T E M P L E T O N F O U N D AT I O N - P R O C E S S A N D L E S S O N S L E A R N E D D A N I E L P E T R O C E L L I , D I R O F D E V E L O P M E N T L S S T C J E N O S O K O L O S K I , D I R O F S C I E N C E L S S T C
T O D AY ’ S A G E N D A • Introduction and Caveats. • Description of the Templeton Foundation’s mission and funding. parameters. • Changes for 2020 OFI application process. • Overview of the OFI. • Lessons learned from last year.
B A C K G R O U N D I N F O R M AT I O N • Templeton’s mission is two -parts: Scientific and Spiritual Progress. • LSSTC does not specifically endorse the Templeton Foundation, rather presents it as an open call option for LSSTC members. • In 2019, we submitted 6 OFIs to Templeton, 2 of which were selected for full proposals. Although neither was funded, we understand that those proposals were 2 of 12 for Math and Physical Sciences that were reviewed for funding.
T E M P L E T O N V I S I O N • “We take our inspiration from the intellectual legacy of Sir John Templeton. Our vision is one of infinite scientific and spiritual progress, in which all people aspire to and attain a deeper understanding of the universe and their place in it. We look forward to a world where people are curious about the wonders of the universe, motivated to pursue lives of meaning and purpose, and overwhelmed by great and selfless love.”
T E M P L E T O N M I S S I O N • “The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the deepest and most perplexing questions facing humankind. We support research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and emergence to creativity, forgiveness, and free will. • We encourage civil, informed dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians, as well as between such experts and the public at large. In all cases, our goal is the same: to spur curiosity and accelerate discovery. • In order to catalyze such discoveries, we provide grants for independent research that advances the mission of the Foundation. Our grants for public engagement help people worldwide engage the fruits of that research and explore the Big Questions.”
T E M P L E T O N I M PA C T S TAT E M E N T • “The work supported by the John Templeton Foundation crosses disciplinary, religious, and geographical boundaries. Our grantees produce field-leading scholarship across the sciences, theology, and philosophy. From probing gravitational waves to updating the modern evolutionary synthesis, they have contributed to major discoveries in the basic sciences. Other grantees have opened critical new topics to scientific investigation, including prayer, gratitude, immortality, and imagination.”
PA R A M E T E R S F O R O F I I N 2 0 2 0 • For the funding current cycle (due date August 14, 2020), our Mathematical and Physical Sciences program is accepting Open Funding Inquiries regarding grants of less than $230,000 that would address the following goals (or a subset thereof) in creative ways. • (1) Advancing the conceptual frontiers of physics (currently we have a particular interest in theoretical and experimental work on many-body quantum systems); • (2) Situating scientific research within a broader interdisciplinary inquiry into human thought and culture; • (3) Cultivating dynamic and demographically diverse collaborations involving multiple teams, disciplines, or institutions; • (4) Providing career continuity for young scholars (students, postdocs, and faculty members) whose physics-related research has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
O V E R V I E W O F T H E O F I F O R M • General information: • Title, summary, description, preliminary budget, outcomes, outputs. • Contact information, CV, additional personnel. • Relation to Sir John Templeton’s Donor Intent . • Statement of Significance – Describe the current conditions in the field relevant to the project, identify problems that the project will address and articulate the specific opportunity that your project presents.
L E S S O N S L E A R N E D • Relation to the donor intent • Proposers will do well to give serious consideration to this section. Top comment on reviews of proposals indicated lack of connection with donor intent. • Statement of Significance • Another area that should be given full and due consideration. This year especially, impact will likely be a critical deciding point for OFIs and Proposals.
L E S S O N S L E A R N E D • Beware emphasis on operational and program support. Templeton funds discrete projects. • Align as closely as possible with strategic priorities. Wherever possible, double down: • * Exceptional Cognitive Talent and Genius * Genetics * Individual Freedom and Free Markets * Math and Physical Sciences * Programs in Islam * Programs in Latin America
W H AT ’ S N E X T ? • Go to Templeton.org for greater details on mission and vision. • OFI’s are due August 14 th , 2020. Responses to OFI come out on October 16 th , 2020. • This year, they are listing proposal deadlines and proposal decision deadlines as ‘variable’. This represents another change from last year’s process.
L A S T LY … A N D Q U E S T I O N S • We can provide a .pdf of the OFI questionnaire with character limitations on fields. • We can provide you with a copy of this presentation for reference. • LSSTC can provide additional support on request.
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