Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Institutes

The Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Institutes program is administered by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency established in 1965 to support research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. Through its Division of Lifelong Learning, NEH offers this funding opportunity to strengthen humanities education by supporting intensive professional development experiences for educators. These programs are designed to bring together K-12 teachers and higher education faculty from across the United States to engage deeply with significant humanities topics in structured, collaborative settings. The primary purpose of this program is to enhance participants’ understanding of important themes in the humanities and to improve their ability to teach these subjects effectively. Funded projects take the form of residential institutes or workshops that last between one and three weeks and are hosted at institutions such as universities, libraries, cultural organizations, or historic sites. Landmarks projects must incorporate place-based learning tied to historically or culturally significant locations in the United States, while Institutes may focus more broadly on humanities topics. These programs emphasize immersive study, scholarly rigor, and collaborative dialogue, with the goal of enriching teaching practices and fostering sustained intellectual communities. Funding supports a wide range of allowable project activities, including program design, faculty and staff support, participant stipends, and accessibility accommodations. However, the program has strict funding restrictions. Funds cannot be used for political advocacy, lobbying, diversity or equity initiatives as defined in the notice, tuition remission, individual research, creative writing, or projects outside the humanities. Additionally, costs such as publication expenses, entertainment, and unrelated travel are not permitted. Importantly, cost sharing is not required, as NEH provides outright funding to successful applicants. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, accredited public or nonprofit institutions of higher education, state and local governments, and federally recognized Native American Tribal governments. Individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible. Applicants must demonstrate the capacity to host a residential program, recruit a national cohort of participants, and provide appropriate academic and logistical support. Projects must serve 25 to 36 participants and include specific requirements depending on whether the target audience is K-12 educators or higher education faculty. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and includes multiple components such as a narrative (limited to 10 pages), work plan, resumes, letters of commitment, reading list, academic schedule, and budget documentation. Applicants must clearly articulate the intellectual rationale, program design, participant recruitment strategy, and expected outcomes. Proposals are evaluated based on intellectual quality, program feasibility, and potential impact, with peer reviewers assessing how well the project advances humanities teaching and learning. The application deadline for this funding opportunity is June 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Award notifications are expected in December 2026, with project periods beginning in 2027 depending on the selected program timeline. Projects for summer 2027 run from March 1, 2027, to February 29, 2028, while those for summer 2028 run from October 1, 2027, to December 31, 2028. NEH anticipates awarding approximately 30 grants with total program funding of about $7,000,000. For additional information, applicants may contact the NEH Division of Lifelong Learning via email at learning@neh.gov. The program represents a significant opportunity for organizations to contribute to national humanities education by designing impactful, collaborative learning experiences that extend beyond the duration of the funded program.

Strong proposals clearly demonstrate intellectual significance, detailed program design, and measurable impact on humanities teaching; align closely with review criteria and provide a realistic implementation plan; ensure all required components are complete and compliant