Buddhist Perspectives on the Natural World

In an Age of Global Climate Change

2025 NEH Summer Institute for Higher Education Faculty

Application Criteria and Eligibility

This Institute is primarily designed for faculty who teach undergraduates, but it is also open to those who work in museums, libraries and other educationally oriented institutions. There will be space for twenty-five Summer Scholars in total. We will reserve at least five spaces for non-tenure or non-tenure track faculty, and up to three spaces for advanced graduate students as well. The purpose of the application process is to help us select the best group of participants to achieve the teaching and scholarly goals of the Institute. Since the success of the Institute depends in large part on what the participants bring to the table, the selection committee, comprised of the two co-directors and an outside colleague, will consider the following criteria:
  • Your effectiveness and commitment to teaching; where and how you will take what you learn at the Institute back to your own institutions.
  • Your interest in the topic of Buddhism and the natural world, and ways Buddhist ideas and practices contribute to understanding and addressing global climate change.
  • Your demonstrated perspectives, skills, or life experiences that would contribute to the Institute as whole. To enrich the conversation, we will prioritize variety and diversity in all its dimensions.
  • In addition to the standard information application, we request a 2-3 page essay (maximum 750 words) that demonstrate these criteria.

Please note that faculty and participants are expected to abide by the NEH Principles of Civility.

Eligibility

As per NEH guidelines, primary consideration will be given to applicants who have not previously attended an NEH Seminar or Institute. Applicants must also 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 abroad at non-U.S. chartered institutions are not eligible to apply.

An applicant need not have an advanced degree in order to qualify as an NEH Summer Scholar. Individuals may not apply to an NEH Summer Seminar or Institute whose director is a family member, is affiliated with the prospective applicant’s institution, or is someone with whom the prospective applicant has previously studied.

Stipend and Participation Requirements

Summer scholars are offered a stipend of $2,200. This stipend is taxable income. It is intended to help cover travel, housing, meals, and basic academic expenses.

Project 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 depart before the end of the program, it shall be the recipient institution’s (i.e. Mangalam Research Center’s) responsibility to see that only a pro rata share of the stipend is received or that the appropriate pro rata share of the stipend is returned if the participant has already received the full stipend.

Summer scholars are required to submit an evaluation at the end of the project’s residential period.

Once an applicant has accepted an offer to attend any NEH Summer Program (Seminar, Institute, or Landmark), they may not accept an additional offer or withdraw in order to accept a different offer.

In any given year, an individual may apply to a maximum of two NEH Seminars or Institutes, but may attend only one.

Deadlines:

March 5, 2025 participant application deadline

April 2, 2025 participant notification deadline

April 16, 2025 participant acceptance deadline.  

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Endowment programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age. For further information, write to the Equal Opportunity Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. TDD: 202-606-8282 (this is a special telephone device for the Deaf).

Application Form

NEH Summer Institutes allow higher ed faculty an opportunity to enrich and revitalize their teaching through the study of humanities topics that bear upon undergraduate education. Participants will receive a certificate upon completion of the program, but programs are not intended to duplicate graduate-level courses.

This institute will allow twenty-five participants (“Summer Scholars”) to study the themes of the institute with a team of experienced scholars. Project leaders and Summer Scholars will mutually explore connections between scholarship and teaching, and some time is also provided for work on individual or collaborative projects.

Applications are due March 5, 2025. Applicants will be notified on April 2, 2025. Successful applicants must accept or decline their offer(s) by April 16, 2025. Please note that once you have accepted an offer to attend any NEH Summer Program (seminar or institute), you may not accept an additional offer or withdraw in order to accept a different offer.

Please review the eligibility guidelines before applying.

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Full Name
Are you a US Citizen or permanent resident?
Address of Institution
Have you previously attended an NEH-funded summer program?
Is either of the co-directors (Karin Meyers or William Waldron) a family member, or have you previously studied with one or both of them?
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Please attach a 2-3 page essay (maximum 750 words, PDF format) that demonstrates the following criteria: • Your effectiveness and commitment to teaching • Where and how you will take what you learn at the Institute back to your own institution. • Your interest in the topic of the Buddhism and the natural world, and in the ways this topic might contribute to personal and social transformation. • Your perspectives, skills, or life experiences that would contribute to the Institute as whole. (To enrich the conversation, we will prioritize variety and diversity in all its dimensions.) Max file size is 30 MB.
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Please attach a resume or CV (pdf format). Max file size is 30 MB.
Grad student applicants: please ask an academic adviser or professor to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. Recommenders can send the letter directly via email to karinm@mangalamresearch.org.