Creative Writing Fellowships Poetry NOFO

Literature Fellowships: Poetry, FY2023

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These guidelines replace the FY 2022 Literature Fellowships guidelines for Prose.

Literature Fellowships:
Poetry, FY 2023

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
APPLICATION GUIDELINES

December 2021
CFDA No. 45.024

OMB No. 3135-0112 Expires TBD

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Program Description
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Literature Fellowships program offers
$25,000 grants in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction) and poetry to published
creative writers that enable recipients to set aside time for writing, research, travel, and
general career advancement. Applications are reviewed through an anonymous process
in which the criteria for review are the artistic excellence and artistic merit of the
submitted writing sample. Through this program, the NEA seeks to sustain and nurture
a diverse range of creative writers at various stages of their careers and to continue to
expand the portfolio of American art.
The NEA is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, and fostering
mutual support for the diverse beliefs and values of all individuals and groups.
The program operates on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose and poetry
available in alternating years. For FY 2023, which is covered by these guidelines,
fellowships in poetry are available. Fellowships in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction)
will be offered in FY 2024 and guidelines will be available in January 2023. You may
apply only once each year.
Competition for fellowships is extremely rigorous. We typically receive more than 1,600
applications each year in this category and award fellowships to fewer than 3% of
applicants.

We Do Not Fund
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Individuals who previously have received two or more Literature Fellowships (in
poetry or prose) or Translation Fellowships from the National Endowment for the
Arts.
Individuals who have received any Literature Fellowship (in poetry or prose) or
Translation Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts on or after January
1, 2014.
News reporting.
Scholarly writing. (Writers who are engaged in scholarly work may wish to contact
the National Endowment for the Humanities.)
Work toward academic degrees.

Deadline and Announcement Dates
Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov, the federal
government’s online application system. The Grants.gov system must receive your
validated and accepted application no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on March
10, 2022. Late applications are not accepted.

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Expect notification of awards and rejections no sooner than December 2022. Our
support of a project may begin any time between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024,
and extend for up to two years.

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Application Calendar
Category

Application
Deadline

Literature
Fellowships: Poetry

March 10, 2022

Earliest
Announcement of
Grant Award or
Rejection
December 2022

Earliest Start Date
for NEA Period of
Performance
January 1, 2023

Applicants are required to use Grants.gov. See "How Apply” for further information.
Late applications will not be accepted.
In the event of a major emergency (e.g., a hurricane or a SAM, Grants.gov or NEA
systems technological failure), the National Endowment for the Arts Chairman may
adjust application deadlines for affected applicants. If a deadline is extended for any
reason, an announcement will be posted on our website.
Do not seek information on the status of your application before the announcement date
that is listed above.
If you have questions:
Email:

LitFellowships@arts.gov

Call:

202-682-5034

Contact the Office of Accessibility at 202-682-5532 / accessibility@arts.gov or the Office
of Civil Rights at civilrights@arts.gov to request an accommodation or an alternate
format of the guidelines.Click here for information on waivers.

Literature Fellowships: Poetry, FY2023

Award Information
Grant Amount
Fellowships are for $25,000.

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Eligibility
You are eligible to apply in Poetry if you:
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Are a Citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States.
Have not received two or more Fellowships (in poetry, prose, or translation) from
the National Endowment for the Arts.
Have not received any National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship (in
poetry or prose) or Translation Fellowship on or after January 1, 2014 (FY 2014).
Have had published, between January 1, 2015, and March 10, 2022:
o A Volume of 48 or more pages of poetry; or
o 20 or more individual poems or pages of poetry that appear in at least five
literary journals, anthologies, or publications which regularly include poetry
as a portion of their format. Up to 16 pages of poetry may be from a single
volume of poetry that is fewer than 48 pages (e.g. a chapbook). This
volume may count as only one of the required five places of publication.
For online publications, a page of poetry is considered to be 20 lines or
less.
o Work must have been published for the first time time between these
dates, not only reprinted or reissued in another format during this period,
and by a publisher that has a competitive selection and stated editorial
policy, and that offers marketing, distribution, and professional editing.
o You may use digital, audio, or online publications to establish eligibility,
provided that the publisher has a competitive selection process and stated
editorial policy. If the online publication or website no longer exists, you
must provide, upon request, sufficient evidence that your work once
appeared online. If sufficient evidence cannot be provided, the online
publication will not be eligible.

