THE FOUNDATION DOES NOT USE AN APPLICATION PROCESS. INSTEAD, IT INTENDS TO IDENTIFY LEADING MID-CAREER AMERICAN POETS USING A VARIETY OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SOURCES, THEN OFFER GRANTS TO POETS WHOM THE SELECTION COMMITTEE BELIEVES WILL PROVIDE DIVERSE AND VALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO THE CONCERNS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MAJOR POETS OF THE GENERATION NOW APPROACHING THE MATURE, MIDDLE PHASE OF THEIR CAREERS.

THE POETS ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS WILL HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PUBLICATIONS OF THEIR OWN POETRY OVER A SUSTAINED PERIOD OF TIME AND HAVE ESTABLISHED A SUBSTANTIAL LITERARY REPUTATION. IN ADDITION, THE POETS TO BE SELECTED SHOULD HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY ARE EXCELLENT LECTURERS AND ORIGINAL THINKERS.