FAQs
APPLICANT AND PARTICIPANT FAQs
This document provides an overview of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to assist those applying to attend an NEH-funded Institute or Landmarks of American History and Culture program. All responses are relevant to both Institutes and Landmarks applicants, unless otherwise noted.
A. OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMS
What is the Institutes program?
Institutes are one- to four-week professional development programs that convene K-12 educators or higher education faculty from across the nation to deepen their understanding of significant topics in the humanities and enrich their capacity for effective scholarship and teaching.
What is the Landmarks of American History and Culture program?
Landmarks programs are a series of one-week workshops held across the nation that enhance how K-12 educators, higher education faculty, and humanities professionals incorporate place-based approaches to humanities teaching and scholarship.
What are the format types for Institutes and Landmarks programs?
- Residential: All participants attend for the duration of the program at the host site.
- Virtual: All participants attend for the duration of the program using an online platform. This can include synchronous and asynchronous sessions.
- Combined: All participants attend a portion of the program online and a portion of the program at the host site. Online and residential sessions occur at different times, but participants attend the same format simultaneously.
When are Institutes and Landmarks programs held?
Institutes and Landmarks programs are typically held between mid-June to early August each year. Programs may include required online meetings before and/or after in-person activities. Please see the complete list of individual program websites for specific dates and schedules.
What is the difference between an applicant and a participant?
An individual is considered an applicant if they submit a complete application by the due date to an Institutes or Landmarks professional development program. An individual is a participant if they accept a project director’s offer to attend by the due date, meet NEH eligibility criteria, and fully participate in program activities.
How many participants attend Institutes and Landmarks programs?
- Institutes for K-12 and Higher Education: Programs may accept 25-36 participants per program. Please see specific program websites for the exact number.
- Landmarks for K-12: Programs may accept 30-36 participants per week, meaning 60-72 total per program. Please see specific program websites for the exact number.
- Landmarks for Higher Education: Programs may accept 20-24 participants per week, meaning 40-48 total per program. Please see specific program websites for the exact number.
B. PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY
Who is eligible to apply?
Participant eligibility is determined by NEH and all professional development programs must adhere to the same eligibility criteria. The current NEH Institutes and Landmarks participant eligibility criteria are available here.
J1 and F1 visa holders should confer with their sponsoring institution regarding their eligibility to receive a stipend from another institution.
How many NEH Division of Education professional development programs can I attend each year?
An individual may attend only one Institutes or Landmarks program per year.
Can I apply if I attended a NEH professional development program in the past?
Yes, individuals who have previously attended a Seminar, Institutes, or Landmarks program and who meet the current participant eligibility criteria can apply to attend an Institutes or Landmarks program that is different from those they previously attended.
C. PROJECT AUDIENCE
Who attends?
- Programs for K-12 educators target a national audience of full- or part-time K-12 educators who teach in public, charter, independent, and religiously affiliated schools, or as home schooling educators. They may also admit museum educators and other K-12 school personnel who demonstrate that participation will advance project goals and enhance their own professional work.
- Programs for higher education faculty and humanities professionals target a national audience of full- or part-time faculty who teach undergraduate students and/or whose work in the humanities lies outside undergraduate teaching but who demonstrate that their participation will advance project goals and enhance their own professional work.
Are programs required to reserve spaces for certain applicants?
- Yes, Institutes and Landmarks projects are required to reserve the following percentage of spaces for eligible and qualified early career applicants:
Institutes and Landmarks for K-12 Educators: 20% of the available spaces for educators who are new to the profession (five years or fewer of teaching experience). - Landmarks for Higher Education: 20% of the available spaces for early career faculty (three or fewer years as higher education faculty), humanities professionals, and/or non-tenure track faculty and 10% of the available spaces for advanced graduate students (individuals who have reached candidacy in a doctoral program or are in the final year of a terminal degree program).
