TJA Summer 2026 Level Up Application

Accessing funding for professional development as a journalist is tough, especially if you, like many of our members, freelance or work in newsrooms with limited resources. That’s where the TJA Level Up program comes in. Want to attend an industry conference or enroll in a leadership program? Want to get a career-enhancing certification or take a training?

We want to help help.

Stipends up to $1,000 are available. Participants will also automatically become TJA members.

Applicant eligibility:

As long as you’re eligible for a TJA membership, you can apply.

Journalists with any professional development goal who believe in TJA’s mission to promote accurate, nuanced coverage of trans rights and communities in the media and support gender-expansive journalists in their workplaces and careers.

We’re excited to see applications from current TJA members and other journalists from historically underrepresented communities in journalism and media including but not limited to trans and gender-expansive people of all genders, queer folks, disabled individuals, and people of color. Journalists from local, regional, and under-resourced news organizations, students, and early-career professionals are strongly encouraged to apply. See our webpage for additional eligibility information.

Application requires:

Resume/CV/LinkedIn profile and/or college transcript (for students)
One to two work samples
In less than 200 words: 1) Tell us about what you do, your professional development goal(s), and about the professional development opportunity for which you’re applying for support, 2) Explain why you want to be there and how the experience might impact your work or career, 3) Articulate how support of your participation in this opportunity aligns with TJA’s mission.

Application encourages:

A letter of support from your manager, if you’re a staff journalist, indicating you’ll be given the appropriate time to pursue your opportunity.

Review the full application form below before completing it. Applications for this cycle will be accepted on a rolling basis. The application will close at 4PT on August 31, 2027. Successful applicants will be notified within two weeks of their submission. See our webpage for additional processing timeline information.

Name

First NameLast NameSuffix

Email

example@example.com

Affiliation

Enter "freelance" if you do not work full-time with a news/media org. Enter "student" if enrolled in a degree-granting program.

Address

Street Address

Street Address Line 2

CityState

Country

Are you an active TJA member?

Visit members.transjournalists.org to verify your membership or join for free.

Expected Graduation Date

Current students only

We know it can be complicated to provide demographic information, especially right now. These questions are strictly optional. All answers are confidential.

Why do we ask for this information? It's important for us to know that we're building diverse and inclusive programs and supporting journalists from a wide variety of backgrounds.

How do we use this information? We may discuss our demographic data by summarizing it in a report, but we do not identify individual TJA members or release any personal information about them. Anyone who applies to our programs receives the same courtesy, even if they're not an active TJA member.

What words best describe your gender?

Optionally, describe your gender below:

Race/Ethnicity

How many years have you been working in journalism?

Provide a link to your resume/CV or to a LinkedIn account.

Enter "Attached" if attaching a resume/CV.

Attach your resume/CV/transcript.

A valid transcript is required for all students.

Provide up to two links to your recent work.

Which stipend amount are you applying for?

What is the name of the opportunity or event?

Provide a link that describes the event or opportunity.

What is the full estimated cost to attend the event or pursue the opportunity?

We use this information to determine how substantially our contribution helps; it's fine if the opportunity costs more or less than the stipend!

What is the date of the opportunity?

If your opportunity spans multiple days, enter the date it starts. It's fine if you're not sure; just provide an estimate.

In less than 200 words: 1) Tell us about what you do, your professional development goal(s), and about the 2026 (or 2027) opportunity for which you’re applying for support;2) Explain why you want to be there or participate, and how the experience might impact your work or career; 3) Articulate how support of your participation in this opportunity aligns with TJA’s mission to foster the careers of trans journalists and support better coverage of trans communities.

0/200

Describe your financial need in relation to the opportunity for which you're applying for support.

This is optional.

Letter of support

This is optional. If you are a staff journalist who will require permission to attend a multi-day conference, training, or other event, we encourage including a letter of support from your manager.

TJA Summer 2026 Level Up Application

Demographic Information

Professional Information

Opportunity Information