Category: Grants & Fellowships

Louisville Institute – Doctoral Fellowships Opportunity

(All content below is copy-pasted from the Louisville Institute site – click here. )


The Doctoral Fellowship program invites current Ph.D./Th.D. students to consider theological education as their vocation. Fellows receive US $3,000 each year for two years, and join with a peer cohort of other fellows for three formational gatherings each year as part of the Vocation of the Theological Educator Initiative (VTE).

APPLICATION PORTAL OPENS JUNE 10, 2023 FOR 2024 DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS.

Application due date: March 1, 2024 (11:59 p.m. EDT)

Doctoral Fellowship amount: US $3,000 each year for 2 years

Fellowship timeframe: Fall 2024 — Spring 2026

Awards announced: May 15, 2024

Vocation of the Theological Educator Gatherings: October 2024; February, May & October 2025; and February & May 2026


What are Doctoral Fellowships?

The Louisville Institute Doctoral Fellowship program invites current Ph.D. and Th.D. students in their first or second year of doctoral study to consider theological education as a vocation. Applicants are typically scholars studying Christian faith and life, the practice of ministry, religious trends and movements, Christian and other faith-based institutions, and religion and social issues. As part of the Louisville Institute’s Vocation of the Theological Educator Initiative (VTE), Louisville Institute Doctoral Fellows participate in intentional, focused, professional formation as they explore a calling to be a theological educator.

The Louisville Institute understands theological education broadly, encompassing the academic study and teaching of religion and its practices, as well as formation for ministry, leadership, social justice and public service, nonprofit and other agency work, etc. Preference for fellowships is given to doctoral students who demonstrate an interest in theological education as a vocation, who express an understanding of the current challenges and opportunities of theological education, and who articulate connections between their doctoral work and these trends and dynamics.

As Doctoral Fellows, students receive a US$3,000 grant each year for two years, and join with a peer cohort of other fellows for three formational gatherings each year (October, February, and May) as part of the Vocation of the Theological Educator Initiative (VTE). All expenses for participating in the VTE gatherings, held in Louisville, KY, are covered by the Louisville Institute.


What do I need to know to apply?


Who is eligible for a Doctoral Fellowship?

Eligible applicants:

  • are students in their first or second year of a Ph.D. or Th.D. program at the time they apply
  • attend an accredited graduate school in the United States or Canada
  • are U.S. or Canadian citizens or international students with appropriate student visas to study in North America
  • come from diverse fields such as history, systematic and practical theology, pastoral studies, social sciences, ethics, or biblical studies, or bring interdisciplinary approaches to their scholarship

If you have previously received another Louisville Institute grant, you are eligible and encouraged to apply, but all program and financial reports for any earlier grants must be submitted by July 1. Please note other provisions at the bottom of this page.

If you have questions about eligibility or other stipulations of the fellowship, please email fellowships@louisville-institute.org.


What are VTE Gatherings?

Three times a year (October, February, & May), LI Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellows gather in Louisville, KY, for vocational and professional formation, relationship building, and mutual support as part of the Vocation of the Theological Educator Initiative (VTE). With their cohorts, fellows engage vocational questions about theological education, discernment, leadership, pedagogy, mentoring, research and writing, employment and tenure, public theology, guild participation, and other relevant issues. Through peer learning and in conversation with mentor-facilitators and invited resource persons, fellows together create space for dialogue, imagination, collegiality, and growth within and across the academy and the church. All expenses for participation in the VTE gatherings are covered by the Louisville Institute.


How do I apply?

PREPARING YOUR DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION

  • Read all the application materials and eligibility requirements on this page thoroughly, and refer to them as you complete your application.
  • Create an online profile on our application portal. You will be asked to provide your name, contact information, and other details about yourself. If you have previously applied for a Louisville Institute program, make sure to update your contact information.
  • Once you have created your profile, click the “Apply” button and select “Doctoral Fellowship” to begin entering the elements of your application. NOTE: Application portal opens June 1, 2023 for 2024 Doctoral Fellowship applications.
  • Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. EST March 1, 2024. We recommend that you put together the application elements in time to share them with friends or colleagues for feedback before submitting them. Please do your best to provide clear, refined, and edited documents, noting which elements should be submitted as PDFs.
  • Recommendation letters are due from your recommenders March 8, 2024. In the application portal you will be asked to provide contact information for your recommenders — name, email address, and phone number — and we will send them a link to upload their letters.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Doctoral Fellowship applications require the following elements. After you have created your online profile, you will be prompted to provide the following:

