NEH Middle Eastern Christianity Application Info

The NEH Summer Institute on Middle Eastern Christianity invites applications for participation in this intensive humanities program, to be held June 5-25, 2022.

Relevant Fields?

The Applicant Selection Committee is encouraging scholars from all humanities fields to consider joining this NEH Summer Institute for the purpose of developing curriculum in the study of Middle Eastern Christianity at their home institution. Priority will be given to applications that demonstrate clear relevance of the field of Middle Eastern Christianity to their current teaching portfolio. We envision participation from faculty who teach on the Middle East from any academic discipline, including: religious studies, archaeology, anthropology, economics, history, political science, sociology, language studies, ethnic studies, gender studies, immigration studies, diaspora studies etc.

But scholars outside of traditional Middle Eastern studies should also consider applying to this Institute. Scholars of all historical periods that somehow intersect with the Middle Eastern Christian milieu will find opportunities in this Middle Eastern Christianity NEH Institute to augment their curricula on topics such as the Crusades, Mediterranean commerce, church history, Islamic history, and any other attendant, relevant areas of knowledge.

Humanities scholars of American culture will also be well served by this Institute’s attention to the immigrant Middle Eastern Christian communities. Those studying demographics, sociology of identity, and minority studies are strongly encouraged to apply to this Institute in order to shed light on Middle Eastern Christians as part of the American fabric.

Other Considerations for Applicant Selection

The Middle Eastern Christianity NEH Institute also encourages applications from non-tenured and non-tenure track faculty members, as well as graduate students. The Applicant Selection Committee will reserve slots to include such participants. (For applicants who are graduate students, tailor your application essay to include any TA experience, as well as anticipated or aspirational teaching duties that would reasonably match your graduate studies).

The Committee also gives primary consideration to applicants who have not previously attended an NEH Summer Seminar or Institute.

Tips for Applying

Successful applications will specify a curricular agenda.

Applications must describe the curricular addition to be accomplished during this three-week Institute, such as developing study units on Middle Eastern Christianity for existing courses, creating an entirely new course (or courses), or improving an existing curricular program in Middle Eastern Christianity (or an attendant field).

Proposals shall explain the following:

1. How Middle Eastern Christianity relates to the applicant’s current curricular (and research) portfolio.
   1. In what specific way(s) will the work at the Institute improve the applicant’s teaching at their home institution?
   2. Why is the study of Middle Eastern Christianity significant to the applicant‘s current curriculum at their home institution?
2. b)How the proposed curricular project can, reasonably, be accomplished in three weeks.
3. How the applicant’s past record of curricular development suggests the success of this proposal.