The John Templeton Foundation was created by investor Sir John Templeton. Since his death in 2005, it has been led after the founder’s death by his late son, John Templeton Jr., and by his grandchildren, Heather Templeton Dill and Jennifer Templeton Simpson. The foundation’s primary focus is exploring the scientific basis for religion and spirituality. The foundation is also a major donor to center-right advocacy organizations. 1
John Templeton was born in Winchester, Tennessee in 1912. After he graduated from Yale University and Oxford University (where he was a Rhodes Scholar), he began his career as an investor in 1939, where he invested $100 in each of 104 U.S. companies whose shares were selling for less than a dollar. Templeton told Money magazine in 1999 that “I had a profit on 100 out of 104 of them. I made roughly five times my money.” 1
The Templeton Growth Fund, created in 1956, had an annual return of 15 percent a year until Templeton sold it in 1994, earning himself $440 million. Money called him “arguably one of the greatest global stock pickers of the 20th century” and “a towering figure, one of the few masters from whom every investor can learn.” 1
Templeton became a British citizen in 1968 and spent the remainder of his life living in the Bahamas. In 1987 he was knighted for his services to philanthropy and is honored by a window in the Lady Chapel of Westminster Abbey for his donations towards the abbey’s restoration. 2
Philanthropy
Templeton told Money his goal as a philanthropist was “to help hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, to have spiritual wealth. It’s the most fundamental need humanity has ever had.” 3
He told the Saturday Evening Post in 2003 the “main purpose” of his philanthropy was “persuading people that, with the proper scientific research, it’s possible to eventually make discoveries of spiritual realities so that, within a century, humans will know a hundred times more about divinity and spiritual principles as any human has known to date.” 4
Templeton’s first philanthropic venture was the Templeton Prize, established in 1973, which is jointly administered by the Templeton Foundation, the Templeton World Charity Foundation, and the Templeton Religion Trust. Current Templeton Prize winners receive £1.1 million (approximately $1.5 million as of November 2021). The criteria for determining the recipients were changed in 2020 so that it goes to “research, discovery, public engagement, and religious leadership that advance our understanding of, and appreciation for, the insights that science brings to the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s purpose and place within it.” 5 As of 2021, the three most recent Templeton Prize winners were Dartmouth College physicist Marcelo Gleiser, National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins, and zoologist Jane Goodall. 6
Donor Intent
John Templeton was concerned that his intentions in establishing the Templeton Foundation would not be honored after his death. He told the Chronicle of Philanthropy in 2003 that both the MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation were illustrative examples of how foundations drifted away from their founder’s intentions. 7 The MacArthur Foundation deed of trust, Templeton said, let trustees “spend the money however the trustees want to.” 8 Templeton criticized the Ford Foundation for sprinkling “money around to various causes. It’s not as cost-effective as concentrating in an area where people aren’t putting up any money.” 8 Templeton decided to endow the Templeton Foundation in perpetuity, because, as Michael Anft reported in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, he believed that “because spiritual knowledge is so limited” perpetuity was required “so that the field can make appreciable gains in the next century.”8
“Father’s hot-button issue is donor intent,” Templeton’s son, John Templeton Jr., told Christianity Today in 2005. “Foundations are taken too far in a radical direction.” 9
Templeton Sr. left a detailed deed of trust describing his wishes, including that “the major intentions of the Founder are: (i) to encourage new spiritual information and spiritual research to increase as rapidly as medical information did in the 20th Century; (ii) to encourage the world to spend at least as much resources on research for new spiritual information as the world spends on science research, and (iii) to encourage the idea that less than 1 percent of spiritual reality is known by humans … For progress in religion, the Foundation shall always encourage open-minded research and never advocate any particular religious theme or argument.” 10
To ensure that his wishes were followed, Templeton set up a system whereby outside auditors would review foundation grants and, if they determined the grants were not in line with Templeton’s intentions, could tell the board to remedy the situation within one year. If that didn’t happen, the trustees could be fired and replaced by new ones. 8 If the independent auditors found that more than nine percent of Templeton Foundation grants violated donor intent, John Templeton Jr. and two other top officials could be fired. 9
There is no evidence that anyone at the Templeton Foundation was fired for violating the founder’s donor intent. John Templeton Jr. remained president of the foundation until his death in 2015. But in 2013 Jane Siebels, a Templeton Foundation trustee who had worked for Templeton for six years as a portfolio manager, told Bridgespan that the trustees were often frustrated by the restrictions in the Templeton Foundation deed of trust, including a clause that several of Templeton’s books be considered part of the deed, meaning “our charter is almost 700 pages long.” Her experiences with the Templeton Foundation, she said, led her to advise donors “to give it away while they’re still alive, because that’s the only way to ensure your wishes are met.” 11
During John Templeton Jr.’s tenure as Templeton Foundation president, he instituted a requirement that every project the foundation funded included a statement on how the grant honored his father’s donor intent. 12
In 2018 the Templeton Press published Sir John’s Vision, an anthology of articles about Templeton’s intentions as a donor. 13
John Templeton Jr.
