The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is excited to announce this year’s Science Journalism Fellowship awardees: Daniela De Lorenzo, Tim Kalvelage and Laura Carrau. The support will allow Laura to film a documentary about salt intrusion into the River Gambia, enable Daniela to travel to the remote deserts of Iceland to report on high latitude dust, and facilitate Tim to travel on the R/V Sonne to report on new studies of deep-sea cold water corals in the Mozambique Channel.

Daniela De Lorenzo, who was awarded 1570€ EUR for her project ‘Understanding High Latitude Dust and its impact in the Arctic’, says, “I’m grateful to have received the fellowship and the trust of EGU and the researchers, who allow me to follow, document and share their stories and results as they work to better understand High Latitude Dust (HLD) in Icelandic desert areas. High latitude dust has often been overlooked, and this project aims to show that even the smallest particles, like Arctic black grains of sand, can have a significant impact on shaping our climate and our societies.” Daniela is a freelance journalist covering climate and the impact of environmental changes on society. She will use the funding to travel to remote desert areas of Iceland with research teams studying high latitude dust and meet with researchers in Finland who monitor dust reaching the European continent.

Tim Kalvelage, based in Bremen, Germany, is a freelance science journalist, book author, and photographer. His work focuses on climate and ocean science and has appeared in Die Zeit, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Geo, and other print and online media. Before becoming a freelancer, he completed a PhD in marine microbiology and worked as a researcher in aquatic biogeochemistry and as an editor for Spektrum der Wissenschaft. Kalvelage is also a graduate from Reportageschule, a journalism school dedicated to long-form non-fiction writing. Awarded 1300€ EUR for his proposal ‘Oases in the dark: deep-sea corals in the Mozambique Channel’, he says “I am very excited and honored to once again, with the support of EGU, join a research expedition studying so far unexplored deep-sea coral reefs and their geology in the Western Indian Ocean.“

Laura Carrau, a documentary filmmaker from Barcelona, Spain will receive 2300€ EUR for her project ‘“The Voices of the Gambia River” a scientific documentary investigating the biogeochemical effects of Marine Invasion in the Gambia River’. “Receiving the Science Journalism Fellowship for 2024 fills me with immense gratitude and excitement. This grant is more than just financial support; it is a powerful validation of storytelling in science documentaries. It underscores the critical importance of showcasing scientists’ work to society and bridging the gap between complex research and public understanding,” Laura said. “With this grant, we will be able to complete a documentary on the impact of salt intrusion in the River Gambia, a project led by scientists Núria Catalán (CEAB-CSIC) and Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles (IDAEA-CSIC). This film will highlight the significance of geoscience in understanding and predicting ecosystem dynamics. Moreover, audiovisual journalism is a vital tool in inspiring future scientists and making complex environmental issues accessible to all.”

The EGU Science Journalism Fellowship is an annual competition open to professional journalists wishing to report on ongoing research in the Earth, planetary and space sciences. The winning proposals receive up to €5000 to cover expenses related to their projects. This support is intended to allow the fellows to follow geoscientists on location and to develop an in-depth understanding of their questions, approaches, findings and motivation.

The European Geosciences Union (EGU) is Europe’s premier geosciences union, dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in the Earth, planetary, and space sciences for the benefit of humanity, worldwide. It is a non-profit interdisciplinary learned association of scientists founded in 2002 with headquarters in Munich, Germany. The EGU publishes a number of diverse scientific journals that use an innovative open access format and organises topical meetings plus education and outreach activities. Its annual General Assembly is the largest and most prominent European geosciences event, attracting more than 14,000 scientists from all over the world. The meeting’s sessions cover a wide range of topics, including volcanology, planetary exploration, the Earth’s internal structure and atmosphere, climate, energy, and resources. For more information, follow the EGU on our social media.