Each summer the National Endowment for the Humanities supports faculty development through residential seminars and institutes. These projects are designed to provide teachers from across the nation with the opportunity for intensive study of important texts and topics in the humanities. Seminars and institutes are intended to foster excellent teaching by encouraging collegial discussion of humanities topics within close-knit scholarly communities. They also promote active scholarship in the humanities in ways suited to teachers at all levels from grade school through college.

Now is a good time to begin drafting a proposal to direct a seminar or institute, or to contact a colleague whom you think might be interested in developing a project. The NEH is supporting 30 projects for school teachers and 24 for college and university faculty in the summer of 2001. You may find lists of these projects at http://www.neh.gov/teaching/seminars1.html (school teachers) and http://www.neh.gov/teaching/seminars2.html (college and university teachers). If you or your colleagues would like to apply to offer a seminar or institute in 2002, please be in touch with one of the NEH program staff listed below to discuss your application. Program staff can answer questions, discuss current program emphases, provide samples of successful applications, and comment on an informal draft. Staff can help anticipate questions that are likely to arise in the review process.

The application guidelines will be found on the NEH website in mid-December at http://www.neh.gov. Printed copies can be obtained by e-mailing sem-inst@neh.gov. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to call on the staff at the NEH Division of Education Programs. For general questions, call Joyce Ferguson at 202-606-8463 or Jean Hughes at 202-606-8471.