In 1995, John Templeton’s son, Dr. John Templeton Jr., became president of the Templeton Foundation. After obtaining his medical degree, the younger Templeton worked as a trauma surgeon at the naval hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia, and at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia before assuming the Templeton Foundation presidency. 1415
While funding on religion and science remained the primary concern of the Templeton foundation, the foundation also increased its donations to center-right advocacy groups pursuant to a clause in the foundation’s charter that calls for it to support “free competition, entrepreneurship, and the enhancement of individual freedom and free markets.” The charter recommends trustees read works by Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, Milton Friedman, and Edwin J. Feulner. John J. Miller, writing in National Review in 2007, said that “it would be wrong to call the Templeton Foundation conservative…yet many conservatives have benefited from its giving,” citing grants to the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and the Mercatus Center. 16
One legacy of this period is the Templeton Freedom Prize, awarded by the Atlas Network since 2004 and supported by the Templeton Foundation between 2004-2013, though it has since been sponsored by the Templeton Religion Trust. The $100,000 prize, awarded to a think tank that promotes free enterprise from outside the United States and Europe, has as of 2021 been most recently awarded to the Egyptian center for Public Policy Studies (2018), the Foundation for Economic Freedom in the Philippines (2019) and the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (2020). 17
Heather Templeton Dill and Jennifer Templeton Simpson
After John Templeton Jr. died in 2015, control of the foundation passed two to of his daughters, with Heather Templeton Dill becoming president of the foundation and Jennifer Templeton Simpson chair of the board of trustees. Jennifer Templeton Simpson told Philanthropy in 2020 that “I’m very different from my grandfather in my own philanthropic interests and the way I live my life” but “the guardrails” John Templeton installed about donor intent “help us move a lot faster, because we don’t waste time going sideways.” 12
“As an organization,” Heather Templeton Dill told Philadelphia Magazine in 2020, “the mission that we are asked to carry out is addressed to a specific set of needs. Some might call it a spiritual hunger, or a crisis of meaning and purpose. It’s an uncommon mission, and one we feel has a role to play in today’s world. Our hope, our dream as an institution, is to help people flourish and find joy by bringing the tools of science to bear on profound questions that at one point or another touch all of us.” 18
Grantmaking
In 2019, the Templeton Foundation was a major source of funding for ten right-leaning advocacy organizations and one left-leaning one. Center-right organizations receiving grants of over $100,000 from the Templeton Foundation in 2019 included the Acton Institute ($388,000), the Atlas Economic Research Foundation ($1,610,000), the Cato institute ($590,000), Foundation for Economic Education ($540,000), Foundation for Excellence in Higher Education ($211,000), Fraser Institute ($210,000), Heterodox Academy ($860,000), Liberty Fund ($1,380,000), Mercatus Center ($530,000), and Philanthropy Roundtable ($150,000). The foundation gave the left-leaning New Venture Fund $150,000 for general operating support in that year. 19
In 2019, the Templeton Foundation gave a $1.1 million grant to the Pew Charitable Trusts for continuing support of the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project, a joint venture of the Pew Research Center and the Templeton Foundation. The project combines a database of demographic data about world religions with a series of reports, including the ages of active members of various denominations and the rise of Muslims in Europe. 20
The major concern of the Templeton Foundation continues to be answering what it calls the “Big Questions” about the meaning of life and the purpose of religion. In 2019, the foundation announced it would spend $325 million between 2019-23 on twelve “strategic priorities.” Including “Intellectual Humility,” “Religious Cognition,” and “Science-Engaged Theology.” 21
According to a January 2026 study by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), out of Higher Education’s annual $772 billion “revenue base,” reportedly only 0.16 percent (or $1.2 billion per year) goes towards the humanities, arts, and social sciences (HASS) from U.S.-based private foundations. In addition, the same study showed that in 2023, nearly 80 percent of private grantmaking towards HASS-based fields that year came from only 25 foundations. The top ten listed are: the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (over $160.7 million), the “Foundation to Promote Open Society/Open Society Institute” (over $84.9 million), the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation (over $66.2 million), the John Templeton Foundation (over $66.5 million), the Duke Endowment (over $62.5 million), the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (over $51 million), the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation (over $49.7 million), the Windgate Charitable Foundation (over $48.5 million), the JPB Foundation (name changed to Freedom Together Foundation as of 2024) (over $36.6 million), and the Zell Family Foundation (over $35.2 million). 22