The following may not be used to establish eligibility:
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Pre-publication material, such as galleys, proofs, and advance reader's copies.
Work that has appeared in a publication for which you are the editor, publisher, or
staff.
Collaborative work.
Scholarly writing.
Instructional writing.
News reporting.
Book reviews.
Editorials/letters to the editor.
Interviews.
Student-led publications and publications that primarily print work by persons who
are affiliated with a particular academic institution.

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Any publication by presses that: do not have a stated marketing and distribution
policy; publish work without competitive selection or a stated editorial policy; or
publish work without professional editing.

See "How to Apply" for the documentation required to demonstrate eligibility.
IMPORTANT: Your application will not be eligible if incorrect or insufficient publication
information is provided. Ineligible applications will be rejected without panel review.

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How to Apply
Application Deadline: March 10, 2022
We strongly recommend that you submit your application early to give yourself ample
time to resolve any problems you might encounter. You take a significant risk by waiting
until the day of the deadline to submit. Late applications will not be accepted.
These application guidelines provide all of the information that you need to submit an
application. Read these instructions in their entirety before you begin the application
process and keep these instructions open while you complete your application as they
contain links to information you will need.
The Grants.gov system must receive your validated and accepted application no later
than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on March 10, 2022.
Electronic application through Grants.gov is mandatory.The Grants.gov Contact Center
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for technical support at 800-518-4726 or
support@grants.gov.
If you are unable to submit your application electronically, you may request a waiver. A
waiver will be granted for the following reasons only:
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Internet access is not available within a 30-mile radius of your address.
Disability prevents you from submitting your application electronically.

Your waiver request must be in writing and must be received at the National
Endowment for the Arts at least three weeks before the application deadline. Click here
for more information on waivers.
WAIVER POP UP BOX:

Requesting a waiver: Literature Fellowships
If you are unable to submit your application electronically, you may request a waiver. A
waiver will be granted for the following reasons only:
•
•

Internet access is not available within a 30-mile radius of your address.
Disability prevents you from submitting your application electronically.

Contact the Literary Arts staff at 202-682-5034 or by email at litfellowships@arts.gov for
more information on how to submit your waiver request. Waiver requests must be in

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writing and must be received at the NEA at least three weeks before the application
deadline, or no later than 5:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on February 16, 2022.
Individuals who need assistance accessing this document may contact the Office of
Accessibility at Accessibility@arts.gov or call 202-682-5532 or the Office of Civil Rights
at CivilRights@arts.gov or 202-682-5454

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Prepare and Submit Your Application:
Step 1: Register with Grants.gov
Step 2: Go to the grant opportunity package
Step 3: Follow the application instructions
Step 4: Submit your electronic application
Step 1: Register with Grants.gov
Before submitting an application to the NEA, you must register or renew your
registration with Grants.gov. Registration with Grants.gov is a one-time process, which
can take several days to complete. To allow time to resolve any issues that may arise,
be sure not to wait until the day of the application deadline to register. You will not be
able to submit your application if you don’t successfully register with Grants.gov or
update/maintain your existing registration
To register with Grants.gov:
• Click: Register and click the red button that says “Get Registered Now” at the
bottom of the screen.
• Next, fill out the contact information, choose a Username and Password, and
then click “Continue” at the bottom of the screen.
• Grants.gov will email you a temporary code to verify your email address. Enter
this code where instructed on the Registration page
• Select “Add Individual Applicant Profile” to apply for funding opportunities on your
own behalf.
• See here for additional information on creating an individual profile.
If you have problems with registration, contact Grants.gov at 1-800-518-4726, email
support@grants.gov, or consult the information posted on the Grants.gov website at
Support. The Grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Maintain documentation (e.g., screenshots with dates, emails with Grants.gov Support,
etc.) of your efforts to register before the deadline.
Step 2: Go to the Grant Opportunity Package
Access the application package on Grants.gov by clicking on the link below.
GO TO GRANT OPPORTUNITY PACKAGE
[Funding Opportunity Number: 2022NEA03LFCW]

