The Four ISTA Journalism Residents 2025

National Geographic, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Hindu, Cosmos, and Scientific American – these are some of the media they are writing for. Now, Clare Watson (Australia), Jackie Snow (USA) and Monika Mondal (India) join the ISTA campus community for several months as part of Institute’s own Journalist in Residence program. Giorgia Guglielmi (Italy/Switzerland) turns the triad into a quartet, in her case supported by FRONTIERS, the science journalism initiative funded by the European Research Council (ERC).

The Journalists in Residence 2025 at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), L-R: Jackie Snow, Clare Watson, Monika Mondal, Giorgia Guglielmi © ISTA

ISTA’s Journalist in Residence program supports high-quality, independent science journalism and fosters the dialogue between journalists and researchers to make scientific discoveries more accessible to the public. “Good science journalism – especially long-form – takes time. Time and resources are scarce in today’s fast-paced and competitive media landscape,” explains Martin Hetzer, President of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA). “The ISTA Journalist in Residence program provides science journalists with exactly that: independence, time and access to outstanding scientists. This year we had a record number of applications, and are thus very happy to host these four exceptional and award-winning science journalists from different continents.”

They have arrived at ISTA over the last few weeks and will spend between two and six months each on campus – three supported by ISTA’s own residency program and one by the ERC. In exchange, the residents share their expertise with the campus community – in the form of workshops, media trainings, and as panelists in an upcoming panel discussion on “Science Journalism around the Globe during Times of Disruption”, Wednesday, 14 May 2025. To add an Austrian angle to the discussion, Tanja Traxler, Austrian Science Journalist 2024, will join the discussion. This way, perspectives from at least five countries and four continents are represented.

Jackie Snow – Science journalist with strong AI focus from the US

Jackie Snow, who came to ISTA in March, is a Los Angeles-based journalist published by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, and others. While she has covered topics as far-ranging as data poisoning and concentrated solar-thermal power, much of her reporting focuses on artificial intelligence (Al) and how it can benefit the world. She will stay until mid-May.

“These two months are a rare opportunity to get behind the scenes of cutting-edge AI and machine learning research. I enjoy uncovering the stories that haven´t made the headlines yet and asking important questions about where this technology is really heading,” says Snow.

Monika Mondal – Rising star science journalist from India

Monika Mondal, an award-winning journalist from India, will be at ISTA for a 6-month residency until September. She has written about science, society, and the environment for publications like Undark, Nature, Wired, The Hindu. During her time at ISTA, Mondal will engage in conversations that dwell on the ‘impossibility’ of life and the ‘magic’ of nature.

“I love wandering around the beautiful ISTA campus, stumbling upon fascinating questions that people are exploring, reflecting and meditating on them, and simply being inspired to write more—and write better.”

Clare Watson – Independent journalist and fact-checker from Australia

Clare Watson arrived at ISTA in early May and will stay until July. Watson’s work has been featured in prestigious outlets such as The Guardian, Nature, New Scientist, ABC Radio National, Cosmos Magazine, Undark, ScienceAlert, and many others. During her residency at ISTA, she will aim to explore the physics and mathematics that underpin climate models and help explain natural and biological phenomena in ways we are only beginning to appreciate. 

Watson explains: “I’m excited to immerse myself in science again, as it’s unfolding. Before journalism, I worked as a research scientist in biomedical labs, and I’ve seen first-hand how that research impacts patients. At ISTA, I’m looking forward to also delving into the physical and earth sciences, to strengthen my reporting in these areas and find some untold stories.”

Giorgia Guglielmi – Scientist-became-journalist joins with EU support

Giorgia Guglielmi from Italy joins ISTA as a Journalist in Residence through FRONTIERS, the science journalism initiative funded by the European Research Council (ERC). Similar to the Institute’s own program, this ERC residency program supports journalists to immerse themselves in a research institution.

Guglielmi is a freelance science writer based in Basel, Switzerland, who specializes in life sciences, biomedicine, science policy, and the intersections of science and society. Her pieces have appeared in Nature, Science, Scientific American, and more. Guglielmi holds a PhD in biology from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and a Master’s in science writing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). While on campus, Guglielmi intends to explore how living systems—from developing embryos to animal colonies—self-organize to achieve structure and function.

“The FRONTIERS program offers a unique chance to step away from the news cycle and explore the kinds of stories that spark genuine curiosity about science,” Guglielmi says. “I’ll be staying until August and am looking forward to further engaging with the ISTA community and seeing where these next few months take me!”

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For more information visit the page about the ISTA Journalism Residency Program, and subscribe to the newsletters to receive updates on the next call. Also let us know if you are a journalist and would like to be added to our media distribution list.