The Rebecca Lard Award, conferred annually by Poetry Quarterly, takes its name from Rebecca Lard (1772–1855), recognized as Indiana's first poet. The award situates itself within a lineage of American letters that predates the conventional centers of literary production, suggesting an editorial interest in voices that might otherwise remain outside the metropolitan mainstream. The competition is open to poets everywhere, without geographic restriction, and entries are processed through the journal's regular submission manager—a procedural choice that signals the award is integrated into the journal's ongoing editorial operations rather than treated as a separate spectacle. The winner receives a $500 gift certificate to the Prolific Press Bookstore, publication of the winning poem in the prize-winner issue with a back-cover feature, recognition on the Poetry Quarterly website, free entry to the following year's award, and a complimentary print copy of the prize-winner issue. Every entrant receives a one-year subscription to Poetry Quarterly Online, valued at $20. The entry fee is $20 per poem, or $10 per poem for patrons, with a maximum of three poems for standard entrants and six for patrons. Judging is conducted by the editor unless a guest judge is named for the year, a detail that places the evaluation squarely within the journal's established aesthetic compass. The award accepts unpublished work only and explicitly prohibits AI-generated submissions. This restriction, alongside the unpublished requirement, reflects a commitment to original, human-authored poetry that has not yet entered the public record. The prize-winner issue and back-cover feature offer a tangible venue for the selected poem, while the subscription component ensures that all entrants gain access to the journal's broader editorial program. The absence of a named guest judge for 2027 suggests that the editor's sensibility will govern the selection, making familiarity with Poetry Quarterly's published work a practical advantage for prospective entrants.