  1. General information about your doctoral progress to date, including:
    • The focus or subject of your anticipated dissertation research
    • Your academic discipline/field
    • Your doctoral progress: the dates you anticipate completing your coursework, comprehensive or qualifying exams, and approval of your dissertation proposal or thesis topic.
  1. Application essay: The Louisville Institute Doctoral Fellowship is part of the Vocation of the Theological Educator Initiative, and its intent is to help early career scholars consider theological education as their vocation or calling. In an essay of no more than 1500 words (5–7 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font), describe why theological education has been important to you, why you have chosen to pursue a doctoral degree related to religion, and what you see as your vocational trajectory. From your perspective and social context, reflect on current dynamics and realities of theological education and the church, the possibilities and challenges ahead, and how you see your gifts, skills, and academic goals within this larger context. In this essay, we are more interested in your ideas, analysis, and passion for theological education than a recitation of your resume. Include your name on each page of the essay, number the pages, and upload the document as a PDF. (Note: The Louisville Institute understands theological education broadly, encompassing the academic study and teaching of religion and its practices, as well as formation for ministry, leadership, social justice and public service, nonprofit and other agency work, etc.)
  2. Doctoral transcript: One transcript (unofficial or official) from your doctoral program to date must be sent by email to transcripts@louisville-institute.org OR via transcript service to the same email. Please include your name and name of fellowship program in the subject line of the email. Transcripts are due with the application, so make sure to request them in advance so they are received in time.
  3. Curriculum vitae or resume: Provide a PDF of your CV or resume (no more than four pages) that includes:
    • Institutions of higher education you’ve attended and degrees earned, including dates, starting with the most recent
    • Teaching and/or employment experience, starting with the most recent
    • Major academic honors you’ve received
    • Titles and citations of your publications, starting with the most recent
    • Other relevant experience that will help the selection committee get to know you, such as church leadership, guild membership, volunteer service, etc.
  4. Two letters of recommendation due from the recommenders March 8: In the online application portal, you will be asked to provide contact information (name, email address, and phone number) for your recommenders, who will be sent a link by email through which they can upload letters. As soon as you submit contact information, your recommender will automatically receive the email. Make sure to contact your recommenders in advance to explain the fellowship and to share your application materials.
    • Faculty mentor/advisor letter of recommendation: Your first letter of recommendation should come from your faculty mentor/advisor who will be asked to assess your doctoral work thus far, your vocational interest in theological education, and your promise as a teacher and scholar.
    • Second letter of recommendation: Your second letter of recommendation should come from an academic mentor or colleague who can speak to your scholarly promise and assess the quality of your doctoral work and research. In addition, this recommender will be asked to comment on your personal qualities and commitments, including engagement with faith communities, if applicable.

We will notify you via email when we receive the letters from your recommenders.

COMPLETING THE APPLICATION

All elements of the application, including transcripts, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EST on March 1, 2024, except the recommendation letters, which are due from the recommenders March 8, 2024. You can edit all portions of your application until the deadline, after which changes cannot be made. Late applications will not be accepted.

In the week after the application deadline, LI staff will process the applications to prepare for the selection committee. We will follow up with you if your application is incomplete. We will also send you confirmation when we receive your letters of recommendation, and will email you when your application is complete.

If you have questions or encounter problems with the application, email fellowships@louisville-institute.org.


What is the selection process for Doctoral Fellowship?

Every year the Louisville Institute appoints a selection committee to review proposals and award Doctoral Fellowships. All applicants will be notified as soon as possible following the selection process, which usually takes place about 8 weeks after the application due date. Awards will be announced publicly on or before May 15, 2024. Fellowship funds are dispersed in September of the award year.

We are often asked how many applications we receive for our fellowships. For each of the last several years of the Doctoral Fellowship, we have received about 60 eligible applications and have awarded 10 fellowships.


What else do I need to know?

Because the Louisville Institute is housed at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, members of the seminary’s Board, staff, or student body or their immediate family members (parents, spouse, or children) are not eligible for LI grants or fellowships. Applicants may not submit applications to more than one Louisville Institute grant or fellowship program within the same grant year (June 1–May 31).

Louisville Institute grantees and fellows may not simultaneously hold two individual grants from Lilly Endowment-funded organizations that together total more than US$45,000.


Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions — send us an email at fellowships@louisville-institute.org

Call for Applications: Psychology Cross-Training Fellowship Opportunity for Theologians – Mar 27, 2023 Deadline.

Call for applications: Psychology Cross-Training Fellowship Programme for Theologians

The University of Birmingham is running a 16-month fellowship program for theologians to help them engage with psychological science in their research.  These fellowships are designed to provide the opportunity for theologians to break down disciplinary barriers and engage more deeply with psychological research to further theological exploration and practice. The fellowships will offer support for theologians to participate in an intensive 16-month programme in psychological cross-training, equipping them with the skills to draw upon insights from psychology and potentially providing them with funding to undertake psychologically informed theological research. The fellowships will build a community of science-engaged theologians who will be able to work independently or collaboratively to undertake new research, develop teaching materials incorporating psychological science, and raise the profile of this area of enquiry.  Fellows will have the opportunity to take part in 2 residential workshops, work with psychologist mentors, apply for a £20,000 research project (open only to project fellows), and more.  

The deadline for applications is March 27th, 2023.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in (or if you know someone who would be), you can find more details here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/ptr/projects/psychology-training-theologians.aspx, or email Dr. Carissa Sharp at c.sharp @ beam.ac.uk  

Submitted by:
Dr Carissa Sharp
Assistant Professor of Psychology of Religion
Co-Principal Investigator: International Research Network for the Study of Science and Belief in Society
Co-Investigator: Science and Religion: Exploring the Spectrum – Global Perspectives
University of Birmingham

Psychology and Theology of Faith Academic Cross-Training Grants – Jan 23 – Application Deadline.

The Psychology of Faith Academic Cross-Training

With the support of the John Templeton Foundation, the University of St. Thomas (MN) announced The Psychology and Theology of Faith sub-granting competition in fall of 2022. The goal is to fund academic cross-training in the psychological sciences for scholars of Christian theology or philosophy of religion with research interests relating to religious belief or religious commitment. Six successful applicants will each receive a $70,000 award providing the opportunity to take courses in and work with mentors from the psychological sciences, in order to apply and leverage insights from the psychological sciences in their work as theologians and philosophers. This project is being supervised by professors Michael Rota (Univ. of St. Thomas) and Elizabeth Jackson (Toronto Metropolitan Univ.)

Applications are due Jan 23, 2023. For more information, see 

https://cas.stthomas.edu/departments/areas-of-study/philosophy/academic-cross-training-grant/index.html.

Two Funded PhD Scholarships in Philosophical Theology – St. Andrews Univ – Apply by 15 Jan. 2022

Two funded PhD scholarships are available for those interested in doing research in philosophical theology.

*Deadline is 15, January 2022*

As part of the international research initiative Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology, two fully funded PhD studentships are being offered in philosophical theology in the broadly continental tradition.  