The Black Hole Initiative joins mathematicians, physicists, astrophysicists, historians, and philosophers of science-all seizing the chance to collaborate on these mysterious spacetime phenomena. It was a gamble when we began in 2016. Since then, the first Event Horizon Telescope images of M87* and Sgr A* emerged (first glimpsed at the BHI) changing the reality status of black holes, seen by a billion people. Our 2020 photon ring paper ring originated at the BHI with its combination of physics, astrophysics, and philosophy. Groundbreaking work took place at the BHI on the information loss paradox, on black hole formation, and on intermediate-mass black holes. From the BHI came a film on black hole work seen by millions; by 2024, the BHI is hosting a worldwide "History Philosophy Culture" collaboration on black holes, tied to BHI work. Professional training has been foundational to the BHI. Our alumni now lead their own research groups. For our signature BHI postdoctoral program, 9 of 20 former recipients hold faculty positions, and 11 have continued postdoctoral appointments. Of 21 BHI grad students, 6 are faculty. From the BHI have come 482 papers cited 10,000+ times. The BHI's interdisciplinary success has spawned parallel programs around the world. The BHI is ready for the next step, focusing on four linked projects that organically coalesced, each advanced by their presence at the BHI, each drawing two or more Pls. Together these form the core of our project: The next-generation Event Horizon Telescope (ngEHT) builds out the EHT, deploying new telescopes to optimal locations enhancing current capabilities. Quantum Black Holes and Holography links 4D gravity to lower-dimensional quantum field theory. Bridging the Scales unifies simulations spanning 10 orders of magnitude, from horizon- through Bondi- to galaxy-scales. The Black Hole Explorer (BHEX) extends VLBI into space to detect and measure the photon ring, a portal into the basic nature of black holes
$6,300,000
2021
Regents of the University of Minnesota
AGENCY, DIRECTIONALITY, AND FUNCTION: FOUNDATIONS FOR A SCIENCE OF PURPOSE
$5,220,961
2025
Boston University
This project seeks to address the current mental health crisis by enhancing the clinical training and practice of mental health professionals. We have several key innovations built within and across our collaborative team science approach with eight diverse clinical training site projects. We will develop and test evidence-based training tools that integrate relational virtues and flourishing into psychotherapy. Emerging research shows therapists want and need training on best practices for implementing these concepts into treatment with sensitivity to suffering and sociocultural contexts. In our projects, we will utilize a reciprocal relationship between developing training approaches and examining the impact via clinical research. This will help generate new treatment and training insights on how best to integrate virtue and flourishing within mainstream psychotherapy approaches. Additionally, our focus on therapist formation also addresses rising levels of therapist burnout and makes an innovative contribution to the clinical training of future generations of therapists. We also plan to develop an early career cohort of clinical scholars and conduct a request for proposals for research in this area to help build a network for sustaining this work on virtue and flourishing in psychotherapy into the future. We will be able to train hundreds of therapists in this project and the training materials/guidelines have the potential to impact tens of thousands of trainees and trainers. The training and clinical protocols will be disseminated broadly through publications, presentations, training seminars, and websites. Our study with experts in the field will also inform training guidelines within major training organizations and this work will be a centerpiece of our co-edited book, special section in a major journal, and our closing conference. Ultimately, our project has the potential for wide-spread impact for transforming the training and practice of psychotherapy
$5,000,000
2025
Emory University
The Emory-Tibet Science Initiative (ETSI), a comprehensive science education program for Tibetan monastics, is a collaboration between two sophisticated investigative traditions: science and Buddhism. Through ETSI, scientists and Buddhist scholars engage multiple modes of inquiry in areas of mutual interest to further humanity's understanding of the internal and external worlds. In the last two decades, ETSI has worked to integrate science into the core curriculum of monastic academic institutions, completing the implementation phase for monks (2014-2019), pilot (2008-2013), and development (2006-2007) stages of the project. It is currently completing the sustainability phase (2021-2025) and the implementation for nuns (2017 -2025, with two gap years). Key to ETSI's success is an emphasis on long-term sustainability, ensuring this unique program is embedded in the participating monasteries-thus cultivating a new type of scientist with fresh perspectives on how to employ time-tested, contemplative methodologies to relieve suffering in the contemporary world. By creating common ground between science and spirituality and respectfully exploring possible tensions, ETSI is making a significant contribution to human knowledge and wisdom. The presentation of innovative research studies exploring the impact of different contemplative practices at the ETSI's first monastic research conference in May 2024 is a testament to how far the program has come. In this project we aim to 1) offer advanced science content specialization training and research enhancement training to a group of twenty-seven monastics who are graduates of the three-year sustainability phase program, 2) establish a science research enhancement, research methodology, and pedagogy development fund to which these monastics will apply to execute self-initiated projects, and 3) offer the sustainability training and specialization training to a second cohort of monastics–monks and nuns
