Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships

Scholarship Sponsored by Poetry Foundation

Overview
The Poetry Foundation grants five Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships each year. These awards—among the largest for emerging poets in the United States—provide $27,000 to support outstanding U.S. poets who are between 21 and 31 years old.

History
The fellowships were founded in 1989 by Indianapolis philanthropist Ruth Lilly and were enlarged in 2013 through a gift from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund.

Eligibility
- Applicants must be between the ages of 21 and 31 in 2026. If you turn 21 or are 31 at any time in 2026, you are eligible to apply.
- Applicants must be U.S. citizens or currently living in the United States.
- Applicants should be able to show a demonstrated commitment to the craft of poetry.
- For the 2026 awards, the Poetry Foundation is particularly interested in supporting poets who have not received substantial institutional backing to date.

How to apply
- All applications must be submitted via the Poetry Foundation’s Grants and Awards Online Portal. Begin by completing the initial registration form; registrations are normally approved within 3–5 business days.
- If you created an account after 2022, do not register again. Your username is your email address and you may request a new password if needed.
- Once your registration is approved, you will upload a single PDF containing 10 pages of poetry and answer questions about your creative practice.
- Alternative submission formats are available (for example: audio, video, or an interview with transcription). To arrange an alternative format that meets your accessibility needs, contact grants@poetryfoundation.org or call 312-799-8072 by February 14, 2025.

Application timeline and important dates
Please note: registration requests will not be reviewed or approved during the holiday closure from December 19, 2025 through January 5, 2026.

- January 15 — Applications open
- February 11, 12:00–1:00 PM (CT) — Virtual information session (details below)
- February 20 — Deadline to request alternative application formats
- February 27 — Final day to submit application portal registration for first-time applicants
- March 2, 5:00 PM (CT) — Deadline to submit completed application
- All applicants will be notified by late‑July 2026

Virtual information session
A live information session will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 from 12:00–1:00 PM (CT) to walk through the application process and answer questions.

- ASL interpretation and CART captioning will be provided.
- The Zoom link will be sent by email on February 10 (the day before the session).
- A recording of the webinar will be posted to the grants webpage during the week of February 16.
- For questions or accessibility requests, email grants@poetryfoundation.org.