Twelve American journalists have been chosen to spend a year at Harvard as Neiman scholars, the University announced yesterday.

The group was selected from a pool of more than 120 applicants by a committee composed of Harvard scholars, outside journalists and Neiman Fellowships Curator Bill Kovach.

The fellowship, established in 1938 through the bequest of Agnes Wahl Nieman, provides journalists with a year of study in any part of the University and a $25,000 stipend.

"They get to take a lot of classes that they may have missed and they strengthen themselves in other areas like economics or foreign policy," Kovach said.

The 12 selected were Deborah Amos, 40, London-based correspondent for National Public Radio; Marcus W. Brauchli, 29, Tokyo correspondent for The Wall Street Journal; George deLama, 34, Washington-based chief diplomatic correspondent for the Chicago Tribune; and Seth Effrom, 38, state capital correspondent for the Greensboro News & Record.

Other fellows include Stan Grossfeld, 39, associate editor of The Boston Globe; Elizabeth Leland, 36, reporter for The Charlotte Observer; Melissa Ludtke, 39, Boston-based correspondent for Time-Life News Service; and Marilyn Milloy, 34, Atlanta bureau chief for Newsday.

Also in the Nieman program next year: Michael E. Ruane, 42, reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer; Mark Seibel, 37, foreign editor of The Miami Herald; Tom Witosky, 39, sports projects reporter for The Des Moines Register; and Nancy Wright, 37, political reporter for the Rutland, Vt., Herald and The Times Argus.

Foreign journalists receiving fellowships will be named May 21.