The Medieval and Renaissance Curriculum and Outreach project began in 2001 with a UT presidential initiative grant. In 2003 MARCO became the MARCO Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as it received a $3 million challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Under the challenge grant, NEH would provide $600,000 if the institute raised $2.4 million within three years. The funds were raised, and the NEH grant was awarded. The institute is an interdisciplinary program of the College of Arts and Sciences.