$4,743,749
2025
Centre Pour La Recherche Sur L'espace, Le Temps Et La Physique Quantique
There are phenomena, on a wide range of scales, where conventional notions of space and time appear to be insufficient. Examples are laboratory experiments where spacetime is 'set in a quantum superposition', the end of the evaporation of black holes, the very early universe. The project aims at understanding reality in these contexts, addressing the question: are space and time irreducible aspects of reality Can physics be developed without them Members of three intellectual communities bring complementary instruments to this aim: theoretical and conceptual tools from Quantum Information, the spinnetwork/spinfoam formalism of non-perturbative Quantum Gravity, and the conceptual clarity of analytic Philosophy. The project gathers a consortium of 30 faculties and 30 postdocs and students, organized into two hubs (Madrid and Vienna) and satellites research groups (Bonn, Brussels, Cyprus, Florida, London Holloway, London UCL, Louisiana, Marseille, Melbourne, Okinawa, Oxford, Paris, Pennsylvania, Perimeter, Zurich). It supports postdoctoral scholarships, collaborations, workshops, schools, and outreach activity. We expect it to advance a coherent understanding of these phenomena, work towards verifiable predictions, and promote a research culture focusing on big questions and conceptual problems
This project seeks to advance our understanding of, and develop sources for, how people develop meaningful lives and pursue spiritual flourishing in a rapidly changing world. It does so by looking particularly at the changed spiritual, societal and cultural realities regarding the salient attribute of hope, specifically seeking to develop increased spiritual capital in a world where hope has turned into despair simultaneous to the decline in organized religion in the West. Spiritual capital relates to the development of models of human authenticity that enrich society and the organizations and communities of that society. Spiritual capital is one way of living out virtues in public life. This project will conduct five targeted sub-theme interdisciplinary theological investigations into areas in which hope is needed: (1) Technology; (2) Civics; (3) Youth; (4) Health; (5) Entrepreneurship. These will be investigated alongside a synoptic inquiry into hope. The project will bring together CTI staff, 2 senior fellows and five cohorts of 6 fellows for an inter-disciplinary investigation in which philosophers and theologians will engage: (1) a 16-week virtual inquiry into inter-disciplinary material led by an inter-disciplinary consultant, including a curriculum of readings, lectures and workshops, and culminating in a mutually transformative inter-disciplinary discourse on hope; (2) a 16 week residential phase focused on writing and development of work in progress; and (3) a 16 week public inquiry focused on avenues to impact. Concrete deliverables include: 34 monographs; five edited collections; 30 open access Conversaziones; over 32 podcasts; eight public events; 15 global webinars; 6 magazines; and the launch of an open access platform. The impact of the project will be to increase hope as a salient virtue in measurable ways globally
Albert & Anne Santorelli Charitable Remainder Unitrust
The changing landscape of trust in health-shaped by misinformation, historical injustices, and institutional challenges, among other factors-reflects a broader shift in confidence in traditional institutions and expertise. To address these challenges, it is essential to forge a new model for partnership between faith and health actors, recognizing the vital role that faith communities can play in building trust and promoting well-being, and sense-making in a changing world. The Georgetown-Lancet Commission on Faith, Trust, and Health, housed within Georgetown University Global Health Institute (GUGHI), brings together a leading group of faith actors, government leaders, public health practitioners and health workers, social scientific and medical researchers, and influential social media voices. The Commission will create a shared space for research, dialogue, and collaboration to build trust and advance global health and well-being. The Commission's composition and research will be global, multidisciplinary, and inclusive-incorporating diverse faith traditions, political perspectives, and geographic contexts to ensure an approach to strengthening trust in health that is both multifaceted and contextually grounded. The Commission's work centers on three primary outcomes: 1) Agenda-setting on faith, trust, and health: Reframe and prioritize the intersection of faith, trust, and health by analyzing the evidence base, generating thought leadership through multidisciplinary dialogue, and leveraging high-profile Commissioners to champion this work. 2)Shaping policy and practice: Develop and recommend strategies and tools that strengthen public trust in health through improved policies and practices within health and faith practitioners and communities. 3) Collaboration and network-building: Strengthen relationships and networks between diverse groups in faith and health by fostering mutual respect and collaboration at local, national, and global levels
$3,965,844
2025
American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists
