Request for Proposals: Application Procedures

Prospective host institutions will be invited to submit proposals for the three-year grant. The proposal deadlines for the applications are:

January 1, 2007, Fourth Selection by March 31, 2007

The application should come from an interdisciplinary committee at the university, which would also be charged with overseeing the project. A single individual should be named as the committee chair for the purposes of making this application and charged with managerial responsibilities for the oversight of the interdisciplinary committee and the annual Templeton Research Lectures. Two institutions will be selected per year for these three-year grants. A university not selected in one application round can resubmit the proposal with or without modification in subsequent years for reconsideration.

This project is administrated by the Metanexus Institute on behalf of the John Templeton Foundation. Applicants are invited to discuss their proposals with the project director prior to submitting their proposals. All inquiries should be directed to:

Dr. William Grassie, Executive Director
Metanexus Institute
3624 Market Street, Suite 301
Philadelphia , PA 19104
Voice: 215.789.2200
FAX: 215.789.2222
Email: lectures@metanexus.net
URL: http://www.metanexus.net/lectures

Please submit seven printed copies of the following material and one electronic copy in MS Word format on CD ROM:

1. a cover letter signed by the chair of the interdisciplinary committee who will serve also as grant recipient;

2. a proposal abstract not more than 800 words;

3. a one-page hypothesis statement or statements to be explored each year with additional questions as necessary;

4. four-to-ten page proposal narrative specifying the thematic focus of the project and how the work will proceed (not to exceed ten pages);

5. a two-to-ten page “syllabus” outlining the meeting schedule and program of study for the interdisciplinary committee’s own work with appropriate readings listed and its own publication initiatives;

6. a budget with appropriate justifications;

7. 200-word biography of each member of the interdisciplinary oversight committee;

8. 400-word biography of each Templeton Research Fellow envisioned in the proposal (Note bene: it is not expected that the proposed Fellows will have been contact in advance and have agreed to participate. The proposed Fellows are listed to be suggestive of the Interdisciplinary Committee’s intentions and is not contractual, so a longer list of potential fellows is preferred).;

9. documentation of commitment for matching funds of $20,000 or more in order to release $20,000 of additional funding (if applicable);

10. a letter from the university's president, provost, dean or other appropriate administrative officer supporting the application; and

11. a single copy of supplemental material relevant to the application, including full curricula vitae, examples of previous publications and institutional promotional material are also welcome.

12. For unranked research universities outside of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, please submit documentation regarding the university’s doctoral programs in the sciences and other fields, its research funding, and its faculty credentials and achievements. See the project website for more details.

Send Applications to:

Dr. William Grassie, Executive Director
Metanexus Institute, 28 Garrett Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 USA USA
Voice: 215.789.2200
FAX: 215.789.2222
Email: grassie@metanexus.net
URL: http://www.metanexus.net/lectures

The applications must be received by the first workday following the January 1, 2004 and subsequent years.