Please refer to each section below to learn more about BMI’s Fellowship programs, including the Shearing Fellowship, the City of Asylum Fellowship, and the 117° Residency.
General FAQs
What specific materials do I submit for the fellowship application?
See complete guidelines in each fellowship’s Submittable application or on this page.
I am not currently eligible to work in the US. Can I apply?
Yes! International writers who don’t currently have a work visa are welcome to apply for Shearing Fellowships. Months ahead of your intended arrival date, you will work with BMI/UNLV to submit a DS-2019 filing in efforts to secure a J-1 Exchange Visitors (“scholars visa”) enabling you to work in the US during your fellowship. Unfortunately, BMI/UNLV cannot offer this same service for our shorter term fellowships (117° and BMI-Kluge Fellowship) given the quick turnaround from fellowship acceptance to start date.
International writers with dual citizenship, or those who are already eligible to work in the US, may apply for the 117° and BMI-Kluge Fellowships. Travel funds are provided to the BMI-Kluge Fellow, but please note that this allocation is based on the aggregate costs of domestic travel within the United States—so, if you’re flying in from an international location, you may need to cover a portion of your travel costs out of pocket.
My book(s) are not available in English. Can I still apply?
Since BMI’s application review committees are currently set up to evaluate book-length works in English, writers must submit all application materials, including a book, in English. Applicants for all fellowships and residencies should be at least proficient in spoken as well as written English.
May I apply with a collaborator?
No. BMI does not consider applications from more than one writer at a time. However, successful applicants may bring a spouse or partner to share fellowship housing through the duration of their fellowship.
Where do I send my application?
Apply through Submittable.
Who reviews these applications?
Candidate selection will be made by a committee of staff and community stakeholders. The make-up of each committee changes per application cycle.
Is health insurance included?
Yes, BMI fellows are eligible for health coverage (learn more about UNLV’s plan options and premium rates here). Health coverage begins on the first day of the month concurrent with, or following, the commencement of the fellowship and ends the last day of the month during which the fellowship ends (To illustrate: If a fellow elected to receive health coverage during their BMI fellowship and, if their residency ran from 8/25/25 – 05/16/26, they would receive health coverage from 9/1/25 – 05/31/26). In addition, the UNLV health center has a drop-in clinic and pharmacy on campus, where fellows—regardless of their insurance status—can see a nurse practitioner or a physician.
In addition to enrolling in a UNLV PEBP health plan (PPO or HMO), international writers in the US on a J-1 are required to purchase additional coverage to meet Medical Evacuation and Repatriation requirements of their visas (these additional plans are affordable and available through ISO or Seven Corners).
Do I need a car in Las Vegas?
Las Vegas is not a walkable city, particularly in summer and fall months when temperatures are extreme. We strongly encourage resident fellows to bring a vehicle when possible. Rideshares (Lyft and Uber), bike share, and public transportation are also available.
What is it like to live in Las Vegas?
There is so much to Las Vegas beyond the Strip. BMI recommends the free CityCast Las Vegas podcast, sites like TheList.Vegas, and program listings at The Writer’s Block and The Beverly Theater for a sense of what locals do in town. There are amazing opportunities to hike, both within 30 minutes of downtown and also a day-trip away. There are cultural resources like the Neon Museum and Springs Preserve, and a robust public library system, in addition to the galleries, museums, and libraries on the UNLV campus. We encourage potential applicants to learn about our unique city as they consider applying for BMI fellowships.
What if I have other questions?
Please email blackmountaininstitute@unlv.edu with any questions.
Shearing Fellowship FAQs
What is the deadline?
Check back for more details on the 2025 application period and deadline.
Is there an application fee?
No.
I haven’t published a book. Am I eligible for the fellowship?
While this fellowship is for emerging and early-career writers, candidates must have published at least one book by a trade or literary press to be eligible. Authors with only self-published books are not eligible for consideration.
My first book won’t be out before the application deadline, but I will have bound galleys. Can I apply?
Yes. Applicants with forthcoming books are welcome to apply, or can defer their application to the following year.
When will I hear back?
Applicants will be notified early in the new year if their application has made it to the finalist stage. Shearing Fellows will be selected no later than April.
What are the fellowship dates?
As of the 2025-26 Fellowship cycle, BMI will select two fellows for the same, nine-month term, which will last the length of the UNLV academic calendar (8/25/25 – 05/16/26). Fellows have access to their residential apartments a week prior to their official employment start date and a week after their end date.
How much time am I expected to spend in Las Vegas?
