The National Geographic Society will support a three-year initiative to identify and support new and leading global storytellers to advance the understanding of deep and perplexing questions facing humankind and our planet.
The Society will invite storytellers to create stories that address Big Questions in a variety of media – such as film, video, digital, photography, journalism, podcast, exhibition – across diverse platforms and distribution sources.
The project will solicit proposals that tell stories around three topics over the three year life of the proposed grant, currently referred to as “The Big Questions,” mutually agreed upon by JTF and NGS. The Big Questions will address:
1. What does it mean to be human?
2. What are the boundaries of the Earth and the limits to what we can understand?
3. What is the relationship between the human and natural worlds?
Beyond promoting thought provoking storytelling leading to engagement and action, this project will seek to provide exposure to specific storytellers, elevate public discussion around vitally important issues, and move beyond the challenges, sensationalism, divisiveness, and tribalism in modern discourse. All grants will be considered with a strong awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion, to assure that we represent a broad variety of voices and perspectives in the body of work created.
National Geographic envisions funding ranging from entry-level funding, to mid-level awards, to ambitious, multi-million dollar projects. Grants at all three levels play critical roles in the National Geographic grants ecosystem.