- Institutes for Higher Education Faculty: 20% of the available spaces for non-tenured/non-tenure track faculty and 10% of the available spaces for advanced graduate students (individuals who have reached candidacy in a doctoral program or are in the final year of a terminal degree program).
D. APPLICATIONS
How are application requirements determined?
NEH determines participant eligibility criteria. Each Institute or Landmarks program establishes their own application requirements and review criteria. NEH is not involved with reviewing individual applications or making decisions about offers to attend. Please refer application questions to the specific project(s) to which you are applying.
Who reviews my application?
Each project team determines who will serve on their application review panel. Decisions are based on NEH established eligibility criteria and qualifications for attending are determined by individual project teams. Please refer application questions to the specific project(s) to which you are applying.
Are application due dates the same for all programs being held next year?
Yes, applications open and close on the same day for all Institutes and Landmarks programs. Please see the NEH Professional Development page for the current application deadlines.
When will I know if I have been accepted or not?
All Institutes and Landmarks programs will contact applicants on the same day to notify them if they have been accepted or not. Accepted applicants will then have two weeks to accept or decline an offer. Participants may not accept an additional offer or withdraw to accept a different offer once they have accepted an offer to attend an NEH Institutes or Landmarks program. Please see the NEH Professional Development page for the specific acceptance dates.
E. PARTICIPATION
Am I responsible for booking travel and lodging?
Yes, participants are responsible for making their own travel and lodging arrangements. Please consult with the project director(s) for the program you will attend for specifics about transportation and lodging. NEH is not involved with participant travel. Cancelled travel arrangements are ineligible for reimbursement.
What are the NEH Principles of Civility?
All participants, presenters, and project team members are expected to uphold the NEH’s Principles of Civility throughout their time with the program.
Can guests join me during my time attending the program?
While participants may opt to travel with companions, only accepted participants are permitted to participate in program sessions, site visits, and scheduled activities.
F. PARTICIPANT STIPENDS
How do stipends work?
All participants are eligible to receive a stipend to help offset costs related to attending an Institutes or Landmarks program. Stipend amounts are based upon the format and length of the program. Stipends are considered taxable income.
| Program Format | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
| Residential & Combined | $1,300 | $2,200 | $2,850 | $3,450 |
| Virtual | $650 | $1,100 | $1,425 | $1,725 |
What happens to my stipend if I arrive late or leave early?
Applicants who accept an offer to participate are expected to remain during the entire period of the program and to participate in its work on a full-time basis. If a participant is obliged through special circumstances to arrive after the beginning or depart before the end of the Institutes or Landmarks program, project directors may only pay a pro rata share of the stipend or require that an appropriate pro rata share of the stipend is returned if the participant has already received the full stipend.
Am I required to complete an assignment to receive the stipend?
Participants are not required to complete an assignment in exchange for payment of a stipend.
How are stipends paid?
Stipends are paid by the host institution and each institution may have its own process and requirements for completing payment. Please check with the project director(s) for the program you will attend to ensure you have completed the proper paperwork. NEH is not involved with the payment of stipends.
Can a project director reduce my stipend for program activities?
Project directors cannot reduce participant stipends for project-related activities, lodging, and meal costs without your prior approval. For example, if a deposit is required to reserve a block of rooms for an Institutes or Landmarks program, project directors must ask participants to approve or decline a reduction in their stipend to cover the deposit prior to arrival.
G. POST-PARTICIPATION TOPICS
Can I receive continuing education, in-service, or graduate credits?
Project teams may opt to offer continuing education, in-service, or graduate credit. These opportunities sometimes require additional work by participants beyond the program and participants are responsible for associated costs or fees unless otherwise noted. See individual project websites for additional information.
Will I be able to provide feedback about my experience?
Yes, all Institutes and Landmarks project directors must collect anonymous evaluations at the conclusion of the program. NEH staff are available to discuss your experience and are interested in learning how you will apply what you learn to your own work. Please contact the appropriate program (institutes@neh.gov or landmarks@neh.gov) if you are interested in speaking with NEH staff.
Have additional questions? Contact us.