Appication Information and Instructions
Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshops are offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide community college faculty with the opportunity to engage in intensive study and discussion of important topics and issues in American history and culture, while providing them with direct experiences in the interpretation of significant historical sites and the use of archival and other primary historical evidence.
Prior to completing an application, please review the website and consider carefully what is expected in terms of residence and attendance, reading and writing requirements, and participation in the work of the project.
Landmarks Workshops will allow 25 teachers at a time to collaborate with core faculty and visiting scholars. The Workshops are designed to present the best available scholarship on a specific landmark or related cluster of landmarks, while enabling participants to gain a sense of the importance of historical places, to make connections between the Workshop content and what they teach, and to develop materials for their classrooms and, if applicable, for their research interests.
Eligibility
These projects are designed for faculty members at American community colleges. Adjunct and part-time lecturers as well as full-time faculty are eligible to apply. An applicant need not have an advanced degree in order to qualify. Candidates for degrees are only eligible to apply if they are employed by an institution other than the one at which they are degree candidates and if their participation is intended to enhance their teaching of American undergraduates. Degree candidates cannot use their participation in an NEH Landmarks projects to meet a degree requirement, including work on masters’ theses or doctoral dissertations. Applicants must be United States citizens, residents of U.S. jurisdictions, or foreign nationals who have been residing in the United States or its territories for at least the three years immediately preceding the application deadline. Foreign nationals teaching outside the U.S. are not eligible to apply. Applicants must complete the NEH application cover sheet and provide all of the information requested below to be considered eligible. Individuals may not apply to study with a director of a Landmarks project who is a current colleague or a family member. Individuals may not apply to participate in a Workshop given by the same director on the same topic in which they have previously participated; in other words, they should not apply to attend Workshop twice. Preference will be given to those who are new to the program.
Selection Criteria
A selection committee will read and evaluate all properly completed applications. The committee will consist of the project director and two other scholars in the field; at least one of whom will be a community college faculty member or administrator.
Special consideration is given to the likelihood that an applicant will benefit professionally and personally from the Workshop experience. It is important, therefore, to address each of the following factors in preparing the application essay:
- your professional background and interest in the subject of the Workshop;
- your special perspectives, skills, or experiences that would contribute to the Workshop; and
- how the experience would enhance your teaching and/or research.
Stipend, Tenure, and Conditions of Award
Community college faculty selected to participate will receive a stipend of $500 at the end of the residential Workshop session. Stipends are intended to help cover ordinary living expenses, books, and travel expenses to and from the Workshop location. Travel supplements will be available, but will be allocated on a case-by-case basis after the Workshop is over. Stipends and travel supplements are taxable.
Workshop participants are required to attend all scheduled meetings and to engage fully in all project activities. Participants who do not complete the full tenure of the project will receive a reduced stipend.
Participants will provide NEH with an assessment of their Workshop experience, especially in terms of its value to their personal and professional development and will be asked to provide a confidential evaluation at the close of the Workshop.
Application Instructions
All application materials should be sent to the project director at the address provided. Sending application materials and reference letters to the Endowment will result in delay. Please indicate on the application cover sheet your first and second choices of Workshop dates.
Application
We welcome applications from community college faculty in any academic discipline as well as from librarians and adjunct faculty. Participants will receive a $500 stipend to defray the costs of lodging and food. These will be paid at the end of each week’s session. Additionally, some travel funds are available to assist participants who live far from Oxford. These will be awarded on a case-by-case basis and will be awarded after the session has concluded. The application consists of four parts.
The Application Cover Sheet
Link: http://www.neh.gov/online/education/participants/
Complete the application cover sheet online, as directed by the prompts. When finished, be sure to click on the “Submit” button. In addition, print this completed form, and include it as the cover sheet for your application packet to the Workshop with your résumé or current c.v.
The Application Essay
Perhaps the most important part of the completed application is an essay of one or two double-spaced pages. This essay should include information about your professional background and interest in the subject of the workshop; your special perspectives, skills, or experiences that would contribute to the workshop; and how the experience would enhance your teaching, research or school service.
A Letter of Recommendation
You will need to submit a letter of recommendation from your department chair, division head, or another professional reference. This should be included with your application, but in a separate, sealed envelope with the referee’s signature across the closure.
Submission of Applications and Notification Procedure
Please submit three copies of your application, collated in the following order: cover sheet, résumé, essay.
Send your application packet to:
Dr. John Neff
NEH Landmarks Workshop
Department of History
University of Mississippi
337 Bishop Hall
University, MS 38677
Your completed application must be postmarked no later than March 15, 2007. Successful applicants will be notified by April 16, 2007, and will have until April 23, 2007, to confirm their participation. Once participation is confirmed, you will receive a packet of more specific information, including a detailed agenda, a list of workshop readings, and additional travel and housing information.
Questions should be directed to John Neff at umneh@olemiss.edu.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Endowment programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age. For further information, write to NEH Equal Opportunity Officer, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506. TDD: 202/606-8282 (this is a special telephone device for the Deaf).
