The Gate, an undergraduate publication at the University of Chicago that covers politics and policy, announced a new grant last Friday. The winner of the annual David Axelrod Journalism Grant will receive up to $1,000 from the Institute of Politics (IOP) to be directed toward a summer reporting project.

To be eligible for the grant, applicants must have published at least one article in The Gate within the past 12 months. The application includes a form, résumé, project proposal, trip agenda, and budget. Applicants may apply on their own or in teams of two.

Axelrod, a graduate of the College, is the founder and director of the IOP. The extracurricular, nonpartisan institute carries out Axelrod’s desire to inspire students to pursue careers in political and public services. Axelrod was chief adviser to President Obama’s campaign and previously worked at the Chicago Tribune as a political columnist and the City Hall Bureau Chief.

According to Patrick Reilly, one of the editors-in-chief, The Gate established the grant in hopes of motivating its writers to identify stories that would encourage in-depth local reporting.

“In our first three years of operation, most of our best stories resulted from writers conducting thorough, on-the-ground investigations,” Reilly said. “We wanted to give more writers the opportunity to conduct this type of reporting.”