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1. Clicking the link above will take you directly to the pre-populated application
package in Grants.gov.
2. The Grants.gov “View Grant Opportunity” screen will open, click the red “Apply”
button.
3. You will be prompted to enter your Grants.gov Username and Password.
4. After logging in, to create a Workspace application:
a. Fill in the Application Filing Name field with your legal name, then
b. Click the Create Workspace button.
5. Upon a successful creation, you will be directed to the Manage Workspace page,
where you can begin working on the application.
6. You can access each required form online by clicking “Webform” OR you can
download the forms to your computer by clicking “Download”.
If you decide to download the forms, you will first need to verify your PDF
software. To download the forms, you must have a version of Adobe Reader that
is supported by Grants.gov installed on your computer. Go to "Adobe Software
Tip Sheet" to see the compatible versions of Adobe Reader or to download and
install Adobe Reader. See important information about versions of Adobe Reader
DC here.
The required forms are:
• Application for Federal Domestic Assistance - Individual Form
• Attachments Form

Step 3: Follow the Application Instructions
Prepare your application materials for Grants.gov. Detailed instructions can be found
here: LINK TO PDF
Step 4: Submit Your Electronic Application to Grants.gov
Electronically submit the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance – Individual Form
and required attachments through Grants.gov.
1. Check the size of your electronic application. The total size must not exceed 10
MB.

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2. To begin the submission process, log on to Grants.gov and go to the Forms tab
on the Manage My Workspace page. Click the “Sign and Submit” button, under
the Forms tab.
Be certain that you are satisfied with your application before you click this
button. No revisions to your application will be possible through
Grants.gov once it is submitted. After submission, the only way to update
items in your application is to create a new application by repeating steps 2-4.
The NEA will only review your most recently submitted application.
3. Once you complete and submit your application, you will see a confirmation
screen explaining that your submission is being processed. Take a screenshot
of this confirmation screen and save it for your records. Retain the
Grants.gov Tracking Number that you receive in the application submission
confirmation screen.
4. Verify that your application was validated by the Grants.gov system.Go to Track
My Application to track the validation and progress of your application
submission through Grants.gov. After we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, you will be able to log in to Grants.gov to receive your Agency
Tracking Number (this will be the National Endowment for the Arts-assigned
application number).
Notice: Acceptance and validation by Grants.gov does not guarantee that the
applicant has uploaded the proper attachments. Before submitting your application,
double check that you have correctly formatted and attached the required
documents as described in the Application Instructions [LINK].
IMPORTANT: Your application will receive an automatic rejection without panel review
if:
• One or more required forms or attachments are missing.
• Your writing sample does not meet the minimum page requirement of 7 pages.
• Your name or other identifying information appears in your writing sample.
• Incorrect or insufficient publication information is provided in your Publications
attachment.
• You have already received two or more fellowships from the NEA.
• You have received any National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship (in
poetry or prose) or Translation Fellowship on or after January 1, 2014 (FY 2014).
• You are not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
• You must not have an exclusion record in SAM.gov that excludes you from
receiving federal financial assistance. Exclusions are also referred to as
suspensions and debarments. Awards cannot be issued to an excluded
individual. See here: https://sam.gov/content/exclusions, to search the SAM
Exclusions database.

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For additional help on how to use Grants.gov, see the Grants.gov website at Support.
You also can send email to the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or
call them at 1-800-518-4726, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For specific help on how to complete your application, review the instructions in these
guidelines. For help on all other issues, email LitFellowships@arts.gov.