Scholarships comprise home or overseas fees, as well as living support of c. £16,000 per year. Students will be part of the School of Divinity and pursue their proposed projects under the supervision of Prof Judith Wolfe and/or Dr King-Ho Leung

Projects should participate in the vision of Widening Horizons

Questions? 

Informal enquiries may be directed to Prof Wolfe or Dr Leung

How do I apply? 

Applications should be submitted through the PhD application portal of the University of St Andrews by 15 January 2022. 

Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology (WHiPT)

Apply Now for (2022) – Summer Fellowship in Science-Engaged Theology

The Summer Fellowship application period is now open for the Summer 2022 cohort.

Apply here

About the Fellowship  

  • The Fellowship is a unique professional opportunity to support the development of scholarship in Science–Engaged Theology.  
  • The Fellowship endeavours to provide a supportive and collaborative environment for Fellows to develop their research in this field through virtual and in-person activities.   

Our vision – New Visions in Theological Anthropology (NViTA) 

  • The NViTA project will focus on three subdisciplinary pairings within the overarching umbrellas of behavioural science and theological anthropology: 
  1.   Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology 
  2.   Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology
  3.   Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science 
  • Our project does not study ‘science and religion’ as such. Instead we are interested in thoroughgoingly theological questions that are explicit about what branch of science they draw upon and what subdisciplines of theology they fall within. Any scientific and theological (biblical, ethics, philosophical, practical, systematic, etc.) subdisciplines are welcome, provided they are clearly stated. 
  • We do not think that all theology need be science-engaged. That is, we do not think that because empirical data is needed for some theological questions that it is thus required for all theological questions; but, when it is required, we want to encourage this to be done well. 
  • We prioritise expressing our research through theological puzzles. 

What is included for Fellows on the 2022 cohort?  

Summer 2022: NViTA Science-Engaged Theology Conference 

  • Fellows will attend a conference as part of the NViTA project between 5th-11th June 2022.    
  • Travel, accommodation and the majority of meals for the duration of the conference will be included in your Fellowship. 
  • You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other Fellows and experts in the fields of science and theology. 

Fellowship Stipend 

  • As a Fellow you will receive a stipend of £3,500 per winning project, awarded to you in early 2022.   

 Ongoing research support  

  • From early 2022 you will have the opportunity to access assistance with developing your theological puzzle, with a view to eventual publication.   
  • You will join a Fellowship group to encourage detailed conversation with other Fellows and leaders in science-engaged theology.  

 Follow-on Funding  

  • In late February / early March 2022 you will have the opportunity to apply for additional funding (Follow-on Funding) of up to £25,000 to support research in areas of your theological puzzle and to encourage engagement with science.  
  • Particularly promising projects will be eligible for this competitive funding to support additional research. These projects may be for amounts of up to £20,000 for research support and up to an additional £5,000 to enable them to engage in activities that draw their work into deeper engagement with contemporary science and practicing scientists.  
  • Science activities could include short-term or long-term visits to a scientific laboratory or research group, attending a scientific conference or meeting a scientist whose work is pertinent to the area of theological inquiry, buying scientific books, paying a scientist honoraria to consult or review drafts of your work, or some similar activity that deepens engagement with an active scientific research field.  
  • You will be encouraged to propose research outputs that are not dependent on traditional travel and which include creative ideas to engage others in your research.  

Key Dates 

2022 cohort 

  • Fellowship Applications Due: 17th January 2022 
  • Announcements Made: Around 16th February 2022 
  • Follow-on Funding Application Period: Late February / Early March 2022 
  • 2022 NViTA Science-Engaged Theology Conference in St Andrews: 5th – 11th June 2022   

 The Fellowship will run from a Fellow’s date of acceptance until 31st July 2022.   

How do I apply for the Summer Fellowship?  

The Summer Fellowship application period is now open.

Apply here

SET Foundations is accepting applications for summer 2022!

SET Foundations has a wonderful opportunity for early and mid-career theologians and philosophers of religion. We are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for our Summer Session 2022 The focus is on Experience to Evidence: Theory Construction and Confirmation

SET Foundations (Building Foundations in Science-Engaged Theology: Insights from Philosophy of Science ) is hosted by Loyola University Maryland. Our goal is to connect scholars working in philosophy of religion and theology with recent insights from philosophy of science on topics such as causation, explanation, modeling practices, scientific confirmation, and natural laws.

The Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology project announces new funding opportunities.

Interactions between Christian thinkers and continental philosophy often have a critical focus, whether on the intellectual debt continental philosophers owe to the Christian tradition, or on the ways secular philosophers critique classical theological accounts of ultimate reality. The newly-funded Widening Horizons in Philosophical Theology project at the University of St Andrews focuses on the joint potential of theology and continental philosophy for discovery and growth, using the intellectual resources continental philosophy makes available to open new horizons in philosophical theology.

Widening Horizons is offering twelve grants for research projects that advance this constructive aim. Applications may be for

  • small projects of up to £60,000 (including c. £8,000 fixed costs); or
  • large projects of up to £160,000 (including c. £23,000 fixed costs).

Projects should start between 1st October 2021 and 1st March 2022, and end between 30th September 2023 and 28th February 2024. Most activities may be concentrated within a shorter period if desired.

The call for proposals for these projects is now open until 31 May 2021 (17:00 BST). Application details and further information can be found at: https://philosophical-theology.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/.

Details about the wider multi-year project can be found here.

Fellowship Opportunity in Science-Engaged Theology Offered by the New Visions in Theological Anthropology (NViTA) Project.


(UPDATED:  February, 2021)  

As a result of the current Covid-19 travel restrictions, the 2021 Summer Fellowship will now be held as a 3-day virtual workshop.

Successful 2021 Fellowship applicants will still be funded to take part in a conference in Scotland in 2022.

The application deadline has been extended to the 14th of March 2021.


