The Ford Foundation has donated $150,000 to support Nieman Fellowships for African and Middle Eastern journalists for the next three years, Nieman officials said yesterday.

The gift follows a previous three-year Ford grant earmarked for African journalists in the program, which brings mid-career journalists to live and study in the University community for one year. The Fellows audit classes and lead seminars.

One African and one Middle Eastern journalist per year will be supported by the grant, according to Neiman Curator Bill Kovach.

Kovach said the grant was a "very encouraging" gesture from the Ford Foundation. Kovach added that the grant is "important to the work done at [the Nieman Foundation]" and shows "very strong support for the third world [by the Ford Foundation]."

Each year, the program accepts approximately 12 U.S. and 12 international journalists whose work "suggests an impact on the future of journalism," Kovach said. The Nieman Foundation awards money only to American citizens, so foreign journalists must seek funding elsewhere, a Foundation spokesperson said.

The journalists are selected first and then the foundation tries to find the funds for these journalists, Kovach said.

Kovach said he considers this grant particularly important now because Middle Eastern and African journalists are under pressure to be more effective in the face of changes in their societies. Kovach said the fellowship would help these journalists "develop a more modern approach to journalism."