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Application Review
Review Criteria
In reviewing applications for Literature Fellowships, advisory panelists consider solely
the artistic excellence and artistic merit of the work that is submitted. The identity of
the applicant is not known to the panelists.

What Happens to Your Application
Applications are evaluated through an anonymous process according to the review
criteria above.
After processing by our staff to determine eligibility and completeness, applications are
reviewed, in closed session, by advisory panelists in the literary arts field. Each panel is
composedd of arts experts and at least one knowledgeable layperson. To review the
applications, the National Endowment for the Arts assembles a different advisory panel
every year, each diverse with regard to geography, race and ethnicity, sex/gender, and
artistic points of view. Panel recommendations are forwarded to the National Council on
the Arts, which then makes recommendations to the Chairman of the National
Endowment for the Arts. The Chairman reviews the Council’s recommendations and
makes the final decision on all grant awards. Applicants are then notified of funding
decisions.

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Award Administration
Award Notices
Grant decisions for the Literature Fellowships: Poetry category are expected to be
announced no sooner than December 2022.

Final Reporting
Before a grant is awarded, applicants must have submitted acceptable Final Report
packages by the due date(s) for all NEA grant(s) previously received.

General Terms & Conditions
Federal and agency requirements that relate to grants awarded by the National
Endowment for the Arts are highlighted in our General Terms & Conditions. Included is
information on reporting requirements and lobbying prohibitions.

Banking Information & Tax Liability
In order to receive fellowship grant funds, grantees must provide the NEA with banking
information for a United States bank only.
The Internal Revenue Code provides that the full amount of a fellowship grant is taxable
to its recipient. If you have any questions about your own income tax liability, you should
contact the Internal Revenue Service or your tax counsel.

Legal Requirements:
NOTE: This list highlights some of the significant legal requirements that may
apply to a fellowship applicant or grant recipient; however, it is not exhaustive.
More information regarding these and other legal requirements may be found in
our General Terms & Conditions. There may be other applicable legal
requirements that are not listed here.
1. Compliance with the federal requirements that are outlined in the
"Assurance of Compliance" below.
2. Debarment and Suspension procedures. The applicant must comply with
requirements set forth in Subpart C of 2 CFR 180, as adopted by the National
Endowment for the Arts in 2 CFR Part 3254. Failure to comply may result in the
debarment or suspension of the grantee and the National Endowment for the
Arts suspending, terminating and/or recovering funds.
3. Federal Debt Status (OMB Circular A-129). Processing of applications will be
suspended when applicants are delinquent on federal tax or non-tax debts,

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including judgment liens against property for a debt to the federal government.
An organization's debt status is displayed in the System for Award Management
(SAM). New awards will not be made if an applicant is still in debt status as of
September 1.
4. Labor Standards (29 CFR Part 505). If a grant is awarded, the grantee must
comply with the standards set out in Labor Standards on Projects or Productions
Assisted by Grants from the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities.
5. The Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 (41 U.S.C. 8101 et seq. and 2 CFR Part
3256). The grantee is required to publish a statement regarding its drug-free
workplace program as well as comply with other requirements.

Assurance of Compliance
By signing and submitting its application form on Grants.gov, the Applicant
certifies that it is in compliance with the statutes outlined below and all related
National Endowment for the Arts regulations and will maintain records and
submit the reports that are necessary to determine compliance.
We may conduct a review to ensure compliance with these statutes. If the NEA
determines that a grantee has failed to comply with these statutes, it may suspend or
terminate the award, and/or recover funds. This assurance is subject to judicial
enforcement.
The Applicant certifies that it does not discriminate:
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On the grounds of race, color, or national origin, in accordance with Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.),
implemented by the National Endowment for the Arts at 45 CFR 1110.

•

Solely on the grounds of disability, in accordance with Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), implemented by the National
Endowment for the Arts at 45 CFR 1151, and the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), as amended, (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).

