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NEH Summer Institutes?

A reader writes in,

I was recently accepted to a four-week NEH summer institute and I'm trying to decide whether or not to attend. Although I am very interested in the topic, the institute is out of state for me, and four weeks is a long time to be away from my family etc. However, I'm on the job market, so I'm also not sure that I can afford to pass the opportunity up. Do you and/or the Cocoon readers have any thoughts regarding these workshops? Are they worth attending? Does having this line on a CV make a difference?

I did one of these earlier in my career and it was a fantastic experience, as well as useful for the job-market. It was a significant time apart from my spouse, but I learned a ton, got some really helpful feedback on a paper that I was having trouble publishing, made some long-term professional relationships, and was able to get two recommendation letters from senior members of the profession which seemed to help me on the market. Although I’m sure not all NEH institutes are equal, based on my experience I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Do any other readers have experience attending an NEH institute? What was your experience? Was it worth the considerable time away (e.g., from loved ones)?

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4 responses to “NEH Summer Institutes?”

  1. lost cause

    My sense is that these are great opportunities and can help one early in their career, quite a bit. I was encouraged to apply to one, until they found out that I was a foreigner (non-US citizen), and had not yet lived in the country for three years. This disqualified me – I could not even apply.

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  2. anon

    It’s well worth it, especially at the early career level. It’s wrong to think about it as a line on the CV. As a mere line it’s not that impressive or helpful. What makes it worth is the potential of what you can make out of it. First there’s the senior faculty that you’ll meet. Any of whom could potentially be an external letter writer for your file if you impress them. Second there’s just the philosophy in your area for a month. You’ll be there to see the directions of new research and the fancy people working in that area now also know about your work. The big benefit of it should be considered the same as the benefit of a small specialized conference in your area vs. the a big conference like the APA.

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  3. historygrrrl

    I’ve not done an NEH as an adult, but I sat in on one years ago as a graduate student assistant.
    The dynamic at this one was amazing: like the best graduate seminar you’ve ever taken, but with mostly junior academics helpfully led by senior experts in the topic. Over the course of several weeks, everybody bonded and got to know one another’s research; people made lifelong friends, which opened up later opportunities for things like edited volume contributions and speaking engagements.
    The family situation is admittedly very difficult. In this group, a few people brought their children/family; they were able to sort out reasonable accommodations and find help with childcare. We also had participants whose families came to visit, maybe on a weekend, to join the group and explore the area a bit.
    My own experience is with much shorter workshops (maybe a week or so), and they are fantastic for all of the same reasons. If you can pull it off, I think you should really try to go, and (if your family has the funds), see if they can come for an extended weekend visit.

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  4. kevin timpe

    I did an NEH seminar about 14 years ago. It was a great experience. I don’t know that it helped me on the job market and didn’t have a huge impact on my scholarship. But it has lead to a number of down the road opportunities, such as being included in on a grant project.

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