How your support for the EJC is used in practice: IJ4EU and the Journalism Science Alliance

That is why the European Journalism Centre supports investigative reporting through two dedicated programmes: Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) and the Journalism Science Alliance. 

The work requires more than funding individual stories. It depends on sustained support structures that enable collaboration, specialist expertise and journalist safety over time. Both programmes are only partially funded through European Union programmes, which means continued co-funding is crucial to maintain the support infrastructure we create, enabling cross-border collaborations and their impact.

IJ4EU and the Journalism Science Alliance are two current examples that show how this support is used in practice.

What these programmes support in practice

Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) focuses on strengthening the watchdog role of investigative journalism in Europe. Through the Freelancer Support Scheme, managed by the EJC, it supports investigations led primarily by freelance journalists.

Over recent years, the Freelancer Support Scheme has allocated more than €1 million to freelance teams across Europe, supporting investigations into issues such as human rights violations, migration, environmental crime and corruption. 

These investigations often involve teams working across several countries and combining different forms of expertise, including field reporting, data analysis, legal research and specialist knowledge. The programme provides funding, coordination and mentoring that allow these teams to work across borders and publish in multiple languages.

The next round of the IJ4EU Freelancer Support scheme will open in January 2026.

The Journalism & Science Alliance (JSA) is designed to support investigative journalism grounded in scientific evidence. The programme stimulates the production of local, regional and transnational investigations co-created by media organisations and scientific institutions.

Over the course of two years, the Journalism Science Alliance will distribute €2 million in grants to projects that explore the intersection of watchdog journalism and scientific expertise, producing journalism that informs public debate and strengthens accountability. The first round of 24 supported projects began in November 2025 and will run for eight months.

The next round of the Journalism Science Alliance is scheduled to take place in early 2026.

Your support matters for these programmes

Both IJ4EU and the Journalism Science Alliance are supported through the European Union’s Creative Europe programme, which covers most, but not all, of the costs involved in delivering them responsibly.

While this article focuses on IJ4EU and the Journalism Science Alliance, the same principles apply across the EJC’s wider work to support journalists through training, funding, mentoring and networking.

What your support helps enable

Support for the EJC directly helps the core elements of these programmes, including:

• cross-border collaboration between journalists
• access to mentoring and specialist expertise
• fair and transparent grant processes
• responsible coordination of complex investigations
• continuity that allows knowledge and networks to grow over time
  

IJ4EU and the Journalism Science Alliance show what investigative journalism can achieve when the right structures are in place. These elements are what turn funding into impact, and continued support helps ensure that this impact can be sustained over time, and you can be part of that journey.

Hero image by Hanna Jarzabek: The Jungle, a project supported by IJ4EU.