•

On the basis of age, in accordance with the Age Discrimination Act of 1975
(42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.) implemented by the National Endowment for the Arts
at 45 CFR 1156.

•

On the basis of sex, in any education program or activity, in accordance with
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.).

Applicant will inform the public that persons who believe they have been discriminated
against on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, or age may file a
complaint with the Director of Civil Rights at the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Applicant will forward all complaints for investigation and any finding issued by a
Federal or state court or by a Federal or state administrative agency to:
Director, Office of Civil Rights
National Endowment for the Arts
400 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20506
Applicant shall maintain records of its compliance and submission for three (3) years.
The Applicant will compile, maintain and permit access to records as required by
applicable regulations, guidelines or other directives.
The Applicant must also certify that it will obtain assurances of compliance from all
subrecipients and will require all subrecipients of National Endowment for the Arts funds
to comply with these requirements.
The United States has the right to seek judicial or administrative enforcement of this
assurance.
For further information and copies of the nondiscrimination regulations identified above,
contact the Office of Civil Rights at 202-682-5454 or civilrights@arts.gov. For inquiries
about limited English proficiency, go to http://www.lep.gov, the FOIA Reading Room, or
contact the Office of Civil Rights at civilrights@arts.gov or 202-682-5454.

Privacy Act
The following notice is furnished in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C.
552a.
This information is solicited under the authority of the National Foundation on the Arts
and the Humanities Act, 20 U.S.C. 951 et seq. and is primarily used for the purpose of
application review. Personal data, such as home address or personal cell phone
number may not be released, either in entirety or in part, as exempt from disclosure
under FOIA exemption (b)(6). Failure to provide the requested information could result
in rejection of your application.

Standards for Service
The National Endowment for the Arts has set the following standards for serving
applicants. We pledge to:
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Treat you with courtesy and efficiency.
Respond to inquiries and correspondence promptly.
Provide clear and accurate information about our policies and procedures.

Literature Fellowships: Poetry, FY2023
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Provide timely information about funding opportunities and make guidelines
available promptly.
Promptly acknowledge the receipt of your application.
Ensure that all eligible applications are reviewed thoughtfully and fairly.

We welcome your comments on how we are meeting these standards. Email:
webmgr@arts.gov, attention: Standards for Service.
For questions about these guidelines or your application, contact the Literary Arts staff
at 202-682-5034 or LitFellowships@arts.gov.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at an average
of 12 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. We welcome any suggestions that you might
have on improving the guidelines and making them as easy to use as possible. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: webmgr@arts.gov,
attention: Reporting Burden. Note: Applicants are not required to respond to the
collection of information unless it displays a currently valid U.S. Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) control number.
OMB No. 3135-0112 Expires TBD

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NEED HELP?
We have fielded many questions over the years and trust that we can help you
troubleshoot any problems you encounter. We are at your service.
Browse the answers in the FAQ before you contact our staff.
Also, determine if your question is best addressed to the National Endowment for the
Arts or Grants.gov. Grants.gov is a government-wide application portal; it is a separate
entity from the National Endowment for the Arts. Though we include some tips here on
navigating Grants.gov, most questions about registration and uploading your application
should be directed to Grants.gov.
Contact Grants.gov for help with:
• Registration problems
• Your registration status
• Verifying and/or updating your registration information
• Technology-related problems including:
o Web browser issues
o Questions about Adobe Reader
o Problems uploading your application to Grants.gov
The Grants.gov Contact Center is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at
1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. The website is www.grants.gov.
Contact the National Endowment for the Arts for help with:
• Eligibility questions
• Specific components of your application
• The poetry fellowship guidelines
If, after looking over our guidelines and the answers in this section, you'd still like to
speak to a staff member, call our Literature Fellowships Hotline at 202-682-5034 or
email us at LitFellowships@arts.gov.