The New Visions in Theological Anthropology project (University of St. Andrews) has announced a new fellowship opportunity.

Our vision – New Visions in Theological Anthropology (NViTA) 

  • The NViTA project will focus on three subdisciplinary pairings within the overarching umbrellas of behavioral science and theological anthropology: 
  1.   Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology 
  2.   Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology
  3.   Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science 
  • Our project does not study ‘science and religion’ as such. Instead we are interested in thoroughgoingly theological questions that are explicit about what branch of science they draw upon and what subdisciplines of theology they fall within. Any scientific and theological (biblical, ethics, philosophical, practical, systematic, etc.) subdisciplines are welcome, provided they are clearly stated. 
  • We do not think that all theology need be science-engaged. That is, we do not think that because empirical data is needed for some theological questions that it is thus required for all theological questions; but, when it is required, we want to encourage this to be done well. 
  • We prioritise expressing our research through theological puzzles. 

About the Fellowship  

  • The Fellowship is a unique professional opportunity to support the development of scholarship in Science–Engaged Theology within the NViTA project.  
  • The Fellowship endeavours to provide a supportive and collaborative environment for Fellows to develop their research in this field.   

What is included?  

NViTA Summer Workshop 

  • Attendance at the NViTA Summer Workshop in June. [UPDATE: June attendance is subject to the public health guidance. A decision about the June residential will be made as the date draws near.  ] This will take place in St Andrews, Scotland.   
  • Travel, accommodation and the majority of meals for the duration of the workshop (within budget guidelines).  
  • Fellowship Stipend of £3,500 per winning project.  
  • The opportunity to collaborate with other Fellows, and experts in the fields of science and theology.  

Ongoing research support 

  • Assistance with development of your theological puzzle with view to eventual publication.  
  • Membership in Fellowship subgroup to encourage detailed conversation with other Fellows and leaders in science-engaged theology. 

NViTA at AAR/SBL Annual Meetings 

  • Travel subsidy of up to £500 and participation in one-day NViTA workshop linked to the AAR/SBL Annual Meetings.    

Follow-on Funding 

  • The opportunity to apply for additional funding (Follow-on Funding) of up to £25,000 to support research in areas of your theological puzzle and to encourage engagement with science. 

More about Follow-on Funding 

Fellows with particularly promising projects will be eligible for competitive follow-on funding to support additional research. These follow-up proposals may be for amounts of up to £20,000 for research support and up to an additional £5,000 to enable them to engage in activities that draw their work into deeper engagement with contemporary science and practicing scientists. 

Science activities could include short-term or long-term visits to a scientific laboratory or research group, attending a scientific conference or meeting a scientist whose work is pertinent to the area of theological inquiry, buying scientific books, paying a scientist honoraria to consult or review drafts of your work, or some similar activity that deepens engagement with an active scientific research field. 

Future Dates 

2021

  • Fellowship Applications Due: 14th February 2021
  • Announcements Made: 15th March 2021
  • Summer Workshop in St. Andrews: Expected to take place 6th – 12th June 2021 (Scotland)
  • Follow-on Funding Application Period: Summer/Autumn 2021
  • Workshop at AAR/SBL: Expected to take place 19th November 2021 (San Antonio, USA) 

2022

  • Fellowship Applications Due: 14th February 2022
  • Announcements Made: 15th March 2022
  • Summer Workshop in St. Andrews: 5th – 11th June 2022 (Scotland)
  • Follow-on Funding Application Period: TBC
  • Workshop at AAR/SBL: Expected to take place 18th  November 2022 (Denver, USA) 

Past Dates

2020

  • Fellowship Applications Due: 20th February 2020 (deadline extended)
  • Announcements Made: 15th March 2020
  • Summer Workshop in St. Andrews: 7th – 13th June 2020 (Scotland) – postponed
  • Follow-on Funding Application Period: Autumn 2020
  • Workshop at AAR/SBL: AAR/SBL 2020 Annual Meeting now virtual event and replaced by virtual sessions 

The Fellowship will run from a Fellow’s date of acceptance until 31st July 2022.  

 How do I apply for the Fellowship?  

Fellows

2020 Cohort

Fellowship Opportunity in Science-Engaged Theology Offered by the New Visions in Theological Anthropology (NViTA) Project.

The New Visions in Theological Anthropology project (University of St. Andrews) has announced a new fellowship opportunity.

Our vision – New Visions in Theological Anthropology (NViTA) 

  • The NViTA project will focus on three subdisciplinary pairings within the overarching umbrellas of behavioral science and theological anthropology: 
  1.   Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology 
  2.   Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology
  3.   Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science 
  • Our project does not study ‘science and religion’ as such. Instead we are interested in thoroughgoingly theological questions that are explicit about what branch of science they draw upon and what subdisciplines of theology they fall within. Any scientific and theological (biblical, ethics, philosophical, practical, systematic, etc.) subdisciplines are welcome, provided they are clearly stated. 
  • We do not think that all theology need be science-engaged. That is, we do not think that because empirical data is needed for some theological questions that it is thus required for all theological questions; but, when it is required, we want to encourage this to be done well. 
  • We prioritise expressing our research through theological puzzles. 

About the Fellowship  

  • The Fellowship is a unique professional opportunity to support the development of scholarship in Science–Engaged Theology within the NViTA project.  
  • The Fellowship endeavours to provide a supportive and collaborative environment for Fellows to develop their research in this field.   

What is included?  

NViTA Summer Workshop 

  • Attendance at the NViTA Summer Workshop in June. This will take place in St Andrews, Scotland.   
  • Travel, accommodation and the majority of meals for the duration of the workshop (within budget guidelines).  
  • Fellowship Stipend of £3,500 per winning project.  
  • The opportunity to collaborate with other Fellows, and experts in the fields of science and theology.  

