"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)."

“I found the Institute thoughtfully planned and executed. The transcendental movement was, in its time, and continues to be understood as multi-faceted in scope and aims, and the visiting faculty's presentations successfully explored the movement in all its breadth and depth.”

“I am confident that this institute will have lasting effects on my career. Studying the Transcendentalists in their hometown of Concord among a group of scholars and educators was an experience that I will never forget. Thank you.”

“I am very grateful for this NEH program. The institute exceeded my hopes and expectations. I feel it is a model for how to regenerate scholars at mid-career. We participants will carry with us a new sense of purpose. Many of us felt that we had rarely, if ever, been in the company of so many bright minds and sensitive hearts.”

“The program was excellent, providing me a chance to meet fellow teachers/scholars with an interest in the Transcendentalists, explore the historical contexts of Transcendentalism, and research materials of particular importance to me. I've already revised my American Literature survey syllabus in light of what I learned.”

“This experience deepened my understanding of the Transcendentalists in context with their place and also my historical understanding of Abolition and the important role women played in social reform This understanding is invaluable in my research and will make me a much better teacher of these subjects.”

“This seminar vastly increased my knowledge about Transcendentalism and the most significant Transcendentalists. Being in Concord, and specifically at the historic Colonial Inn, gave me an invaluable grounding in that specific place and helped me to understand its importance in and influence on the lives of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau.”

How to Apply

Applications will be evaluated by a committee consisting of the project director, assistant director, and other scholars. Their selection criteria will include:

Quality and commitment as a teacher, scholar, and interpreter of the humanities
Intellectual interests, in general and as they relate to the work of the institute
Special perspectives, skills, or experiences that would contribute to the institute
Commitment to participate fully in the formal and informal collegial life of the institute
The likelihood that the experience will enhance the applicant’s teaching and scholarship

Application Instructions

Remember that applications must be submitted, following the instructions below, by March 1, 2022 @ 11:59 pm. Applicants will be notified on March 25, 2022 whether they have been selected; you will have until April 8, 2022 to confirm your acceptance.

There are three components to your application: 1) this completed form; 2) a current CV; and 3) an Application Essay described below in #15.

Founded in 1941, The Thoreau Society is the largest and oldest organization dedicated to an American author.

© The Thoreau Society, Inc. The Thoreau Society® is a registered trademark of the Thoreau Society, a US-registered 501(c)3 charitable organization.