkedIn.
Natasha Vizcarra
Freelance
Based in Colorado with past career stops in the Philippines, Natasha writes about earth science, climate change, conservation, and wildlife. Follow her on Mastodon at scicomm.xyz/@vizcarran
Recipients can use NASW Pivot Grant funds for a wide variety of needs, including learning new skills, purchasing equipment, traveling to interviews and conferences, updating portfolios and digital presence, or working with a financial planner or career coach.
“The media industry has been rocked by layoffs and contractions in recent months, and many talented science journalists have lost their jobs ,” said freelance journalist and NASW Board president Cassandra Willyard. “The National Association of Science Writers is here for our community, and we will continue exploring Pivot Grant funding, webinars, and other resources to keep supporting science journalists and writers in need.”
Nine of the 2023 NASW Pivot Grant recipients. Top L-R: Elizabeth Angira, Gabriella Bernardi, Katherine Bourzac. Middle L-R: Elizabeth Fernandez, Brittany Kenyon-Flatt, Swapna Krishna. Bottom L-R: Andrew Meissen, April Reese, Natasha Vizcarra. (Elizabeth Angira; Gabriella Bernardi; Katherine Bourzac, Elizabeth Fernandez; Brittany Kenyon-Flatt; Bonnie Raley; Kelly Han; Peter Weiss; Natasha Vizcarra)
The NASW Board expresses solidarity with the many journalists facing layoffs and job insecurity in recent months. Read the complete NASW Board statement issued May 2023.
Founded in 1934 with a mission to fight for the free flow of science news, NASW is an organization of ~ 2,500 professional journalists, authors, editors, producers, public information officers, students and people who write and produce material intended to inform the public about science, health, engineering, and technology. To learn more, visit www.nasw.org
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