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FAQs
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APPLICATION
PACKAGE
How do I access the required forms for my application?
Once you have created a Workspace, you will see both required forms listed (the
Application for Federal Domestic Assistance (Individual) and the Attachments Form).
For instructions on how to create a Workspace, click here or watch this video.
You can either fill out the required forms online by using the Webforms or you can
download them to your computer, fill them out, and upload them to your Workspace.
To fill these forms out online, click the button that says “Webform.” Be sure to hit the
“save” button at the bottom of each form once it is completed. If you choose to
download the forms, be sure your version of Adobe Reader is compatible with the
Grants.gov system. You can find a list of supported versions of Adobe Reader here, or
contact Grants.gov directly to check if your version is compatible. You can also try using
the Webforms, which allow you to complete the forms online without downloading and
do not require you to have Adobe Reader.
Which internet browser should I use to file my application?
According to Grants.gov, Internet Explorer is the recommended browser. However,
we've found that other browsers will work, too. Mac users who have download and/or
upload issues should try using Google Chrome or Firefox. Whichever you use, be sure
to use the latest version of your preferred browser. If you have trouble downloading the
application forms, try using a different browser or try using the Webforms instead. If you
are still having trouble accessing the forms, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1800-518-4726.
Why can't I find the attachments on your website?
You'll only find the attachments form on Grants.gov once you’ve created your
Workspace. Although the attachments form has 15 attachment buttons, you will submit
only two attachments with your application:
1. Your Writing Sample
2. Your Publications
You can create these attachments using any word processing software.
The information I typed into my attachments form disappeared. How do I avoid
this?
If you are accessing the attachments form as a Webform, be sure to click the “save”
button at the bottom of the screen before closing the form. If you are downloading the
attachments form, be sure to save it, and all your attachments, directly on your

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computer. Once you have downloaded the attachments form, you will work on your
application offline and will only access the Internet to submit your completed application.
How do I upload my writing sample using the attachment form?
It's similar to attaching a document to an email. On the attachments form, click the “Add
Attachment” button and select the correct file from your computer. [Reminder: you're
the only one who can ensure that your application is complete.]
The character limit for the project description box on the Application for Federal
Assistance form doesn't give a lot of room to describe my project. Can I add more
information elsewhere?
That's not necessary. If you've reached the character limit for this box, you've written too
much. This information is for staff use only to ensure that you would use your fellowship
to support your writing; the review panel will not see it (the panelists will only see your
writing sample). Your application will be judged only on your writing sample, so we
suggest spending more time on that portion of your application and less time on crafting
your project description.
How do I determine start and end dates?
The start and end dates refer to the official beginning and ending dates of the
fellowship. If selected for a fellowship, the NEA will only award funds within these dates,
even though some aspects of your project may take place before or after this time, and
you will only be able to receive award funds within these dates.
Can I submit my resume in addition to my other forms?
No. The only part of the application that the review panel will see is your writing sample.
The panel will not know your age, gender, race or ethnicity, education level, or whether
you are an established or emerging writer.
How do I determine my congressional district? What if I'm an American living
abroad?
Visit the House of Representatives website at www.house.gov and use the "Find Your
Representative" tool. If the address on your application is outside the United States,
enter 00-000 for your Congressional District.
My postal code is in red after I type it. Does this mean there's a problem?
Yes. The form requires your Zip+4. If you do not know your full zip code, you may look it
up at https://tools.usps.com/zip-code-lookup.htm.
What happens if my name appears on or in my writing sample material?
Your application will be ineligible for further consideration and will not be reviewed by
the panel. Double check to make sure neither your first nor last name is in the writing
sample material.
Will I be able to update my application after the deadline?

