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1. To identify and support top-level scholars whose work can bring new perspectives to issues of science and spirituality in an intellectually rigorous manner. To support 16 pilot research projects at the creative interface of science/technology and spirituality/religion in two major regions of the world. 2. To support a cadre of scholarly leaders in the target regions with the potential to have a significant impact in the medium and long term. These outstanding leaders would then be invited to develop more extensive plans for the growth of forward-looking programs in science and religion in their region. The programme will help promising leader-scholars to develop skills in strategic programme planning including regional fundraising. 3. Through the results of this research to develop new perspectives on the study of the relationship between spirituality/religion and science/technology. and reflections on personal/social development in a scientific/technological era. 4. To advance the careers and future productivity of key innovators in the regions covered by the project and expand research environment for the future. 5. To augment the research community with scholars who can bring novel insights and perspectives. 6. To build upon the successes of major programs such as Science and the Spiritual Quest, SSQII, (www.ssq.net), the Local Societies Initiatives (www.metanexus.net/local_societies/) and to build up the international research base. 7. To identify, support and encourage the emergence of new intellectual leaders with perspectives from beyond Western Europe and North America who will eventually participate in such organizations as the International Society for Science and Religion. Guidelines: 1. Awardees must conduct research that is transparent, reviewable and situated within a context of established academic/social discourse. Projects based entirely in scriptural contexts or structured exclusively by religious dogma are not within the scope of this programme. 2. Awardees should have a strong focus on reproducibility of results and a willingness to communicate those results to others. The programme seeks to widen the reservoir of knowledge available to thinkers worldwide. Cultural limits, community privacy and arcane or secret knowledge are inimical to this goal. A minimum of one scholarly publication must result from each award project. 3. The most successful awards will be those that result in excellent proposals for expanded research agendas in the future. Awardees should set themselves goals that are both achievable during the grant period and that lead to broader, productive undertakings in the future. Those that foresee substantial support from regional institutions, governments, donors, etc. are especially sought. All awardees are required to produce a prospectus for future, regional initiatives. 4. Awardees must make themselves and their projects available throughout the award period to review by the GPSS Principal Investigator and staff. Full funding will be contingent on quarterly progress reports, personal participation in the research workshop and evidence of complete engagement in the award project.
The GPSS awards programme consists of the following components: 1. Primary awards will be granted in the amount of the cost of one year’s full release from other responsibilities. This amount will vary by region and home country. The amount for each country (adjusted for level of seniority of awardee) will be established by the Principal Investigator and GPSS staff and is non-negotiable. 2. In addition, each awardee will receive a stipend of 2 000 euros to support travel, acquisition of books, etc. 3. Each awardee or their home institution may also apply for up to 15 000 euros for related projects. This additional money may support the awardee’s home institution’s programme goals if they coincide with the awardee’s project and the goals of the GPSS. 4. Each awardee will attend a research workshop at a time and date to be confirmed by the GPSS upon making the award. This workshop will bring all regional awardees together to share their project plans, exchange ideas and to meet with the GPSS Principal Investigator and international experts who will serve as resources and. GPSS will pay for travel to and accommodations during this workshop. 5. Honorary award of 1000 euros will be available to promising applicants whose proposals do not receive full funding in support of their continuing engagement in the field. Eligibility The GPSS programme seeks excellent applications from scholars undertaking original research in the area of science and spirituality. Successful applicants will meet the following criteria: 1. Primary residence of main applicant must be in the target region. Those residing temporarily outside of that region for purposes of research or study are eligible but must provide a detailed statement outlining their duration of stay, reasons for visit and plans to return to their home region. 2. Preference will be given to applicants with strong records of scholarly publication and/or participation in the sciences, history/philosophy of science, religious studies or interdisciplinary studies. Applicants must provide a description of their work to date including a selection of works for GPSS review. Young scholars with limited publications should arrange to have sent under separate cover letters from their academic supervisor, department or institution head or other senior colleague discussing their particular area of extraordinary promise and potential to contribute. 3. Preference will be given to applicants with excellent institutional affiliations. Applications are especially sought from leading universities and research facilities, government, major industrial concerns and the top echelons of established spiritual communities. Letters of reference from the chief academic, research or spiritual leader of such institutions will be given particular weight. 4. Preference will be given to projects that include the capacity to express their results both in a regional language and in English. 5. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate strong institutional support for their project in the form of matching funds, housing, travel allowance or other support from their home institution, government or other sources. 6. Successful projects will be completed in a period of twelve (12) months. Applications for longer projects will be considered but the total award amount will be fixed at the cost of one year’s full-time compensation. 7. Preference will be given to applications that include firm plans for publication of results in the home region of the applicant and special preference will be given to those with publications platforms reaching beyond the scholarly community (e.g. radio, television, print journalism, popular books, etc). Applicants wishing to demonstrate this should include a letter of intent from publisher or media outlet. 8. In general, it is expected that awardees will limit teaching and administrative functions during the period of the fellowship leave. Limited lecturing and/or strategic administrative participation (e.g. membership of boards of directors, advisory councils, etc) is encouraged. 9. Previous participants in SSQ, SSQII and other John Templeton Foundation-supported events and programs are welcome to apply. However, such applicants should attach a letter detailing the capacity in which they previously participated and describing any prior collaborations or relationship with members of the GPSS staff, consultants or judges.
1. All applications must be submitted in English. 2. All applications and supporting materials must be submitted electronically through the programme website at www.uip.edu/gpss (with the exception of letters of reference). The short narrative description of the proposed project is a key element in the first-round of the selection process. The Principal Investigator and staff will consider this short essay along with the applicant's (or applicant team's) credentials in deciding which applicants to advance to round 2.
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