The J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award, established in 1999, is a literary award "given annually to aid in the completion of a significant work of nonfiction on a topic of American political or social concern."[1] The prize is given by the Nieman Foundation and by the Columbia University School of Journalism[1][2] and is intended to "assist in closing the gap between the time and money an author has and the time and money that finishing a book requires.[3]
Every year, one or two award winners receive an award of at least $25,000,[4] and a finalist may receive a $5,000 award.[5][3] Shortlisted books, introduced in 2016, receive no monetary award.[6]