Ongoing research support 

  • Assistance with development of your theological puzzle with view to eventual publication.  
  • Membership in Fellowship subgroup to encourage detailed conversation with other Fellows and leaders in science-engaged theology. 

NViTA at AAR/SBL Annual Meetings 

  • Travel subsidy of up to £500 and participation in one-day NViTA workshop linked to the AAR/SBL Annual Meetings.    

Follow-on Funding 

  • The opportunity to apply for additional funding (Follow-on Funding) of up to £25,000 to support research in areas of your theological puzzle and to encourage engagement with science. 

More about Follow-on Funding 

Fellows with particularly promising projects will be eligible for competitive follow-on funding to support additional research. These follow-up proposals may be for amounts of up to £20,000 for research support and up to an additional £5,000 to enable them to engage in activities that draw their work into deeper engagement with contemporary science and practicing scientists. 

Science activities could include short-term or long-term visits to a scientific laboratory or research group, attending a scientific conference or meeting a scientist whose work is pertinent to the area of theological inquiry, buying scientific books, paying a scientist honoraria to consult or review drafts of your work, or some similar activity that deepens engagement with an active scientific research field. 

Future Dates 

2021

  • Fellowship Applications Due: 14th February 2021
  • Announcements Made: 15th March 2021
  • Summer Workshop in St. Andrews: Expected to take place 6th – 12th June 2021 (Scotland)
  • Follow-on Funding Application Period: Summer/Autumn 2021
  • Workshop at AAR/SBL: Expected to take place 19th November 2021 (San Antonio, USA) 

2022

  • Fellowship Applications Due: 14th February 2022
  • Announcements Made: 15th March 2022
  • Summer Workshop in St. Andrews: 5th – 11th June 2022 (Scotland)
  • Follow-on Funding Application Period: TBC
  • Workshop at AAR/SBL: Expected to take place 18th  November 2022 (Denver, USA) 

Past Dates

2020

  • Fellowship Applications Due: 20th February 2020 (deadline extended)
  • Announcements Made: 15th March 2020
  • Summer Workshop in St. Andrews: 7th – 13th June 2020 (Scotland) – postponed
  • Follow-on Funding Application Period: Autumn 2020
  • Workshop at AAR/SBL: AAR/SBL 2020 Annual Meeting now virtual event and replaced by virtual sessions 

The Fellowship will run from a Fellow’s date of acceptance until 31st July 2022.  

 How do I apply for the Fellowship?  

Fellows

2020 Cohort

Call for Proposals: Course Development Grants in Science and Theology. University of St. Andrews – Upcoming Deadlines 31 Oct. 2020 and 28 Feb. 2021.

The “New Visions in Theological Anthropology” project at the University of St Andrews has announced two new rounds of course development grants in Science and Theology. This posting is a reminder of the upcoming deadline:

Deadline 31 October 2020 and 28 February 2021 

Our project seeks to encourage research and teaching on science and theology/religion. We encourage the development of new courses which use empirical research in some aspect of theology/religion. While we are especially drawn to the pairings of (1) Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology, (2) Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology, and (3) Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science, we welcome proposals for any syllabus that engages theology with empirical science. Since developing any new course will take time away from other research, we have launched this series of Course Development Grants and offer stipends of £2,000.

For full details including how to apply: https://set.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/course-development-grant/.

Call for Proposals: Course Development Grants in Science and Theology. University of St Andrews – Deadline 30 June, 2020.

The “New Visions in Theological Anthropology” project at the University of St. Andrews has announced a new round of course development grants in Science and Theology.

Deadline 30 June 2020. 

Our project seeks to encourage research and teaching on science and theology/religion. We encourage the development of new courses which use empirical research in some aspect of theology/religion. While we are especially drawn to the pairings of (1) Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology, (2) Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology, and (3) Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science, we welcome proposals for any syllabus that engages theology with empirical science. Since developing any new course will take time away from other research, we have launched this series of Course Development Grants and offer stipends of £2,000.

More information can be found here: https://set.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/course-development-grant/“.

University of St. Andrews – Call for Proposals: Course Development Grants in Science and Theology

The “New Visions in Theological Anthropology” project at the University of St. Andrews has announced a call for course proposals in Science and Theology.

Deadline 29 February. 

The project seeks to encourage research and teaching on science and theology/religion. We encourage the development of new courses which use empirical research in some aspect of theology/religion. While we are especially drawn to the pairings of (1) Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology, (2) Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology, and (3) Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science, we welcome proposals for any syllabus that engages theology with behavioral science. Since developing any new course will take time away from other research, we have launched this series of Course Development Grants.

Full information about the Course Development Grants can be found here: https://set.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/course-development-grant/.”

John Templeton Foundation Academic Cross-Training Fellowship

ACADEMIC CROSS-TRAINING FELLOWSHIP

Request for Applications

 

PURPOSE:

The John Templeton Foundation invites applications for its Academic Cross-Training (ACT) Fellowship program beginning December 1, 2019, with fellowships to begin Fall 2021. The ACT Fellowship program is intended to equip recently tenured (after September 2009) philosophers and theologians with the skills and knowledge needed to study Big Questions that require substantive and high-level engagement with empirical science.

Each ACT Fellowship will provide up to $220,000 (US dollars) for up to 33 months of contiguous support for a systematic and sustained course of study in an empirical science such as physics, psychology, biology, genetics, cognitive science, neuroscience, or sociology. Acceptable courses of study might include a plan to audit undergraduate and graduate-level courses, a plan to spend time in residence at a research lab, or a plan to earn a degree in an empirical science. This iteration of the program will also permit applicants to request that up to one year of the ACT Fellowship be used to support a small-scale pilot scientific research project that improves or enhances the capacity, skill, and talent of the fellow to investigate the above-described Big Questions. Fellows may undertake their study at their home institution or another institution. All fellows must have a faculty mentor in their cross-training discipline.

