Anyone who is prepared to discuss and work on issues relevant to the scope of the Institute and the year’s theme is eligible to put together a team and submit a proposal. In broad terms, working groups are expected to have a humanistic orientation. They absolutely may feature participants from scientific, technological, or other backgrounds, and we hope they will. But the primary thrust of the program is humanistic.

We especially welcome diverse groups, that contain varied perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise, including people from outside the United States. If you have a project you think would benefit from participating in this Institute, and that other participants in the Institute would benefit from engaging with, we encourage you to apply, regardless of the stage in your career or institutional affiliation.

In other words, students, independent scholars, secondary school educators, professions not usually associated with academia – don’t exclude yourself, but do form teams that include others who come from a different background than yours.