Call for Proposals: Innovation in Religion and Spirituality Seed Grants
The Religion and the Public Sphere program at the Social Science Research Council aims to foster research on the wider implications of new forms of religious and spiritual life. This program is offered with the support of the Luce Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, and the Templeton World Charity Foundation.
Overview
In recent years, scholars have noted that religious and spiritual life is being substantively reshaped. “Innovation” is one way of framing these changes, but it remains a partial and contested analytic lens, and is popularly associated with the sudden emergence of a “new” element introduced into an otherwise static tradition. Scholarship on religion and spirituality, however, points to a more complex set of processes. The essays in an ongoing forum for The Immanent Frame have set out some initial parameters of these dynamics: Rather than invention ex nihilio, what we often see is the strategic recombination of existing elements within a broader context of social, political, and cultural change.
Research Themes
This request invites proposals that examine the dynamics of religious and spiritual change that fall within the frame of “innovation.” Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- Explorations of innovations within transnational or diasporic religious and/or spiritual communities within the United States, particularly related to the circulation of ideas and culture from or to the Global South.
- Studies of the process by which an innovation attains—or does not attain—legitimacy, relevance, or authority within a given community or institution.
- The relationship between contemporary economic conditions—poverty, economic insecurity, and competitive pressures for time and money—and changes in religion and spirituality.
- Historical studies of innovations in religion and spirituality: the creation, reception, transformation, and longevity of an innovation over time.
- Civic participation and the social mobilization of new or changing religious identities, as well as the reinterpretation of religious or spiritual traditions or ideas in the service of particular political or ideological projects.
We welcome proposals from all fields in the social sciences (including, but not limited to: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology) as well as the humanities, theology, and other relevant fields. Research projects using any social science methodology, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed, are eligible. We welcome projects that draw from data sets or sources that will help illuminate the contexts in which innovation takes place.
Research questions should focus tightly on specific empirical examples, and proposed research methods should be appropriate to answer those questions. Applications should indicate their plans for publishing their work and demonstrate a strong interest in disseminating findings to practitioners and broader interested publics.
Eligibility
The seed grant competition is open to all scholars working as professional researchers or university faculty, as well as doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy and postdoctoral researchers within five years of their PhD at the time of application. All application materials must be submitted in English.
Program Terms
The program offers research support over a period of up to 6 months. The grant funds will be up to $10,000 per award. Budgets that make efficient use of available funds are strongly encouraged, and all budgets will be reviewed by SSRC staff prior to finalizing awards to ensure equitable distribution of funds.
Grant funds may be used for activities directly related to research, such as travel expenses and accommodations, research equipment and supplies, support for research assistants, and costs for access to publications or proprietary databases. In exceptional cases, and in consultation with program staff, award funds may be used to cover other expenses.
If travel or in-person research is proposed, applicants should address any likely considerations that could impact the feasibility of their plans.
Proposals will be evaluated by a multidisciplinary selection committee on their overall quality and their potential to deepen understanding of the dynamics of innovation in religion and spirituality.
Timeline and Application Process
The deadline for applications is Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Please visit apply.ssrc.org to access the application portal.
The project period runs from September 2026 through February 2027. Grant funds must be used within this period.
Application Details
A completed application consists of an application form, a three-page research proposal and bibliography, a detailed budget, your curriculum vitae, and one letter of reference (dissertators only). Please review the FAQ page for more details.
The Religious and Spiritual Innovation Research Grant application consists of a proposal describing the project (maximum 3 pages including bibliography) and a CV. Please review the FAQ page for more questions.
About the Project
This initiative is part of the SSRC’s broader effort to advance research on religion, spirituality, and public life. The seed grants build on a series of essays published on The Immanent Frame that develop conceptual clarity around spiritual and religious innovation and point toward new directions for research.