Fellows are expected to be in Las Vegas for the full term of their fellowships, but BMI expects they may have commitments to short-term travel during the fellowship. BMI also offers little to no programming during winter break.
Does the fellowship include housing?
Yes, BMI Shearing fellows are provided housing, adjacent to other artists, in downtown Las Vegas. Fellows are responsible to pay for their own electricity and internet.
What is the financial compensation for this fellowship?
Shearing Fellows receive a total salary of $46,500 paid during the academic year. They are considered part-time employees hired through a “letter of appointment” contract. Fellows are paid on the first of each month and partial months of employment result in a prorated paycheck. Please note: all UNLV employees, including BMI’s visiting fellows, are subject to mandatory retirement withholdings (Learn more about UNLV’s FICA Alternative Plan here).
What does the “working fellowship” entail?
BMI’s visiting fellows are asked to maintain regular office hours (no fewer than 10 hours per week). In addition, fellows are asked to fulfill BMI’s service requirements; these community engagement responsibilities are flexible and custom-tailored to fellows’ particular interests and projects. Applicants should plan to propose ideas for community engagement in their application; it is an important part of how each application will be evaluated.
The 117° Residency FAQs
What is the deadline?
Applications open Feb 1 and close March 15.
Is there an application fee?
No.
I haven’t published a book. Am I eligible for the fellowship?
While this fellowship is for emerging and early-career writers, candidates must have published at least one book by a trade or literary press to be eligible. Authors with only self-published books are not eligible for consideration.
My first book won’t be out before the application deadline, but I will have bound galleys. Can I apply?
Yes. Applicants with a forthcoming book may apply, or can defer application to the following year.
May Las Vegas residents apply?
Yes, local writers are welcome to apply; however, this is a residential fellowship, and all 117° resident fellows will be expected to live in fellowship-housing through the residency term.
When will I hear back?
117° Fellows will be selected by the end of March.
What are the fellowship dates?
As of the 2025 Fellowship cycle, the term will run from June 1 to July 31.
How much time am I expected to spend in Las Vegas?
Since the fellowship term is (relatively) short, fellows are expected to be in Las Vegas for the full term. BMI expects they may have commitments to short-term travel during the fellowship.
Does the fellowship include housing?
Yes, BMI fellows are provided housing, adjacent to other artists, in downtown Las Vegas. Fellows cover their own electricity and internet.
What is the financial compensation for this fellowship?
117° Fellows receive a total salary of $10,000, paid in two installments on July 1 and August 1. 117° Fellows are considered part-time employees hired through a “letter of appointment” contract. Please note: all UNLV employees, including BMI’s visiting fellows, are subject to mandatory retirement withholdings (Learn more about UNLV’s FICA Alternative Plan here).
The BMI-Kluge Fellowship FAQs
What is the deadline?
Applications open February 6 and close April 1.
Is there an application fee?
No.
I haven’t published a book. Am I eligible for the fellowship?
Yes. Publication of a book is not required for the BMI-Kluge Fellowship.
When will I hear back?
BMI-Kluge Fellows will be selected no later than May 15.
What are the fellowship dates?
The start and end dates of the three-month term (and later, the visit to Las Vegas) will be finalized with input from the fellow and BMI, but must take place between August 2025 – June 2026.
When would I travel to D.C.?
The fellow is required to spend 1-2 weeks in D.C., which can be arranged with the help of BMI and the Library. This visit can happen anytime within the chosen three-month period of the fellowship, pending availability at the Library.
Is lodging provided in D.C?
No, the fellow is responsible for booking accommodations and covering those costs in D.C.
When do I travel to Las Vegas, and how will I spend my time there?
Travel to Las Vegas and the details of the fellow’s public program will be determined by the fellow in collaboration with BMI, and will take place after the conclusion of the three-month fellowship, but prior to June 30, 2026.
Where do I do the work associated with my fellowship?
This is a hybrid fellowship, intended to allow fellows to work from where they live – with the exception of up to two weeks spent in Washington, D.C. and a visit to Las Vegas for the fellow to present their work to BMI’s community.What is the financial compensation for this fellowship?
BMI-Kluge Fellows receive a total salary of $15,000 and are employed through a part-time “letter of appointment” contract with UNLV. Depending on the fellow’s chosen start date, this compensation is split over 3-5 paychecks. Fellows are paid on the first of the month and partial months of work result in a prorated paycheck. Please note: all UNLV employees, including BMI fellows, are subject to mandatory retirement withholdings (Learn more about UNLV’s FICA Alternative Plan here).