We aim to address the following questions about the universe, and the generation of knowledge and discovery: – What is the fundamental nature of matter and spacetime – What forces shape physical reality – What is the meaning of "discovery" when AI and simulation guide the pursuit of truth – How can partnership between science and interactive visual media boost awe and ownership of discovery, free of educational prerequisites We are a team of field-leading experts in astronomy, physics, computer science, philosophy, and cinematic arts, proposing creation of an interdisciplinary Hub to begin to answer these questions and challenge long-standing paradigms in cosmology and epistemology. Our key science deliverables include state-of-the-art simulations of the universe and critical steps towards comprehensive observational tests of the biggest unknowns in cosmology, including the physics of dark matter and neutrino particles. We also aim to examine epistemological implications of reliance on simulation and artificial intelligence in sciences and rethink the meaning of understanding and discovery. We will redefine the way the broader public interacts with cosmological discovery, using interactive visual media to promote intuitive conceptualization of cosmology
$3,890,275
2025
The Catholic University of America
In Dostoevsky's novel The Idiot, Prince Myshkin famously asks, "Can beauty save the world" This project explores whether and how beauty-through individual and collective experiences-can serve as a transformative force in a secular age. As traditional religious frameworks wane, a growing demographic identifies as "spiritual but not religious," seeking new pathways to meaning and transcendence. We seek to address if and how beauty may hold the key to personal and collective transformation among this demographic. This interdisciplinary project, spanning sociology, psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and literature, investigates how aesthetic experiences-individually and through collective acts like choral singing and immersive theater-may shape meaning-making and personal transformation. It includes the first large-scale international study of beauty, with nationally representative surveys in the US and UK (N=10,000), in-depth interviews (n=240), and fieldwork in five diverse sites, including small- and large-scale events. Electrophysiological measurements through wearable technology will offer new insights into the relationship between beauty, spirituality, and well-being. Outputs will include three book proposals (a trade book, an academic monograph, and an edited volume), 15 peer-reviewed journal articles, 20 popular articles, 15 conference presentations, a new survey dataset, and 7 teaching syllabi. Public-facing events, including symposia, conferences, retreats, workshops, and salon dinners, will extend the impact beyond academia, sparking global conversations about the transformative role of beauty in contemporary society. By integrating rigorous academic inquiry with real-world impact, this project will advance a new understanding of beauty as a spiritual resource and inspire practical tools for personal and social flourishing. It bridges disciplines and audiences to demonstrate how beauty can act as a catalyst for meaning and flourishing in a secular age
$3,787,552
2025
World Science Foundation
The World Science Festival's Rethinking Reality initiative invites audiences to explore the most profound and enduring questions at the intersection of science, philosophy, and human experience: How did the universe begin What is the nature of consciousness Do we have free will Are we alone in the cosmos What does it mean to be human in an age of artificial intelligence The project aims to illuminate these and related mysteries, exploring not only scientific progress but also the philosophical, ethical, and existential dimensions of discovery. This three-year initiative will unfold through two distinct but interconnected categories: Beyond the Horizon is a series of public programs-live and digital-featuring wide-ranging conversations with visionary scientists, philosophers, artists, and thought leaders. Hosted by physicist and author Brian Greene, these events are designed to be intellectually rigorous yet accessible, exploring bold ideas through storytelling, debate, and striking visual media. Signature Performances are original stage productions that bring scientific discovery to life through dramatic narrative, music, and immersive design. These performances will dramatize landmark breakthroughs-from the birth of quantum theory to the mysteries of spacetime-illuminating not just what we know, but how that knowledge can impact our understanding of ourselves and the nature of reality. The initiative will result in 60 live and digital Beyond the Horizon programs and three major stage works, all made available through digital platforms, broadcast, and/or live events. Fostering curiosity and intellectual engagement, Rethinking Reality will deepen public understanding of science and its role in shaping our lives, inspiring audiences to engage science in the human quest for coherence and meaning
$3,591,675
2025
Purdue University
AI conversational agents (CAs) are increasingly used (e.g., counseling, coaching, companionship) despite limited evidentiary basis due to disciplinary silos, short-term studies, and a narrow focus on short-term subjective well-being. Worryingly, current AI CAs risk fostering moral atrophy with a limited focus on short-term gratification, undermining the development of essential character virtues (CVs) for human flourishing. We conjecture that nearly all extant AI CAs trained to enhance short-term subjective well-being (e.g., engagement, amusement) may not translate to CVs because they focus less on CV-inducing emotions (achievement-oriented [e.g., pride] or other-directed [e.g., gratitude]), do not consider philosophical underpinnings of long-term and collective-focus (vs. immediate and individual), nor overcome limitations of short-term AI architecture that CVs require. This is an interdisciplinary