The Global Research Centre for Diverse Intelligences (GRCDI) invites applications for Small Research Project Grants on the theme of Diverse Intelligences. Funding will be available for six research projects, with a maximum award of GBP £40,000 per project. The GRCDI is glad to be able to grant this funding through an award made to the GRCDI from the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF).
Projects can be approached from any discipline and on any topic within the broad scope of Diverse Intelligences, from natural to artificial systems, simple to complex organisms, individuals to collectives, and human intelligence across cultures and across the lifespan. Priority will be given to projects that:
- address questions that are common to multiple systems or shed light on the nature of intelligence itself
- are multidisciplinary and collaborative
- are novel either in question or approach
- support career development for ECRs (broadly defined as PhD students and researchers up to ten years-post PhD).
Awardees will be required to attend the Diverse Intelligences summit in St Andrews (UK) in July 2027 for the opportunity to share their findings with the wider community and other awardees.
Key information
- Maximum funding amount: GBP £40,000 per project.
- Number of awards available: 6
- Each applicant should be named on one project only.
- Project start date: August-September 2026.
- Duration of proposed Small Research Projects: 12 months.
- Collaborative proposals involving multiple applicants are welcome, however only one Corresponding Applicant should be named per application.
- Applications must include a budget (in GBP) that details the total amount of funds requested and an itemised budget detailing:
- Personnel, if applicable
- Equipment
- Travel
- Dissemination
- Other costs
Eligibility
- Applications are welcome from members of the DI community. However, membership of the GRCDI is not required to apply.
- All named researchers should be based at an academic institution.
- The Corresponding Applicant must hold a PhD at the time of applying and must have a contract at an institution that can provide the necessary support to host the award for the duration of the grant plus an additional three months.
- All projects must adhere to the relevant TWCF funding conditions and policies.https://www.templetonworldcharity.org/our-policies and the conditions outlined in the Template Award Agreement Letter
Guidelines
- Any named applicant can be listed as such in one GRCDI Small Research Project Grant application only. Multiple applications cannot be submitted by any one individual.
- Applications must maintain the current formatting on the GRCDI Small Research Project Grant Application Form. For sections with a maximum word limit, any content exceeding the limits will be disregarded.
- Applications should be accessible for a multidisciplinary readership.
- Any acronyms should be explained at the first instance of use.
- At least one member of the team will be required to attend the Diverse Intelligences summit in St Andrews (UK) in July 2027 for the opportunity to share their findings with the wider community and other awardees. Travel and accommodation for one member of the team should be included in the budget, or teams should specify how attendance will be funded.
- The Corresponding Applicant will be required to submit a project report within three months of the project end date.
Key dates
- Deadline for applications: 5pm London time (GMT+0) Wednesday 25 March 2026
- Decisions: May-June 2026
- Project start date: August-September 2026
- Project duration: 12 months.
How to apply
Submit your completed GRCDI Small Research Project Grants Application Form and a two-page cv for each named applicant (the Corresponding Applicant and each named researcher, if applicable) to [email protected] before the deadline, entering ‘Application: Small Research Project Grants’ in the subject line of your email. The GRCDI Small Research Project Grants 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: Small Research Project Grants’ in the subject line.
Notes for applicants and terms
It is the responsibility of the applicant(s) to ensure that the proposal adheres to the relevant TWCF funding conditions and policies.
Please note that we are unable to offer feedback on individual applications that are not shortlisted.
The University will issue an award agreement letter based on the template provided on https://grcdi.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/grcdi-small-research-project-grants/. Applicants should review and familiarise themselves with the terms and conditions before submitting an application. If successful, these terms will apply in relation to each award.
Any subaward under this project is contingent upon the Awardee (an authorised signatory for the host institution) entering into a duly executed subaward agreement with the University Court of the University of St Andrews (“the University”). The University will issue this agreement following a successful grant application, and upon acceptance, it will constitute a legally binding contract. No funds will be disbursed, nor any obligations take effect, until the agreement is fully executed by both parties. Failure to execute the subaward agreement may result in withdrawal or termination of the award. The University may require due diligence checks for shortlisted applicants, including governance and financial stability assessments, and any award will remain conditional upon satisfactory completion of these checks.