BESS Family Foundation Grants
Forecasted
BESS Family Foundation Grants support developing scientists and scholars studying earth awareness practices to understand human well-being, connection with nature, and responses to the climate crisis.
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Funder: Mind and Life Institute
Due Dates (Anticipated): August 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $25,000 USD per award for two years; up to two BESS awards annually
Summary: Supports contemplative research on earth awareness practices, human well-being, and interconnection and reciprocity with nature.
Key Information: Applicants must have attended the Mind & Life Summer Research Institute within the last five years.
Description
The Mind and Life Institute administers these grants through a partnership established with the BESS Family Foundation in 2025. The program supports contemplative research investigating how earth awareness practices affect human well-being and foster greater understanding of our interconnection and reciprocity with nature. It responds to the recognition that efforts to address the climate crisis often overlook disconnection from one another and the Earth, while limited scientific understanding of human-earth contemplative practices inhibits their wider adoption.
The partnership seeks to advance knowledge that helps people cope with the climate crisis, recognize their responsibility as stewards of the natural world, and take greater agency in developing solutions. BESS awards are part of the shared Mind & Life Research Grants program, which funds rigorous contemplative research by developing scientists and scholars.