problem, and significant questions remain: (1) conceptually and practically, how to design and deploy AI CAs that are psychologically and ethically guided for CVs, and (2) empirically, how to evaluate how effective the best-designed AI CAs are at promoting CVs over long-term engagements. Our project will combine novel interdisciplinary and integrative frameworks that draw on expert focus groups across multiple disciplines to propose several technical approaches to designing AI CAs that optimize for CVs. This will also entail rigorous empirical testing, including experimental and longitudinal studies, with behavioral assessments (e.g., phone use, videos), to obtain evidence on long-term effectiveness. We expect multiple papers and talks, open source virtue-centered AI CAs, datasets, websites, and videos, showcasing the key aspects of AI creation and its effectiveness. If funded, our work will serve as a basis to guide future research on AI CAs for enhancing CVs, the adoption of AI CAs for diverse contexts, and public policy on AI use for CVs and long-term human flourishing
$3,500,000
2023
American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists
AGENCY, DIRECTIONALITY, AND FUNCTION: FOUNDATIONS FOR A SCIENCE OF PURPOSE
$3,461,315
2021
University of Bristol
RELIGIOUS BELIEF, HEALTH, AND DISEASE: A FAMILY PERSPECTIVE. II. THE FOLLOW-UP AND ANALYSES
$3,196,667
2025
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) can be traced back to Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas. It finds its full expression, though, in the works of Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Hayek, and Ludwig von Mises, among others. These early PPE thinkers integrated the unique insights from each of the three individual disciplines to understand the social and political institutions that shape our world. The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) Research Consortium continues this tradition by advancing PPE research with a focus on cultivating, dramatically expanding, and supporting a vibrant ecosystem of PPE scholars. In bringing together the analytical tools of the namesake disciplines along with those of allied fields in the humanities and social sciences, the Consortium will generate a robust repository of interdisciplinary research that seeks to address society's most pressing issues. This interdisciplinary approach – and central aim of PPE as an academic inquiry – allows for critical engagement with issues that are vital to human flourishing. The research we support might explore subjects ranging from the role of markets in a free society, to democracy, governance, and the rule of law, to education and public health. The Consortium will leverage PPE's distinctive advantages by sponsoring projects that apply its tools, insights, and methods towards finding solutions that promote individual liberty and prosperity. While the immediate goal of the Consortium is to develop an extensive catalog of PPE resources – articles, papers, course materials and syllabi, manuscripts, and pedagogical tools – the overarching aim is to reinforce PPE as a foundational intellectual enterprise and ensure its continued role in addressing the complex challenges facing contemporary society
$3,123,309
2025
King's College London
Ecological critics maintain that under-regulated business activity generates environmental degradation, systemic environmental risks, and leads to injustices in access to environmental quality. This project will engage divergent perspectives on the relationship between different models of market economies, regulation and green ideals. It will address the following questions: What is the relationship between business freedom, economic growth, and environmental protection Can institutions of several property and contract law allow businesses and consumers to address systemic environmental risks such as bio-diversity loss and climate change Is respect for private property and negative rights compatible with environmental justice When might Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) schemes promote individual freedom and when might they threaten that freedom The project will support disciplinary and interdisciplinary research in economics, law, philosophy, politics and their relationship to natural scientific analysis. It will produce scholarly articles and books. It will host a visiting scholars program at KCL to stimulate the engagement of classical liberal perspectives with those favoring non-liberal models of the market economy. It will recruit post-doctoral researchers to build a new generation of scholars engaging market-based and property rights approaches to sustainable development. It will engage visiting scholars and post-docs with business and civil society to generate a wider appreciation of classical liberal responses to practical environmental challenges. It will commission an undergraduate text bringing together ecological critiques of business activity with standpoints sympathetic to institutions of private property, contract, and free commercial exchange. Finally, it will curate a thematic research portal dedicated to the best work that engages classical liberal approaches to business and environmental governance with their strongest critics
$3,000,000
2025
Hopelab Foundation Inc