Please note that due to IRS limitations on the Foundation’s grantmaking, the maximum term of the ACT Fellowship is now 33 months.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

The application process has two stages: a Letter of Intent (LOI) and for the most promising applications, invitation to submit Full Proposal. The LOI must include the following:

  • Applicant information – contact details, name of academic institution conveying tenure, and CV (10 MB limit);
  • Request information – proposed project dates (project may not begin before the beginning of AY 2021-2022 or exceed 33 months in duration), cross-training discipline, and name of cross-training mentor;
  • 400-word Project Statement describing – a) what topics or questions you believe cross-training will help you investigate, (b) how these topics or questions fit with JTF’s donor intent, and (c) what the proposed course of cross-training might look like.

The LOI will be available as a web form from December 1, 2019-May 1, 2020.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

LOIs for each applicant will be evaluated according to the following criteria listed in ascending order of importance: (i) the academic credentials of the proposed fellow, (ii) the publication record of the proposed fellow, (iii) the professional standing and professional accomplishment of the proposed fellow, (iv) the potential for the applicant to be an influential figure in their field in the future, (v) the appropriateness of the chosen means for the goal of cross-training, and (vi) the potential of the proposed fellow to undertake substantive, high-quality interdisciplinary research on Big Questions falling within the domain of JTF’s mission to fund “Science and the Big Questions” if the proposed fellow were awarded the fellowship. Applicants will not be evaluated based on the race, religion, or gender of the proposed fellow.

ELIGIBILITY:

  • Ph.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited university.
  • Employment by an accredited U.S. or non-U.S. university or college. The employer agrees to sponsor the applicant, be the ultimate recipient of fellowship funds, administer the distribution of funds, and make reports to JTF on the use of the funds.
  • Received tenure after September 1, 2009, or reasonably anticipates receiving tenure by the beginning of AY 2021, as defined by applicant’s employing institution.
  • Primary faculty appointment within a philosophy, religious studies, religion, or theology department.

Note: Trustees and officers of the John Templeton Foundation and other “disqualified persons” as defined pursuant to Section 4946 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, are not eligible to apply for the ACT Fellowship program.

TIMELINE:

December 1, 2019 LOI submission window opens
May 1, 2020: LOI submission window closes
June 1, 2020: Full proposals invited
July 13, 2020: Full proposals due
Fall 2020: Awards announced
Fall 2021: Fellowships begin

QUESTIONS:

Please email rfp@templeton.org.

https://www.templeton.org/internal-competiton-fund/academic-cross-training-fellowship-2020

 

Call for Proposals: Summer Workshop in Science-Engaged Theology. 8-14 June 2020 (Scotland).

The New Visions in Theological Anthropology: Science-Engaged Theology project at St. Andrews University has issued a call for proposals in regards to a Summer Workshop in Science-Engaged Theology: June 8-14, 2020 (Scotland).

This one-week collaborative summer workshop offers theologians the exciting opportunity to think carefully about theological anthropology on those questions that involve evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, and cognitive science. They provide full transportation, lodging, and meals; Stipend of £3,500, plus opportunity for significant follow-up funding (£25,000).

Full information about the summer workshop can be found here: http://set.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/summer-workshops/

Readers may wish to note additional clarification about framing projects as “theological puzzles.” Additionally, as shown here, the summer workshops are scheduled to run for three summers in pursuit of the following subdisciplinary pairings: (1) Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology; (2) Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology; (3) Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science.

Call for Proposals: Course Development Grants – The Center for Hebraic Thought

Topic: Hebraic Thought and the Intellectual World of the Bible

The Center for Hebraic Thought (CHT) is offering two grants up to $4,000 each for the equivalent of a three-credit university course/module offered in your home institution for the 2020-21 academic year. The course may be undergraduate or graduate (US)/post-graduate (UK).

Deadline:

Applications received by March 16, 2020 will be given priority in the review process.

Eligibility:

Full-time professors (equivalent to the US ranks of assistant, associate, or full professor) at a regionally accredited college or university may apply.

Amount:

A development grant of up to $4,000 will be paid to the instructor of record. The grant also requires a post-semester workshop at The King’s College in New York City. The CHT will cover flight, hotel, and meals for traveling to NYC.

Description:

This grant aims to increase the study of biblical literature as an intellectual tradition and put Christian Scripture (both the HB/OT and the NT) in conversation with various philosophies and philosophical traditions. Applications that engage both the Bible as a primary source and works of conceptual analysis within the biblical texts will be considered more seriously (see list below). Additionally, applicants should feel free to include essays and books not listed below, especially if there are any plans to publish as a result of the course development. Successful applicants can expect to receive advice on course planning if needed from CHT personnel or fellows. See our website for other scholarly resources: hebraicthought.org/.

Apply:

A complete application should include:

  1. Name, position, brief biography, and institution of the applicant/s.
  2. Number of students expected and the semester/year of the term and how this course fulfills institutional and program requirements.
  3. Please indicate if this a team-taught course or a compressed schedule course (e.g., 8-week semester).
  4. A proposed syllabus that includes the course level, title, description, outcomes, dates of classroom meetings, possible skype/guest lecturers, assignments, and required/suggested readings.
  5. An endorsement of the application by the department chair, provost, or whomever approves class scheduling.

Applications and inquiries can be sent to djohnson@tkc.edu.

Scholarship on the Conceptual World of the Bible

Many other articles and volumes could be added, but these give the applicant a notion of the kinds of philosophical analyses of Scripture we aim to foster through this grant.