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No. No changes or additions to the application or writing sample will be accepted once
your application has been submitted. If you feel you've made an error on your
application and it is before the deadline, you may create and submit a new application
by following steps 2-4 of the Application Instructions [LINK]. The NEA will only review
your most recently submitted application.
How do I create a PDF?
The simplest way is to use the "Save As" option and choose "Save as a PDF" (or similar
wording) in your word processing software. You may also use a PDF conversion
program. To learn more, go to PDF Conversion Programs. LINK

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ELIGIBILITY
Should I list everything I've published to show I'm eligible just in case there's a
question?
No. If you can establish your eligibility with one book, just list that book. If you're unsure
if the book meets our eligibility requirements, list journal publications as well, but only as
many as you need to establish your eligibility. Our panelists will not see your
publications list.
I don't have all the information on all of my necessary publications to establish
eligibility. Is that a problem?
Yes. You must include the required information per our guidelines, including ISBN/ISSN
numbers for books and journals. We will check your Publications document as part of
the eligibility screening process. If the Literary Arts staff can't find one of the items on
your list, we'll contact you for proof of publication. If you can't provide that proof, that
publication will not count toward your eligibility.
My book will be released soon after the fellowship application deadline. Can I use
it to establish my eligibility?
No. In order to apply, you must meet the eligibility requirements by the deadline date.
Reader's advance copies, galleys, uncorrected proofs, and commitments for future
publication or production do not fulfill the requirements. We use the publisher's official
publication date to determine eligibility. Check with your publisher if you have questions
about this date. No exceptions are made to the eligibility requirements. If your book
will be published after the deadline, use other publications to establish your eligibility or
consider applying at a later date.
I'm a prose writer. Can I apply for a poetry fellowship?
If you can establish your eligibility with the required number of published poetry pieces,
yes. Many writers publish in various genres. Though the writing sample you submit for
review must be poetry, you will not be limited to writing in one genre should you receive
a fellowship.
Can the National Endowment for the Arts help me get my book published?

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No. The Fellowships Program is designed to help published creative writers set aside
time to write; there is no guarantee that it will lead to publication of a book. In order for
your writing sample to be reviewed by our panel, you must meet our eligibility
requirements.
I'm self-published. Am I eligible for a fellowship?
We do not accept as eligible any publication by presses that: do not have a stated
marketing and distribution policy; publish work without competitive selection or a stated
editorial policy; or publish work without professional editing. If you are unsure whether
or not your publication falls outside of these parameters, call the Literature Fellowships
Hotline 202-682-5034 for guidance.
I'm a blogger. Am I eligible for a fellowship?
In general, no. Personal blogs on individual websites may not be used to establish
eligibility. However, curated blogs may qualify. Contact the Literature Fellowships
Hotline if you feel your blog fits into this category.
Do I have to submit my application in English?
An application must be submitted in English, but the writing sample may be in a
language other than English, as long as it is accompanied by an English translation,
though the translation need not be done by the applicant. If you wish to submit your
writing sample in a language other than English, contact the Literature Fellowships
Hotline at least 10 days prior to the deadline for more guidance.

OTHER QUESTIONS
How will my application be evaluated?
Poetry applications are reviewed through an anonymous process by an advisory panel
of writers that recommends awards based on the artistic excellence and artistic merit of
the submitted writing sample. The National Endowment for the Arts assembles a
different advisory panel every year, each diverse with regard to geography, race and
ethnicity, gender, and artistic points of view.
Will you accept joint applications?
No. Fellowships are individual grants.
I'm on faculty at a university. May the fellowship go directly to my university so
that I may buy time off from teaching?
No. Fellowships are individual awards; all funds are dispersed only to the fellow.
However, once our fellows receive funds, it is up to them how they wish to spend it (as
long as it relates to their writing). A fellow could pay his/her university directly, in other
words.
Which part of my application carries the most weight with the panel?

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The most important piece of your application as far as judging is concerned is your
writing sample. It should be representative of your best recent work, published or
unpublished. It must be work for which you have sole artistic responsibility. Choose your
writing sample sample carefully.
Can plans for use of the fellowship change, within reason?
Yes. Read the General Terms and Conditions for Literature Fellowships LINK for more
information.
If you have questions about your application, contact the Literary Arts staff at 202-6825034 or email LitFellowships@arts.gov.

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Agency Contacts
If you have questions about your application, contact the Literary Arts staff at 202-6825034 or email LitFellowships@arts.gov.