Imagine a world where every young person can cultivate their purpose, unlocking their potential and transforming their communities. Purpose provides a compass, bolstering mental health, fostering resilience, and motivating healthy behaviors. Yet, despite decades of research on purpose, systemic barriers-a siloed ecosystem, underutilized youth voices, and limited practitioner tools-prevent its transformative power from reaching all youth. This project represents a groundbreaking partnership between the Purpose Science and Innovation Exchange (PSiX) at Cornell University and the Purpose Commons. Together, these sister organizations aim to build a dynamic infrastructure to advance purpose science, foster collaboration, and amplify impact. Through three strategic pillars-building a purpose ecosystem, advancing purpose science, and communicating its power-this project addresses critical gaps in the youth development field. Over two years of design work, we engaged researchers, youth-serving organizations, youth, and funders to shape our approach. PSiX anchors rigorous research, while the Purpose Commons ensures insights are co-designed with youth and practitioners. Initial experiments like the National Contribution Project demonstrate the effectiveness of our collaborative model, showing how research, youth input, and storytelling generate actionable insights and inspire broader engagement. By fostering collaboration among researchers, youth, and practitioners, piloting convenings, and amplifying youth voices through storytelling, this project seeds the foundation for a thriving purpose ecosystem. It bridges research and practice to ensure purpose science evolves responsively, helping youth thrive and embedding purpose in the national conversation on well-being. This project builds the infrastructure to create a world where purpose science is accessible, relevant, and transformative-unlocking youth potential and reshaping systems for generations to come
$2,900,000
2022
Medical University of Graz
WE ALL ARE MULTITUDES: THE MICROCHIMERISM, HUMAN HEALTH AND EVOLUTION PROJECT
$2,600,000
2025
THE INSTITUTE FOR CITIZENS & SCHOLARS
In recent years, increasing numbers of Americans have begun embracing illiberal beliefs, and our political landscape is growing more polarized by the day. Now, more than ever, institutions of higher education have an obligation to equip every undergraduate with the civic skills and dispositions to thrive in a pluralistic society. In particular, there is a pressing need to give college students opportunities to practice civil discourse. The Institute for Citizens & Scholars is meeting the urgency of this moment through our College Presidents for Civic Preparedness-a consortium of more than 120 higher ed leaders. These presidents hold diverse political views, but they share a desire to equip students for effective citizenship. Together with this consortium, we are pursuing two major initiatives: Faculty Institute: this program prepares cohorts of faculty members to help their students engage effectively with contentious issues in the classroom. Each Institute begins with a 2.5-day in-person gathering, followed by an 18-month series of virtual learning sessions. Faculty participants commit to create or redesign a course, or lead a peer-directed workshop, that promotes civil discourse on their home campus. Campuswide Immersion: through this initiative, we assemble cohorts of schools from our larger consortium with the aim of helping them give every one of their undergraduates multiple opportunities to practice civil discourse. The initiative begins with buy-in from the college presidents, who appoint a group of influential faculty, staff, and students to champion civil discourse on their campus. Our team supports these campus leaders in creating and implementing customized action plans for equipping every undergraduate with relevant skills and dispositions. Our objective with both Faculty Institute and Campuswide Immersion is to revitalize campuses as vibrant hubs of civil discourse and collaborative problem-solving
$2,594,396
2021
University of South Alabama
CATALYZING CULTURAL SHIFT TO INTEGRATE RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL COMPETENCIES
$2,549,667
2025
Circle K International Inc
Advancing Spiritual Care (ASC) is a ten-year initiative designed to transform patient care, elevating spiritual care as an essential element of whole person care across health systems worldwide. Research has shown that spiritual care has a significant impact on patient health and wellbeing. Guidelines have been developed on how to integrate spiritual care in clinical settings. Through ASC, we envision an innovative model of global health, where all members of the interprofessional healthcare team recognize and address spiritual health as a fundamental part of treating the whole person-physical, emotional, and spiritual. All clinicians will assess, diagnose, and treat spiritual distress, working collaboratively with specialist care professionals to address patient suffering. We foresee spiritual care will become a standard of care across all clinical settings and that spiritual health, especially spiritual distress, will be attended to in the same way as other clinical problems. In this second cycle of ASC, we will continue to train clinician-chaplain pairs using GWish's Interprofessional Spiritual Care Education Curriculum (ISPEC) Train-the-Trainer course, as well as offer an introductory micro-learning series and an annual ISPEC 101 to teach clinicians basic skills to integrate spiritual care into their practice; further, we will develop targeted ISPEC curricula for different specializations. We will recruit and mentor ten interprofessional GWish Scholar teams to design and implement Demonstration Projects, creating testable models of clinical spiritual care and building an evidence base to demonstrate the impact of spiritual care on patient outcomes and well-being. ASC is an innovative project designed to develop the next generation of clinical spiritual care leaders and promote the reintegration of spirituality into the medical culture, where patients feel heard about what matters most to them and where clinicians practice from their vocation and call
