The Vilcek Foundation shall award a prize of $25,000 to a foreign-born writer who demonstrates outstanding early achievement. In selecting the prizewinner the jury will consider whether the candidate’s work exemplifies exceptional creativity, vision, and achievement.
Four categories of writers are eligible to apply:
Poets
Novelists
Short Fiction Writers
Short Creative Nonfiction writers

About the Vilcek Foundation and Vilcek Foundation Prizes
The central mission of the Vilcek Foundation is to recognize and honor extraordinary achievements of immigrants to the United States in the arts and humanities and in biomedical science.
In 2006 the Vilcek Foundation created the Vilcek Prizes to recognize the work of established foreign-born scholars and artists who have made major contributions to their fields in the United States. Two winners, one in the arts and humanities, the other in biomedical science, are chosen annually and each is awarded $50,000 and a trophy designed by Stefan Sagmeister.
Year 2009 marked the inauguration of the Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in the Arts and Humanities and in Biomedical Science. These new $25,000 awards were established to call attention to the continuing role young immigrants play in sustaining the excellence and vibrancy of the arts and sciences in the United States. The award will be paid directly to the winner and no restrictions will be placed on the use of the prize money. Four finalists will receive an award of $5,000 each.

Eligibility7
To be eligible for the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in the Arts and Humanities, applicants must meet all of the criteria listed below.
1 Applicant must have been born outside the United States.
2 Applicant must not be more than 38 years old as of December 31, 2010 (i.e., born on or after January 1, 1972).
3 Applicant must be a naturalized citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) of the United States.
4 Applicant must intend to pursue a professional career in the United States.
5 Applicant must be the individual who has authored the submitted work.

Selection Process
A panel of distinguished members of the literary community will evaluate each application based on its quality, the level of creativity, clarity of vision, impact and the individual’s ability to present his/her work in a professional manner.
The prizewinner selected by the jury will be a candidate whose work best exemplifies the characteristics indicated above. Additionally, the jury will identify four finalists, each of whom will receive an award of $5,000. Recommendations of the jury will be submitted to the Vilcek Foundation’s Board of Directors for final approval.
The winner will be notified in November 2010 and will be invited to attend an awards ceremony in New York City in April 2011. Travel expenses and accommodations will be covered by the Vilcek Foundation.

Application Materials
1. Application Form: Please submit the Application Form completed and signed.
Your responses to the four essay questions must be typed and uploaded in a separate document to be included in the application.
2. Work: Please submit up to 30 pages of work that you believe best illustrates your creativity, range, and originality. Only work originally written in English will be considered. You may submit more than one work if applying in the field of poetry, short fiction, or short creative nonfiction. The work – a poem, short story (fiction or creative nonfiction) or novel (excerpt) – may not represent a work in progress. It is unnecessary for the work to have been published.
3. Documentation: Please provide us with a scanned copy of documentary evidence of your status as a naturalized citizen or green card holder.
4. Resumé: Please submit the most recent version of your resumé that includes information about your work and experience as a writer.
5. Two Letters of Recommendation: One of the two letters should be written by a person who has served in an advisory capacity to you and can speak to your strengths as a creative and productive individual. We must receive these letters electronically and directly from your references by July 30, 2010. To solicit letters of recommendation, please use the form provided with this application. Your application is considered incomplete until we have received the letters from your recommenders.

Deadlines, Submission and Contact
To complete an online application, follow the links for the ApplyYourself system on vilcek.org, to create a username and login password. Your completed application for the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in the Arts and Humanities must be submitted electronically by July 30, 2010. No hard copy materials will be accepted.
If you have any questions regarding the award or the application process please contact Anne Schruth, Events and Programs Assistant. Phone: 212-472-2500; Email: creativepromise@vilcek.org

http://www.vilcek.org/
http://www.vilcek.org/print/prizes_creative_promise.php

Click on the link above and go to the contest official site