Small and Large Grants

Overview

<div>The Foundation offers grants in support of research and public engagement in our major Funding Areas. We invest in bold ideas from contrarian thinkers — ideas that cross disciplinary boundaries and challenge conventional assumptions. And we fund innovative programs that engage the public with these ideas, in an effort to open minds, deepen understanding, and inspire curiosity.</div> <div></div> <div>We only fund projects aligned with our major <a href="https://www.templeton.org/funding-areas">Funding Areas</a>.</div> <ol> <li><strong>Science & The Big Questions</strong></li> <li><strong>Character Virtue Development</strong>: The Character Virtue Development funding area seeks to advance the science and practice of character, with a focus on moral, performance, civic, and intellectual virtues such as humility, gratitude, curiosity, diligence, and honesty.<br>Research we fund promises greater insight into the developmental science of virtues and character, including the identification of relevant precursors, correlates, developmental trajectories, and the assessment of potential inter-individual differences. We also provide support to organizations such as schools, religious institutions, and community organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate applied and translational research on character and virtue.<br>From 2019 to 2023, as part of the Foundation’s commitment to fund 12 Strategic Priorities, the Character Virtue Development department will be seeking proposals related to Intellectual Humility and the Science of Character Virtue.<br>At the same time, we will continue to allocate significant funds to innovative proposals that align with our ongoing research and programming areas, even though they may not fit into one of these priorities.</li> <li><strong>Individual Freedom & Free Markets</strong>: Religious, political, and economic freedoms are the building blocks of both spiritual and material progress. Individual and economic freedoms are deeply interconnected; one affects the other and both must be undergirded by genuine virtue and a deep sense of personal responsibility.<br>The Individual Freedom & Free Markets Funding Area supports education, research, and grassroots efforts to promote individual freedom, free markets, free competition, and entrepreneurship. Grounded in the ideas of classical liberal political economy, we seek and develop projects that focus on individuals and their place in a free society. Whether by academic research, instruction, public outreach, or supporting debate on public policy, we aim to contribute toward making the nation and the world more just, more prosperous, and more conducive to human flourishing.</li> <li><strong>Exceptional Cognitive Talent & Genius</strong><br>Throughout history, the insights and ideas of a relatively small number of individuals account for many of the most dramatic cultural, scientific, and technological advances. Sir John Templeton saw the potential for truly exceptional, “one-in-a-million” cognitive geniuses to bring about transformative benefits for humanity.<br>The Exceptional Cognitive Talent & Genius Funding Area supports programs that aim to recognize and nurture exceptional cognitive talent, especially for those at an early stage of life. This Funding Area also supports research concerning the nature of cognitive genius, including extraordinary creativity, curiosity, and imagination.</li> <li><strong>Genetics</strong></li> <li><strong>Voluntary Family Planning</strong></li> </ol> <div>Generally, we fund discrete projects. Our process and forms are not designed for other types of requests such as donations, operational support, or program support.</div>