Frequently Asked Questions

We welcome working journalists from a variety of fields to become Poynter Fellows, including (but not limited to) traditional journalists, photographers, cinematographers, authors, and visual artists.

Current Yale faculty, students, and staff members are not eligible for the Poynter Fellowship. Faculty members, lecturers, and registered student groups are encouraged to nominate working journalists outside the Yale community.

The host/sponsoring department is responsible for booking all travel, setting up suppliers in the Supplier Gateway, issuing honorarium payments, reserving event space, arranging AV/catering, coordinating with Public Safety, etc.

Every Poynter visit is unique. The format and structure are determined collaboratively by the host and the fellow. Some fellows may come to campus for a single event, while others may participate in conferences or partake in multiple events over several days with various engagements. The range of Poynter events is purposefully diverse and can include public talks or lectures, classroom discussions, Head of College teas, meals with students, and other formats. 

We require all in-person events to take place either on campus or in New Haven. However, we understand that some fellows may not be able to travel to our location. In this situation, we encourage hosts to facilitate a virtual visit with students.

While most Poynter events are open to the public, this is not a requirement. Many hosts will choose to include intimate gatherings such as a classroom visit or meal with students, as part of the visit itinerary.

Yes, you may host multiple fellows for a conference or panel event. To streamline the proposal process, we ask that you include all relevant information for each fellow in one proposal for your conference/panel event.

You may submit multiple proposals for different events, but we typically approve one proposal per host until midway through the fall semester. At that point, we will review our budget and distribute any surplus funds.

We aim to offer a variety of programming during a student’s time at Yale, so we usually don’t invite a fellow more than once within a four-year period. However, if there is a compelling reason for a repeat visit, please note any special circumstances in your proposal.

The Poynter Fellowship typically provides a funding amount of $2,000 per event. However, large-scale, or multi-session events may be eligible for more support. Please include any additional funding requests in your proposal.

Yes, these requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Poynter Fellowship funding can be used at the host’s discretion for expenses related to hosting the fellow, such as honoraria, accommodations, meals, and transportation. All funding must go towards an expense that is directly related to hosting the fellow.

The host/sponsoring department is responsible for covering all costs associated with the visit upfront. Once the visit is complete, the Poynter Fellowship will reimburse the host department using the Chart of Accounts (COA) provided by the sponsoring department. Once the event concludes and your department has processed all expenses, please send the following to poynter@yale.edu:

• A copy of this email 
• A bulleted list of all charges and their business purposes
• All financial documentation (receipts, paid invoices, check requests, etc.)
• Your department’s COA for reimbursement

If expenses exceed the approved funding, the sponsoring department is responsible for covering additional costs. All reimbursement materials must be submitted within 30 days of the visit’s conclusion. The Poynter Fellowship reserves the right to return unused funds to the program if this deadline is not met. 

The Poynter team will manage several promotional activities to ensure your event receives appropriate visibility. For public events, these include listing the event on the Poynter website and Yale Calendar of Events, creating and distributing posters around campus, running ads in student publications, and featuring it in the Poynter Fellowship upcoming events email. 

In addition to the approved funding, the program will cover all publicity-related fees through these channels. 

To ensure your event has adequate time for promotion, hosts and sponsoring departments must submit the required event information here no later than 21 days before the event. Materials submitted fewer than 21 days in advance may not allow enough time for the creation of in-house promotional materials, including posters and digital graphics. Here is a list of promotional materials needed:

• Name
• Professional title
• Short bio
• Talk title
• Talk time
• Visit date(s)
• Sponsoring department
• Co-sponsor(s)
• Travel accommodations needed (airfare, train, etc.)
• High-resolution headshot or preferred image

We welcome proposals at any time. Please allow a minimum of ten business days for our team to review submissions. Proposals submitted less than ten business days before the event date might not receive approval.

Please send any questions to poynter@yale.edu.

We value your opinion and would greatly appreciate your feedback through a post-visit survey. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.