John Templeton Foundation Invites Funding Inquiries

The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries related to the deepest and most perplexing questions facing humankind and supports research, and catalyzes conversations that inspire people with awe and wonder.

The foundation is accepting inquiries for its 2022 cycle and will consider applications for discrete projects in the following areas: 

Science and the Big Questions: Grants will be awarded in support of innovative efforts to address humankind’s most profound questions. Why are we here? How can we flourish? What are the fundamental structures of reality? What can we know about the nature and purposes of the divine? In addition to supporting academic research on these and similar questions, the foundation will support efforts to bring relevant findings to non-specialist audiences. Through a wide range of media—print, digital, broadcast, and film—the foundation seeks to raise awareness about cutting-edge discoveries in clear and probing ways. The foundation will also fund programs that help teachers, journalists, religious leaders, and other professionals apply these discoveries to enrich and extend their work.

Character Virtue Development: Grants will be awarded in support of efforts to advance the science and practice of character, focusing on moral, performance, civic, and intellectual virtues such as humility, gratitude, curiosity, diligence, and honesty.

Individual Freedom and Free Markets: Grants will be awarded supporting education, research, and outreach projects to promote individual freedom, free markets, free competition, and entrepreneurship. Grounded in classical liberal political economy ideas and a commitment to the moral equality of all human beings, the foundation seeks and develops projects that aim to advance freedom, widespread prosperity, and human flourishing. Whether by academic research, instruction, public outreach, or supporting debate on public policy, grants will support work that makes the world more just, more prosperous, and more conducive to human flourishing.

Exceptional Cognitive Talent and Genius: Grants will be awarded in support of programs that recognize and nurture exceptional cognitive talent, especially for those at an early stage of life. This funding area also will support research concerning the nature of cognitive genius, including extraordinary creativity, curiosity, and imagination.

Genetics: Grants will be awarded to advance genetics research by supporting novel approaches and contrarian projects, especially research  undervalued by traditional funding sources. This funding area supports educational programs that increase public awareness concerning how genetics-related research and its applications can advance human flourishing at the individual, familial, and societal levels. The foundation’s current focus is on research and engagement projects that explore fundamental genetic and epigenetic mechanisms regulating inter-and trans-generational transmittance of biological information and health outcomes.

Eligible applicants include charitable entities that operate inside and outside of the United States.

Online funding inquiries are due August 19, 2022, and selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal, due January 20, 2023 (or earlier for select smaller requests).

For complete program guidelines, application instructions, and an FAQ, see the John Templeton Foundation website.