Apply for BIO 2026 Fellowships and Prizes

October 19th, 2025

Biographers International Organization (BIO) invites applications for its 2026 fellowships and prizes, which support and celebrate the craft of biography at every stage—from dissertation research to debut works and beyond. These awards recognize exceptional promise, fund essential research, and amplify diverse voices shaping the future of biographical writing.

The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship
Deadline: February 1, 2026

The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship awards $5,000 each to two authors working on a biographical project about an African American figure or figures whose story deepens our understanding of the Black experience. Recipients also receive a year’s membership in BIO, registration to the annual BIO Conference, and publicity through BIO’s marketing channels.

The fellowship seeks to address the historic underrepresentation and suppression of Black lives and voices in published biographies. It reflects BIO’s commitment not only to supporting working biographers but also to advancing diversity in the field.

The Robert and Ina Caro Research/Travel Fellowship
Deadline: February 1, 2026

Established in honor of Robert and Ina Caro, this annual fellowship supports biographers with a work in progress who need funding for research trips to archives or key locations in their subjects’ lives. It reflects BIO’s dedication to helping authors produce deeply researched, context-rich biographies.

Kitty Kelley Dissertation Fellowship in Biography
Deadline: February 15, 2026

This fellowship awards $25,000 to a doctoral student writing a dissertation in English that focuses on the life of one or more individuals. The work must be biographical rather than autobiographical or fictionalized, though it need not cover an entire life.

Endowed by Kitty Kelley—a founding BIO member and author of seven bestselling biographies—the fellowship honors her lifelong advocacy for biography and biographers.

The Hazel Rowley Prize
Deadline: March 1, 2026

The Hazel Rowley Prize recognizes a first-time biographer with a $5,000 award, a professional reading by an established literary agent, a year’s BIO membership (including conference registration), and publicity through BIO’s platforms. The prize helps advance BIO’s mission to nurture emerging talent and expand the reach of biographical writing.

Hazel Rowley (1951–2011) was an award-winning biographer and devoted BIO supporter whose acclaimed works on Richard Wright, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt reflect her passion for the art and craft of biography.

The Clio Fellowship for Archival Research
Deadline: March 1, 2026

The Clio Fellowship awards $5,000 to one or more biographers conducting archival research for a book-length biography. Named for Clio, the Greek muse of history and memory, the fellowship is endowed by Linda Leavell, a biographer, Plutarch Award winner, and past BIO president.

The Chip Bishop Fellowship
Deadline: April 1, 2026

Established by BIO co-founder James McGrath Morris, the Chip Bishop Fellowship provides up to $2,000 in travel and related expenses—including childcare—to help aspiring biographers attend the annual BIO Conference. Registration fees are waived or refunded.

The fellowship honors Chip Bishop, who credited attending the BIO Conference with the publication of his first biography. It is open to both members and non-members working toward their first book.

If you have any questions about the fellowships, please contact BIO’s Executive Director, Michael Gately.

Apply for BIO 2024 Fellowships and Prizes

January 16th, 2024

Apply for BIO 2023 Fellowships and Prizes

January 17th, 2023

BIO encourages all members to review its four fellowships, now accepting applications for 2023. Please share information about the Rollin Fellowship, the Chip Bishop Fellowship, and the Rowley Prize, which are open to nonmembers, with your friends, colleagues, and networks.

Please note that the amounts have increased from $3,000 to $5,000 for both the Rollin Fellowship and Rowley Prize, and the number of recipients has increased from one to two for the Rollin Fellowship and from two to four for the Caro Fellowship. These increased benefits, which BIO will sustain for at least five years, are thanks to gifts from Kitty Kelley and other generous friends of BIO.

• The Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship awards $5,000 each to two authors working on a biographical work about an African American figure (or figures), whose story provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the Black experience. Applications are due February 1, 2023. More information about the fellowship is available here.
• The Robert and Ina Caro Research/Travel Fellowship awards funding to as many as four authors working on biographical works for research trips to archives or to important settings in their subjects’ lives. The deadline for applications is February 1, 2023. Learn more here.
• The Chip Bishop Fellowship awards $1,000 to one recipient for for travel expenses, including transportation costs and child care, needed to attend the BIO Conference. The deadline for applications is April 1, 2023. Learn more here.
• The Hazel Rowley Prize awards $5,000 to a first-time biographer whose book proposal shows exceptional merit. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2023. Click here for more information.

Gift from Kitty Kelley Goes to BIO Fellowships

October 11th, 2022

A longtime member of the Board of Directors and current chair of the Membership Committee, best-selling biographer Kitty Kelley has made a major gift to BIO of $50,000. Kelley’s donation will fund two Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowships per year for the next five years. The winners will receive a stipend of $5,000 each.  

“I feel that supporting the Rollin Fellowships helps BIO reach its immense potential as an organization that is supportive and inclusive,” Kelley said of her gift. 

Created two years ago, the Frances “Frank” Rollin Fellowship promotes biographical work about an African American figure (or figures) whose story provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the Black experience. It originally provided $3,000 to one recipient annually. 

Because of generous donations from other members and benefactors in recent years, BIO is able to expand its other fellowships as well. The Hazel Rowley Prize, which goes to a promising first-time biographer, will increase from $3,000 to $5,000 per year for the next five years.

The Chip Bishop Fellowship, to help a biographer in need attend the May BIO Conference, will increase from $500 to $1,000 in 2023. This fellowship is funded by James McGrath Morris. 

BIO will offer up to four Robert and Ina Caro Research/Travel Fellowships this year instead of one or two. Applicants may apply for $2,500 to $5,000 to support travel to a place of significance for the biographical subject or to an archival collection. These fellowships are available only to BIO members.

Applications for the Rollin Fellowship, the Rowley Prize, and the Caro Fellowship are now open. For more information about each of these fellowships and for instructions about applying for them, click on the links above.