  • Joshua Berman
    • Created Equal (Oxford University Press, 2009).
    • Inconsistencies in the Torah (Oxford University Press, 2018).
  • Michael Carasik, Theologies of the Mind in Biblical Israel (Peter Lang, 2006).
  • James Diamond, Jewish Theology Unbound (Oxford University Press, 2018).
  • Henri Frankfort, et al., The Intellectual Adventure of Ancient Man (University of Chicago)
  • Jaco Gericke,
    • The Hebrew Bible and Philosophy of Religion (SBL Press, 2012).
    • “Is There Philosophy in the Hebrew Bible? Some Recent Affirmative Perspectives,” Journal for Semitics 23/2 (Jan 2014): 583 – 598.
    • A Philosophical Theology of the Old Testament: A Historical, Experimental, Comparative and Analytic Perspective (Routledge, 2020)
  • Lenn Goodman, God of Abraham (Oxford, 1996).
  • Moshe Halbertal and Stephen Holmes, The Beginning of Politics: Power in the Biblical Book of Samuel (Princeton University Press, 2017)
  • Yoram Hazony
    • Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture (Cambridge University Press, 2012).
    • God and the Politics of Esther (Cambridge University Press, 2015).
  • Mary Healey and Robin Parry, eds., The Bible and Epistemology (Paternoster, 2007).
  • Dru Johnson
    • Biblical Knowing (Cascade, 2013).
    • Knowledge by Ritual (Eisenbrauns, Penn State Press, 2016).
    • Epistemology and Biblical Theology (Routledge, 2017).
    • The Question of God’s Perfection, edited with Yoram Hazony (Brill, 2018).
  • Ryan O’Dowd, The Wisdom of Torah (V&R, 2009).
  • Eleonore Stump, Wandering in Darkness (Oxford, 2010).
  • Jeremiah Unterman, Justice for All (JPS/University of Nebraska Press, 2016).
  • Shira Weiss, Ethical Ambiguity in the Hebrew Bible (Cambridge University Press, 2018).

For more information see:Center for Hebraic Thought

Lived Religion in the Digital Age Fellowship Opportunity

Dear colleagues,

We are delighted to announce two new fellowship opportunities with Lived Religion in the Digital Age, a public understanding of religion initiative at Saint Louis University supported by the Henry Luce Foundation.

The application period for LRDA Teaching and Research Fellows is open through January 15, 2020. We encourage applications from instructional faculty and researchers at every rank and status. In order to promote these opportunities, we hope you could please share this email and the attached flyers with your colleagues and graduate students. We also have an annual graduate fellowship for doctoral students at Saint Louis University and would be happy to discuss that opportunity with any students considering applying to our graduate program.

The theme for the current call is “Performing Religion.” Next year’s theme will be “Religion, Migration, and Diaspora.” No prior digital humanities experience is required for either fellowship.

For more information about the project, including forthcoming information on public and academic events and updates on the development of the interactive database, please go to our website, www.religioninplace.org. For questions, please email Dr. Rachel McBride Lindsey, Assistant Professor of American Religion and co-director of Lived Religion in the Digital Age: rachel.lindsey@slu.edu.

Many thanks and best regards,
Rachel McBride Lindsey and Pauline Lee

New Visions in Theological Anthropology – Course Syllabi Grants (University of St Andrews)

About

New Visions in Theological Anthropology: Engaging with the Behavioral Sciences is a project designed to get theologians thinking carefully about theological anthropology on those questions that involve evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, and cognitive science. This project is intended as an exercise in science-engaged theology. By this, we see science as an authentic theological source alongside – not in competition with – scripture, tradition, and reason.

We don’t think that all theology needs to be science-engaged, nor do we think that theological anthropology needs science more than any other area. But we must begin somewhere. Therefore, within the overarching umbrellas of behavioral science and theological anthropology, we will focus on three subdisciplinary pairings:

  1. Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology
  2. Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology
  3. Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science

Course Development Grants

Our project seeks to encourage research and teaching on science and theology/religion. We have found getting students thinking about the relationship between theology and empirical research is a good way to introduce new students to the field, as well as a good way to get advanced students performing at the highest level. During the St Andrews-based pilot programme, one course we developed turned out to be the largest in our department. Another, aimed for upper-division seminar discussions, was team taught by an expert in science and religion together with a professor in Hebrew Bible; they found it the perfect context for research-led teaching. Since developing any new course will take time away from other research, we have launched this series of Course Development Grants.

What we provide

  • Stipend of £1,200
  • Eligibility for a travel bursary (£500) to share findings at next AAR annual meeting

Your new course

  • Develop a new course which uses empirical research in some aspect of theology/religion.
  • While we are especially drawn to the pairings of (1) Moral Theology & Evolutionary Biology, (2) Spiritual Formation & Developmental Psychology, and (3) Ecclesiology & Cognitive Science, we welcome proposals for any syllabus that engages theology with behavioral science.
  • Courses can be for lower-division undergraduates, upper-division undergraduates, or for Master’s degrees.
  • Courses could be open to any major or limited to theology/religion, provided that it is at least cross-listed in your theology/religion department.

Selection criteria & eligibility

  • Overall fit with project vision (our project is somewhat different than the discipline of ‘Science & Religion’; see What is Science-Engaged Theology?).
  • Clear choice of relevant scientific and theological subdisciplines/topics.
  • Course plan reflects innovative ideas within best pedagogical practice and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
  • Because bias gets in the way of good science (and theology), we seek a diverse set of topics and participants. Therefore, we are especially eager to facilitate participation by women and courses that study women’s contributions to science and theology.
  • Open to scholars with a PhD who are currently teaching in any college or university department of theology, divinity, or religious studies.

How to apply

Submit the following items to setheology@st-andrews.ac.uk:

  • Short description of the proposed module/class (400 words). Be sure to make your adherence to our project guidelines clear, in particular: (1) stating the subdisciplines you plan to use, both from theology and the relevant science, (2) why this course is important, and (3) a bit about the intended audience.
  • Applicant CV.
  • Letter of support from your department chair or dean, confirming the likelihood of the course being taught within approximately 2-3 semesters after development.
  • If you are selected, you will provide:
    1. Course syllabus/handbook, including assignments you set, readings, etc.
    2. If and when the new course has been taught, student feedback and your own feedback from a teachers’ perspective.

