Varela Grants
Forecasted
Varela Grants from the Mind and Life Institute fund innovative research into contemplative practices to understand their effects on human flourishing and the alleviation of suffering.
Funder: Mind and Life Institute
Due Dates (Anticipated): August 2027 (annual application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Up to $25,000 per award; project duration up to 2 years.
Summary: Supports rigorous research into contemplative practices to advance understanding of their effects on human flourishing and the alleviation of suffering.
Key Information: Applicants must have attended the Mind & Life Summer Research Institute within the last five years.
Description
This grant supports early-career researchers conducting rigorous scientific studies of contemplative practices, such as meditation, mindfulness, compassion, or movement-based traditions, with the aim of understanding and applying these methods to reduce human suffering and promote flourishing. Funded by the Mind and Life Institute, the program encourages interdisciplinary research that incorporates both first-person (subjective) and third-person (objective) methodologies. Projects should address significant questions related to the mechanisms, cultivation, or assessment of contemplative practices, and demonstrate potential for impact beyond the immediate research.
Preference is given to proposals that:
- Integrate contemplative wisdom with scientific approaches
- Employ innovative or interdisciplinary methods
- Involve collaboration with contemplative scholars or practitioners
- Address personal well-being, compassionate communities, or the human-earth connection
The grant is particularly focused on supporting the next generation of contemplative science researchers, and is open to graduate students, postdocs, and junior faculty in their first five years of appointment who have attended the Mind & Life Summer Research Institute (US-based) within the last five years.
