The National Humanities Medal honors individuals and organizations whose work has strengthened Americans’ understanding of and engagement with history, literature, philosophy, or other humanities subjects. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) established the award in 1997 as the successor to the Charles Frankel Prize in the Humanities, which was awarded from 1989 to 1996.

Eligibility
Individual nominees must be living U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have filed for naturalization. Nominated organizations must be established or incorporated in the United States. Self-nominations are not permitted. Please consult the list of previous honorees before submitting a nomination.

Qualifications
NEH welcomes nominations for individuals and organizations whose activities support excellence in the humanities. Examples of such activities may include:

• significant scholarship or writing that advances understanding of the humanities;
• development of outstanding humanities education programs for traditional students and adult learners;
• production of exemplary television documentaries or radio programs;
• development of excellent interpretive exhibitions, reading and discussion programs, or other programs that enrich the public’s understanding of the humanities;
• sustained philanthropic efforts on behalf of humanities activities or organizations;
• design and implementation of new technologies that enhance public, scholarly, or educational access to the humanities; and
• development of programs that affect the ways in which cultural resources are preserved.

NOTE: For individuals or organizations involved in the creative or performing arts, please see the description of the National Medal of Arts on the National Endowment for the Arts Web site.

Selection Process
The President of the United States selects recipients of the National Humanities Medal in consultation with NEH. The Endowment initiates and administers the nomination and selection process. Nominations are reviewed by members of the National Council on the Humanities, NEH's 26-member presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed board of advisors, and by the NEH Chairman. Their recommendations are then forwarded to the President for consideration with candidates of the President’s own choosing. The principal criterion for selection is the excellence of the nominee’s contribution to the humanities.

How to Submit a Nomination
To nominate an individual or organization, please use the online nomination form.

Deadline
NEH will accept nominations until Friday, April 22, 2011.