Fund Details
Frederick Mortimer Clapp Fellowship
Award Amount
$50,000
Competition Type
Yale

Brief Description:

This Fellowship funds one or two graduating seniors who have demonstrated a serious interest in writing poetry during their time at Yale College. It is expected that the recipient will devote themselves full-time to writing poetry during the term of the award. All majors are eligible. All fellowship activies are limited to within the United States. 

Description:

The Frederick Mortimer Clapp Fellowship was established by Mr. Clapp who received his B.A. in 1901 and his M.A. in 1911. The Fellowship funds one or two graduating seniors who have demonstrated a serious interest in writing English poetry during their time at Yale College. It is expected that the recipient will devote themselves full-time to writing poetry during the term of the award. The recipient is expected to live in the U.S.; permission of the selection committee chair is required for short-term stays abroad. The selection committee reserves the right not to make an award in any given year if, in its view, there is no suitable candidate.

Selection is based on the applicant’s portfolio of English poetry. The award cannot be used to support full-time graduate study in the fellowship year.

The recipient of this award must submit a mid-year and a final portfolio of poetry.

This fellowship is administered by the Office of Fellowships.

Application Information:

The deadline for the Clapp Fellowship is Wednesday January 29, 2025 at 1:00PM

Applications received late or submitted via e-mail or in person will NOT be accepted.  It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that all elements of their application are submitted by the deadline. 

A complete Clapp application includes:

1. Online Application
2. Portfolio of English poetry written and assembled by the applicant (no more than 15 pages)
3. Project Proposal (500-750 words) 
4. Resume / List of Activities or Awards
5. Transcripts

Interested applicants should attend an upcoming information session offered by the Office of Fellowships and may schedule an appointment with Dr. Mya Fisher, the advisor for the Yale College Postgraduate Fellowships. Make sure to review the fellowship descriptions and watch the recorded information session or attend and upcoming one prior to meeting with Dr. Fisher. Advising appointments are not intended to be 1-on-1 information sessions. Click here to view a calendar of upcoming information sessions and events. Meeting with Dr. Fisher is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged.

Special Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of English poetry.

Your project must begin BEFORE September 1 of the award year. 

The fellowship recipient must remain in the United States for the duration of the fellowship. 

There is only one application cycle each academic year. Students graduating in December may apply for the Clapp Fellowships in the spring semester following their graduation. For example, a December 2025 graduate will apply in spring 2026. However, the earliest a December graduate would be able to begin a fellowship is May 2026. 

Restrictions to Use of Award:

To satisfy the minimum duration requirements of the fellowship, the applicant's project must be his or her primary activity, conducted without interruption, for the duration of the experience. 

Additionally, a recipient of the Clapp Fellowship CANNOT undertake any other activities while a fellow. Such activities include but are not limited to part-/full-time work, internship, research, formal educational study, etc.

This fellowship may not be combined with any other fellowship award, internal or external to Yale. If you are awarded a Clapp Fellowship, you cannot accept any other fellowships or awards that overlap the duration of the Clapp Fellowship. If awarded multiple fellowships, you will be expected to decide on one of the options.

This fellowship award cannot be deferred. 

Yale University policy requires that certain types of research projects involving human subjects be reviewed by an institutional review board (IRB) prior to the start of the study to ensure that the project meets University requirements and any applicable regulations. Click here to see if your project needs to be reviewed (click on "student projects"), for advice on working with human subjects, and for more information about the process and requirements.

Links to Additional Information:

  1. Yale Fellowship Policies
  2. Office of Fellowships
  3. Previous Winners
  4. Recorded Information Sessions and Workshops

Contact Information:

For questions about this application, please contact Mya Fisher at mya.fisher@yale.edu

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