Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships

Scholarship Sponsored by Poetry Foundation

The Poetry Foundation awards five Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships annually. Among the largest awards offered to young poets in the US, the $27,000 prize is intended to support exceptional US poets between 21 and 31 years of age.

The fellowships were established in 1989 by the Indianapolis philanthropist Ruth Lilly and expanded in 2013 with a gift from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund.

Application Process and Timeline

Requirements

• Applicants must be at least 21 years of age and no older than 31 years of age as of April 30, 2024.
• Applicants should be able to demonstrate a commitment to poetry.
• Applicants must be US citizens or currently reside in the US.

Important Dates

• March 4 - Applications open.
• March 22 - Virtual Information Session
• April 1 - Deadline to request alternative application formats.
• More details below.
• April 8 - Cutoff to register for the online portal.
• Allow adequate time to complete your application.
• April 15, 5PM (CT) - Applications due.
• All applicants will be notified by mid-August 2024.

How to Apply

Starting in 2023, all applicants will need to register and apply through the Poetry Foundation’s new Grants and Awards Online Portal. To access the portal, applicants must submit an initial registration form. Registrations will be approved within 3-5 business days.

After approval, applicants will be required to upload 10 pages of poetry as a single PDF and answer questions regarding their creative practices.