The Global Research Centre for Diverse Intelligences (GRCDI) welcomes applications for Interdisciplinary Thematic Workshops. These workshops will be administered by the GRCDI and full funding will be provided to cover costs through a grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF).
The purpose of the Interdisciplinary Thematic Workshops awards is to foster collaboration and idea generation across disciplines on the topic of Diverse Intelligences (DI). Through these workshops, we aim to establish the major interdisciplinary themes that will inspire our Global Research Centre research priorities. Proposals should be interdisciplinary, global, and transformative. Examples of workshop themes include (but are not limited to):
- Systems Intelligence (plant intelligence, group-level intelligence, and distributed cognition).
- Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) (Inspired by the natural world – designing intelligent models that engage in lifelong learning in multiple modalities).
- Creativity (What is creativity, and what kinds of intelligence are capable of creative behaviour?).
- Global Citizen Science (a network of research and visitor centres engaging the public in DI research. What is the impact of participating in DI research for people’s feeling of connection to nature and to science).
Key information
- Maximum funding amount: £16,000 per workshop.
- Each application should propose one workshop only.
- The workshops should take place between September 2026 and June 2027.
- The workshops may be held in Scotland (with the option for coordination support from the GRCDI team), or globally, with local coordination support to be provided by the applicants’ institution(s). We strongly encourage you to propose a location/venue that will be accessible for the named participants, and if not in Scotland, to explain the local coordination support available.
- The workshops should be scheduled over a minimum of two (consecutive) days.
- Collaborative proposals involving multiple organisers are strongly encouraged, however only one corresponding organiser should be named per application. Proposals should include a list of potential participants, and should indicate if those named have given their in-principle agreement to attend.
- We welcome applications for in-person workshops and hybrid workshops.
- Applications must include a budget (in GBP) that details the total amount of funds requested and an itemised budget detailing:
- international/local transport allowance estimates for all workshop participants (and organisers, if relevant)
- accommodation expenses for all workshop participants (and organisers, if relevant). Accommodation costs should be itemised per person per night
- catering costs
- equipment and stationary costs, if relevant
- any other costs
Eligibility
- Applicants should be based at an academic institution.
- Applicants can be from any career stage from doctoral student and beyond, however experience of prior event organisation is desirable.
- We welcome applications from both GRCDI members and non-members.
- All workshops must adhere to the relevant TWCF funding conditions and policies.
Guidelines
- Any named organiser can be listed as such in one workshop application only. Multiple applications cannot be submitted by any one individual.
- Applicants must ensure that the combined length of all responses on the GRCDI Workshop Application Form do not exceed 8 pages, maintaining the current formatting. Any content exceeding the 8-page limit will be disregarded.
- Applications should be accessible for a multidisciplinary readership.
- Any acronyms should be explained at the first instance of use.
Key dates
- Deadline for applications: 5pm London time (GMT+0) Wednesday 25 March 2026
- Decisions announced: April/May 2026
How to apply
Submit your completed GRCDI Workshop Application Form and a two-page CV for each named applicant (the corresponding organiser and all co-organisers) to [email protected] before the deadline, entering ‘Interdisciplinary Thematic Workshop Application’ in the subject line of your email. The GRCDI Thematic Workshop Application Form and all two-page CVs should be submitted as separate attachments within the same email.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected], specifying ‘Query: Interdisciplinary Thematic Workshops call’ in the subject line.