Mind & Life Research Grants
The Mind & Life Research Grants fund interdisciplinary research on contemplative practices to explore their impact on well-being, compassion, and the human-earth relationship.
Funder: Mind and Life Institute
Due Dates: August 31, 2026: Full application submission deadline (Mind & Life Research Grants; online portal). Letters of recommendation are due by this deadline.
Funding Amounts: Up to $25,000 per award; project period up to 2 years; awarded annually.
Summary: Supports interdisciplinary research on contemplative practices to advance understanding of well-being, compassion, and the human-earth connection.
Key Information: Applicants must have attended the Mind & Life Summer Research Institute (2022 or later) and be early-career researchers affiliated with a research institution.
Description
The Mind & Life Research Grants, offered by the Mind and Life Institute, fund rigorous scientific research into contemplative practices such as meditation, mindfulness, compassion, and related forms of introspection. The program aims to deepen understanding of how contemplative wisdom can reduce human suffering, promote flourishing, and foster interdisciplinary connections across cognitive, behavioral, clinical, physiological, and socio-cultural domains. Supported projects should demonstrate innovation, methodological rigor, and relevance to personal well-being, compassionate communities, and the human-earth connection. The program particularly encourages proposals that integrate first-person contemplative methods and collaborations with contemplative scholars or practitioners.