Gratitude to God: Psychological, Philosophical and Theological Investigations Project

Gratitude to God: Psychological, Philosophical and Theological Investigations Project

Duration: Two Years Start date between September 1, 2020 and November 1, 2020.
End date between August 31, 2022 and October 31, 2022

Description

Biola University, with the help of a very generous grant from The John Templeton Foundation, and under the direction of Peter Hill and Robert Emmons, welcomes proposals from various disciplines to investigate questions that concern Gratitude to God.*

*[For the sake of this proposal and the anticipated projects that we hope it generates, we are using the term “God” to encompass the supreme God of monotheistic traditions, as well as other supernatural or superhuman beings with agency and powers (gods, spirits, ghosts, saints), whether personal or impersonal (Smith, 2017) with capacities to “make things happen or prevent them from happening, especially obtaining goods and avoiding bads” (Smith, 2017, p. 22). The phrase “personal or impersonal” implies that the superhuman powers may or may not be believed to possess consciousness, intentions, feelings, desires and other properties of the mind. We use the term “cosmic gratitude” in the RFP to depict the state that is felt by people who are inclined to feel gratitude for things not plausibly attributable to human agency nor to a personal supernatural or superhuman agent (Roberts, 2014)]

Scope

We anticipate proposals for empirical and non-empirical projects that address one or more of the questions listed below. Proposals may be for projects that utilize the methodologies of the behavioral sciences, philosophy, theology, or religious studies. Empirical projects may be multimethod, qualitative, theoretical, cross-cultural, employ behavioral measures, or incorporate developmental approaches (though none of these are required). For the empirical projects, experimental methodologies are encouraged. There will be 4 separate award competitions: (1) Empirical large grants, (2) Empirical early career grants, (3) Non-empirical large grants, and (4) Non-empirical early career grants.

What is Beyond the Scope of this Competition?

Projects that are fundamentally concerned with the effect of gratitude to God on health, well-being, happiness, coping or other similar outcomes are valuable, but should be excluded from the present funding competition, which focuses on foundational questions. Projects that are primarily correlational in nature and psychometric work on measures of gratitude to God in adults are not encouraged.

Projects exploring comparisons among experiences and expressions of gratitude across religious traditions. The focus of the project is not a comparative examination of gratitude (e.g. are Buddhists more or less grateful than Christians?) but rather how people experience gratitude to God and other supernatural agents or forces.

Projects that focus on collaborations between psychology, theology, or philosophy of GTG and the ministry. The John Templeton Foundation has funded numerous projects that have supported collaborative work between academics and ministry professionals, but the focus here is on advancing basic scholarship on GTG.

Projects that are historical in nature are beyond the scope of this competition.

For a detailed PDF with instructions see here: https://emmons.faculty.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/90/2019/10/Gratitude-to-God-Request-for-Proposals.pdf

Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism Grant Applications Due December 31, 2019

The Cushwa Center administers four grant programs and one research award to support scholarly research in a variety of subject areas. The next application deadline for all five programs is December 31, 2019.


Research Travel Grants

Research Travel Grants assist scholars who wish to visit the University Archives or other collections at the Hesburgh Libraries at Notre Dame for research relating to the study of Catholics in America.

Peter R. D’Agostino Research Travel Grants

Offered in conjunction with Italian Studies at Notre Dame and designed to facilitate the study of the American past from an international perspective, these grants support research in Roman archives for a significant publication project on U.S. Catholic history.

Mother Theodore Guerin Research Travel Grants

The Cushwa Center recently launched this program supporting scholars whose research projects seek to feature Catholic women more prominently in modern history. Grants are made to scholars seeking to visit any repository in or outside the United States, or traveling to conduct oral history interviews, especially of women religious.

Theodore M. Hesburgh Research Travel Grants

The Cushwa Center established the Theodore M. Hesburgh Research Travel Grant Program to support research projects in any academic discipline that consider and incorporate the work of Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., former president of the University of Notre Dame.

Hibernian Research Awards

The Cushwa Center administers Hibernian Research Awards supported by an endowment from the Ancient Order of Hibernians, providing travel funds for the scholarly study of Irish and Irish American history.

For more information see: https://cushwa.nd.edu/grant-opportunities/

FTE’s Doctoral Fellowship Applications are Open

FTE’s 2020 Doctoral Fellowship applications are available now. If you want to help create conditions for students and scholars of color to thrive, we encourage you to share this opportunity.

In addition to receiving financial assistance, FTE Doctoral Fellows will join a longstanding community of theological educators and scholars to help sustain them on their vocational journey.

FTE offers the Fellowship for Doctoral Students of African Descent and the Fellowship for Latino/a, Asian and First Nations Doctoral Students. FTE will only review applications that meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • Applicants must be studying at an accredited academic institution in the U.S. or Canada.
  • Applicants must be finished with coursework by the beginning of the fellowship year (September 1, 2020).
  • Applicants at the dissertation stage must be in a position to write full-time during the fellowship year.
  • All pre-dissertation applicants must be past the coursework stage but have not yet reached candidacy [ABD].
  • To be classified at the dissertation stage [ABD], applicant’s dissertation committee must have approved the dissertation research proposal and writing plan and given the student full approval to proceed before submission of an application.
  • Applicants must be a U.S. or Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Students enrolled in or applying to Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) programs are not eligible for this opportunity.

All interested applicants should read the general instructions for the fellowship before beginning the application process.

All online applications are due February 1, 2020.

Questions? Contact Program Manager Elsie Barnhart.