In our proposal, we argued that the current instability in American society makes it ripe for new paradigms and habits, and in this environment, public philosophy can become an important culture-shaping force, inspiring new ideas, virtues, and practices. Philosophy, as we define it, is the relentless insistence on asking primary questions. Our approach to philosophy overlaps closely with JTF's emphasis on intellectual humility, defined as the capacity to recognize "our intellectual limitations in the service of pursuing deeper knowledge, truth, and understanding." In this project we build on significant institutional resources via Aspen Institute's Philosophy & Society Initiative, and successful DC-based pilots including an energetic yearly philosophy salon attracting participants from the highest levels of media, think tanks, and government; as well as an "owned media" outlet, called Wisdom of Crowds, which attracts robust audiences of 100,000+ per month, and has the capacity to drive other outside media, for example via frequent citations in the New York Times and other national newspapers. Building on these promising experiments, we will develop four activities to expand the depth and range of the influence of public philosophy: -A Philosophy R&D Lab designed to incubate creativity, and influence public conversation via owned media and external publications; -A Podcast Series about the future of humanity (distributed via Wisdom of Crowds); -An Emerging Writers Workshop, based in DC, specifically designed to find and launch new talent focused on virtue and first principle inquiry into public conversation; -Expanding our Philosophers' Salon beyond DC, with the aim of giving broader audiences an opportunity to experiment with the ideas and habits of philosophy
$2,497,140
2025
Society of Women Engineers
Both theorists and practitioners of capitalism seem to be losing confidence in the merits of business. Three times as many students say that college has given them a worse view of capitalism than a better one. More professional philosophers favor socialism than capitalism. And about a quarter of people in business think their jobs are useless. But evidence also shows that these attitudes can change-for instance, spotlighting the long-term benefits of profit helps reduce anti-profit beliefs. Our project explores how profitable commercial activity not only enriches oneself and others, but contributes to a meaningful and well-lived life. We want to marry philosophy's study of meaning and business schools' study of commerce by exploring the parallels between the imperative individuals feel to fill their lives with purpose and the imperative of a business to know what its business is. We will launch a new postdoctoral doctorate at the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University to train a new generation of uniquely philosophically-minded business ethicists. Additionally, we will organize workshops and publish research that examines the harmony between a business's need for a mission and an individual's need for meaning. Our project also has a teaching component. We will merge ethical and entrepreneurial lessons into business education at WVU through experiential learning projects that ask students to create value for themselves and others, reflect on their career ambitions, and confront moral dilemmas. More specifically, we will integrate the Purpose Project into the education of every student at the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University by reinventing our Business Ethics course. The goal is to deepen students' understanding of how they consume and work, their own moral motivations and those of others, how for-profit and non-profit activity compare as means of doing good in the world, and more
$2,464,397
2025
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Our goal is to understand the role of non-ordinary meaningful experiences in the lives of those who are spiritual but not religious (SBNR). We have assembled an interdisciplinary team of anthropologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers to use mixed methods to explore the following questions: 1) What kinds of experiences do SBNRs report 2) Can these experiences be cultivated through spiritual practices 2) What can neuroimaging tell us about the mechanisms underlying cultivation, among SBNRs 4) How should SBNRs interpret such experiences, how much meaning can they reasonably find in them To answer these questions, we plan to do observational work to look at a series of non-religious groups: people not in a spiritual community who have unexpected and apparently unexplained experiences. We also plan to use large database survey work both to explore the kinds of experiences SBNRs report and to see whether the factors that predict spiritual experience among people of faith also predict spiritual experience among SBNRs. In experimental work, we will deliberately "train" SBNRs in practices we know to be used in many faith communities, and explore the way this cultivation changes their lives. We plan to use neuroscientific paradigms to understand the neural and computational mechanisms of confidently perceiving stimuli that are not materially present. The philosophers on this grant will ask: What is the most reasonable thing for a person to think, after having certain striking anomalous experiences, suggestive of a spiritual realm What are the best "live options" for SBNRs We anticipate a series of high-impact articles and books as a result of this work which will shed light on the potential meanings of powerful and poorly understood experiences. We hope to deepen understanding of and increase respect for SBNRs, and also to expand the possible routes to spiritual growth available to non-religious people with spiritual yearnings
