Nandhini Srinivasan has been awarded the 2026 Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship in Investigative Journalism.
The nine-month fellowship is presented as part of a partnership between Reuters, Durham University and Tina Brown CBE, award-winning journalist and widow of acclaimed newspaper editor Sir Harry Evans.
It places early career reporters in a Reuters newsroom to pursue a high-impact investigative project, supported by our experts and resources.
Sir Harry, a Durham alumnus, is well-known for his successful ten-year campaign to win compensation for the victims of the thalidomide drug whilst editor at the Sunday Times.
He also campaigned to introduce free cervical smear tests for women while at the helm of The Northern Echo.
Nandhini is a graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, with a specialisation in investigative journalism at the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism.
At Columbia she reported on the poor conditions of public housing and the legal challenges facings its residents, as well as the pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
Upon earning her journalism degree, she was an investigative reporting fellow at the Tributary in Jacksonville, Florida, where she covered education politics in the state.
Nandhini also compiled public data to report on state legislator Vicki Lopez’s involvement in legalising school bus cameras in Florida, a move that financially benefited a company that had just hired her son in a senior executive position.
Working jointly with The Miami Herald, she produced a follow-up investigation on the same company’s school bus camera program in Miami, which was erroneously fining drivers.
The coverage led to the programme being scrapped in Miami-Dade county and the local school board investigating how the contract was put in place.
Nandhini previously worked at Reuters in Bangalore as a US headline news correspondent, before leaving to attend Columbia.
Nandhini was chosen out of 850 applicants to be the 2026 Sir Harry Evans Global Fellow and will take up her role in the new year.
Nandhini said: “This fellowship is an extraordinary opportunity to expand my investigative skills and pursue evidence-driven reporting with real-world impact.
“I'm grateful to Reuters, Durham University and Tina Brown for their support.”
Steve Stecklow, a Reuters investigative reporter and chair of the Fellowship Committee judging panel, said: "Nandhini's reporting already shows rigor, persistence and a clear eye for public interest stories.
“We're excited to help her sharpen those skills inside a Reuters newsroom.”
Tina Brown added: "Harry championed reporters who dig for truth with moral courage.
“Nandhini's work exemplifies that spirit, and I'm thrilled to see what she will uncover during this fellowship."
Nandhini will receive mentorship and access to resources at our Institute of Advanced Study, which hosts projects and international fellows working across academic disciplines.
Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen O'Brien, said: "Nandhini brings the fearless enquiry and commitment to truth-telling that this fellowship celebrates.
“We look forward to welcoming her to Durham and supporting her investigative project.”
The Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship in Investigative Journalism is part of a programme honouring Sir Harry Evans, primarily supported by David Thomson, Chairman of Thomson Reuters, Reuters News, Durham University and Tina Brown.
Sir Harry was an undergraduate at our University College and went on to enjoy an acclaimed 70-year career in investigative journalism and publishing.
He gained international recognition for his fearless campaigning, and in 2002 he was voted the Greatest British Newspaper Editor of all time by his media peers.
Sir Harry also authored fifteen books, including his celebrated memoir My Paper Chase, and was editor-at-large for Reuters in the US from 2011 until his death in 2020 aged 92.
In May of this year, Reuters, Tina Brown and Durham University hosted the third annual Truth Tellers Summit, which honours Harry's legacy and brought together leading editors, broadcasters and reporters from across the globe.
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