- Any poet who meets one of the below criteria on the date of the application deadline, in any given year, is eligible to apply:
- U.S. Citizen
- Resident of the United States for the ten-year period prior to the submission deadline, or
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Legal Permanent Status (LPS), or any subsequent categories designated by the U.S. authorities as conferring similar enhanced status upon non-citizens living in the United States.
Please note: By law the Academy of American Poets must report cash prizes awarded to individuals to the Internal Revenue Service. If individuals have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), the individual will receive a 1099. If the individual does not have an SSN or ITIN, the individual will receive a 1042 and could be subject to a withholding of a percentage of the cash prize.
- The On Teaching Poem Prize is given to honor a previously unpublished poem written about K–12 teaching and/or teachers. Applicants must be living poets who are 18 years or older.
- Poems may have not been previously published (including self-publications).
- Entries must be original poetry, in English, by one poet. Translations are not eligible.
- Entries must be no more than 40 lines, typed single-spaced (unless the poem is meant to be presented using nonstandard spacing).
- Only one poem may be submitted per applicant.
- The poem should include only the title; no information that reveals the identity of the author should be included.
- Poets are not eligible to apply if they have studied with the judge in full-time accredited courses within the last three years.
- Only online submissions are accepted through our submission manager, Submittable.
- Entries must be .doc, .docx, or .pdf files.
- There is no entry fee.
- The Academy of American Poets assumes no responsibility for entries not received due to user error. Applicants may verify the receipt of their entry by logging into Submittable.
- Applicants may submit poems elsewhere simultaneously but must notify the Academy of American Poets immediately if the poem is accepted for publication.
- All applicants will be notified of the award results by email in May 2019.
- The Academy of American Poets cannot consider revisions after entries are submitted for consideration.
- All correspondence concerning the contest should be addressed to the Academy of American Poets.
- The decisions of the Academy of American Poets and the Academy for Teachers as to eligibility are final. The Academy of American Poets and the Academy for Teachers reserve the right to withhold the award in any given year.