John Templeton Foundation Grant Program

Overview

Sir John Templeton established the John Templeton Foundation to make a difference in the world by funding innovative research (including in under-explored areas of work) and by publicizing information about this research to generate more enthusiasm among scholars, practitioners and other funders for new ideas and perspectives. Our approach to grant making starts with Sir John’s philanthropic vision, is based on his guidance for how to make grants and is animated by the new insights and perspectives that applicants submit to the Foundation for consideration year after year.

The John Templeton Foundation organizes grant making in distinct funding areas. We prioritize funding for initial projects lasting up to three years and projects that include substantial funding from other sources. In general, renewal or follow-up funding is possible only if the project proposal includes a detailed plan for covering more than 50% of project costs through other funding sources. Project leaders who may wish to apply for a second round of funding are encouraged to incorporate plans for raising co-funding into their first project.

We only fund projects aligned with our major Funding Areas and Ventures:

• Character Virtue Development. The Character Virtue Development funding area supports the elevation and cultivation of character, with a focus on moral, performance, civic, and intellectual virtues.  Explore
• Individual Freedom & Free Markets. The Individual Freedom & Free Markets Funding Area supports education, research, and outreach projects to promote individual freedom, free markets, free competition, and entrepreneurship. Explore
• Life Sciences. The Life Sciences funding area supports research and engagement projects on the fundamental structures of the biological world. Explore
• Mathematical & Physical Sciences. The Mathematical & Physical Sciences funding area supports research seeking to shed light on the fundamental concepts of physical reality. Explore
• Public Engagement. The Public Engagement funding area supports a wide variety of grantees to create content, cultivate thought leadership, and develop campus programming. Explore
• Religion, Science, & Society. The Religion, Science, & Society funding area supports the discovery of meaningful and practical insights into the religious, spiritual, and cultural dimensions of humanity. Explore
• Intelligence Venture. Is there anything unique about human intelligence? What if the story of intelligence does not culminate with us? Is the world of intelligences vaster, more varied, and more wonderful than we ever imagined? Might intelligence be written into the fabric of reality itself? Starting in 2026, the John Templeton Foundation will award over $60 million in grants focused on such questions across our six funding areas. Learn More

Our application process has two stages. Grant consideration begins with an initial Online Funding Inquiry (OFI) and, if invited, a detailed Full Proposal.

*Please submit your request before the deadline. Based on the volume and quality of requests, we may decide to close the application window early.

Award: [Per Instrumentl: Templeton grants range widely ($5K–$15M), but average grant award is $317,378.]