What this program funds
The John Templeton Foundation funds research on what it calls the "big questions" — work at the intersection of science, philosophy, and theology, alongside programs in areas such as character and virtue development and human flourishing. Its scientific portfolio has supported foundational questions in mathematics, physics, biology, and the human sciences, often projects that connect empirical work to larger conceptual or existential questions. Grants span a wide range: the foundation distinguishes small grants (below a threshold of roughly a quarter-million dollars) from large grants, which can run to several million and multiple years, sometimes structured as coordinated initiatives with sub-award competitions.
Eligibility in plain English
- Applications are open to researchers and institutions worldwide; there is no career-stage restriction, and projects from philosophy and theology departments are as much at home as those from science departments.
- The process is two-stage: a short funding inquiry submitted during an announced window, followed — only by invitation — by a full proposal.
- What the foundation will consider depends heavily on its current strategic priorities, which are revised periodically and differ by funding area. A project that fit a priority three years ago may not fit today.
- Confirm the current funding areas, inquiry windows, and any institutional requirements with your research development office before drafting.
What you'll need to submit
- Stage 1 — funding inquiry: a brief online summary of the project, its alignment with a stated funding area, an approximate budget, and the project team.
- Stage 2 — invited full proposal: a complete narrative, detailed budget, project timeline, and team qualifications, developed with input from foundation staff.
- Institutional sign-off and administrative details handled by your sponsored programs office.
Tips for this mechanism
- Fit to the current priorities is the whole ballgame. Templeton program staff read inquiries against specific strategic interests, not against a generic significance standard. Quote-level familiarity with the current funding-area language — and framing your project in its terms — is worth more than methodological detail at the inquiry stage.
- Budget a long runway. Between inquiry windows, invitation, full-proposal development, and board decisions, a year from first inquiry to funded start is normal. This is not the funder for work that must begin next semester.
- Engage the conceptual dimension honestly. Proposals that treat the philosophical or theological angle as decoration on an ordinary science project tend to fall between stools. The strongest projects make the big question a genuine, load-bearing part of the research design — often via an interdisciplinary team.
Related programs
- Simons Foundation Research Programs (basic science at scale)
- Templeton World Charity Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust (sister philanthropies with related but distinct priorities)
- NEH grant programs (humanities-side questions, federal)
- W. M. Keck Foundation Research Program (high-risk science concepts)