Second Open Call: Apply Now for the July 2025 Next-IJ Cross-Border Investigative Training Program!
🔥 Missed our June session? Don’t worry – here’s your second chance to level up your investigative journalism skills!
The Next-IJ Cross-Border Investigative Training Program is now accepting applications for its July 2025 session. This full-day online intensive is designed to enhance your investigative reporting capabilities through practical, hands-on learning.
Deadline: 5 July, 2025.
Apply now via this registration form: https://form.jotform.com/251242589308359
Spots are limited, though if you're eligible but not selected for this round, you may be invited to join our next training session on Saturday, 20 September 2025.
What to Expect
📅 When: Friday, 18 July 2025
📌Where: Online
Led by expert investigative journalists and researchers from OCCRP and Transcrime–Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, the training will dive into:
Advanced tools and techniques for data-driven investigations
Cross-border collaboration strategies
Real-world case studies on financial crime, political corruption, and global trafficking
You’ll learn how to:
🔍 Follow the money
🕵️ Track assets across borders
🏢 Uncover hidden corporate ownership
📊 Navigate and analyse complex datasets using Aleph and DATACROS
⚖️ Handle data in a legal and ethical way
Whether you’re chasing complex financial trails or uncovering international corruption, this programme will sharpen your skills and expand your investigative toolkit.
Who Can Apply
We’re looking for mid-career professionals working in journalism (freelancers are encouraged to apply) who meet the following criteria:
Location: Applicants must be based in or professionally affiliated with a Creative Europe country (EU member states plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia, and Tunisia). Please note that the U.K., Switzerland, and Türkiye are NOT current members of Creative Europe.
Background: Applicants who have a strong background in investigative journalism, data journalism, and/or in-depth reporting. Participation in investigative projects will be considered a plus.
Inclusion: We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders and from underrepresented communities to foster a diverse and inclusive network.
Language Proficiency: Applicants should have a professional working proficiency in English.
Please note that journalism students are not eligible unless otherwise indicated in your application (i.e., an experienced journalist seeking a higher degree, etc.).
What You’ll Need to Apply
To apply, please submit:
A brief statement of interest (150-200 words)
Your CV
A description of the investigative topics or cross-border issues you are currently exploring or interested in (100-150 words)
1-3 writing samples or links to previously published works
What You’ll Gain
Advanced investigative training: Focused on the latest technologies and ethical considerations.
Mentorship: Guidance from OCCRP’s global network of editors and reporters.
Certification: An official OCCRP-issued certificate upon successful completion.
Networking: Access to a growing network of peers working on impactful stories.
A chance to attend an Investigathon in Milan: Selected participants will be eligible to attend an in-person Investigathon in Milan – more details to follow.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enhance your skills and collaborate with fellow investigative journalists!
About Next-IJ
Next-Level Data and Tools for Investigative Journalism (Next-IJ) is an EU-supported initiative designed to offer new, innovative training solutions for investigative reporting by equipping journalists with cutting-edge tools, advanced data analysis capabilities, and enhanced cross-border collaboration networks.
Next-IJ is organising three training sessions this year aimed at empowering European journalists, newsrooms, and media outlets with a combination of advanced tools (including artificial intelligence), data, training, legal and ethical guidance, and hands-on investigation opportunities to uncover and investigate corruption and organised and financial crime in multilateral cooperation and partnerships.
Partners
Next-Level Data and Tools for Investigative Journalism (Next-IJ) is led by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (UCSC) – through the Joint Research Centre on Innovation and Crime (Transcrime) and the School of Journalism – and the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD). The initiative is supported by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EECEA) of the European Commission.
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