Templeton Foundation Fellowship Program Details
Fellowship Announcement
The John Templeton Foundation, the Society of Christian Philosophers, Oxford University and the University of Oklahoma are pleased to announce the Templeton Research Fellows program for 2010-2011. The Templeton Research Fellows program is designed to promote extended international exchange at Oxford University with philosophers of religion and scientists. We are seeking highly-qualified Fellows with an established record of successful publication, and whose proposed research will open up new avenues for interdisciplinary growth in the philosophy of religion. The Templeton Research Fellows Program offers fellowships devoted to (i) philosophy of religion or (ii) philosophical theology or (iii) interdisciplinary research areas between philosophy of religion and the natural sciences (with preference given to projects targeting the intersection (a) between philosophy of religion and philosophy of logic/mathematics or (b) between philosophy of religion and philosophy of physics and cosmology). We invite recent Ph.D.'s and more advanced scholars in the fields of the philosophy of religion, the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mathematics and logic, and the philosophy of physics or scientific cosmology to apply for a year-long fellowship, in residence, at Oxford University for the opportunity to engage in sustained contact with some of the world's foremost philosophers, scientists, historians of science, theologians, and other specialists in religion. The deadline for Letters of Inquiry is September 15, 2009. The application deadline is November 15, 2009. Fellowships begin in October 2010 and conclude in June 2011.
Fellowship Program Director
Dr. Linda Zagzebski (University of Oklahoma)
Fellowship Program Co-Director
Dr. Brian Leftow (Oxford University)
Fellowship Description
The Templeton Research Fellows Program will grant a one-year award to two applicants. Templeton Research Fellows will live in Oxford for one year, while interacting with Oxford's science and religion scholars for the purpose of writing and doing ground-breaking research in the philosophy of religion.
Categories of Fellowship: Topical categories: (1) Inter-disciplinary research between the philosophy of religion and the natural sciences (with preference given to projects examining the intersection (a) between philosophy of religion and philosophy of logic/mathematics or (b) between philosophy of religion and philosophy of physics and cosmology. (2) Any other area in philosophy of religion or philosophical theology. (2) Age categories. The two age categories are junior and senior, where "junior" is defined as no more than twelve years since completion of the applicant's Ph.D. At least one fellowship shall be awarded in the junior category.
The three major components of the Templeton Research Fellows Program are:
Doing research and writing in the philosophy of religion as described above
Extensive face-to-face conversations with colleagues and experts in the field
Utilizing the rich resources that are available at Oxford University
While there have been many contacts between British and American philosophers of religion, there have been comparatively few opportunities for the sustained critical interaction which is so essential to the philosophical enterprise. The most helpful critical tool is typically extensive face-to-face conversations with colleagues over comparatively long periods of time. Both the philosophers of religion associated with the fellowship program and their Oxford counterparts can be expected to benefit immensely from the interchanges made possible by a one-year residence at Oxford.
Each Fellow is expected to complete and disseminate the results of their research at Oxford through publications, lectures, or presentations at academic conferences within a short time after the end of the fellowship program. Fellows are also expected to submit a report to the Fellowship Director describing the effects of their time at Oxford on the direction of their research within a year following the fellowship period, and to send the Fellowship Director notices of presentations, as well as copies of any papers and books resulting from research conducted during the fellowship period.
Application Instructions
Fellows will be chosen from applicants in a worldwide open competition administered by the Society of Christian Philosophers in collaboration with the University of Oklahoma.
Applicants are required to submit the following:
By September 15, 2009 (Letters of Inquiry)
- Letter of Inquiry with the applicant's name
- Current curriculum vitae with institutional affiliation
- The tentative title of the applicant's project
By November 15, 2009 (Complete Application)
- A complete curriculum vitae, including current institutional affiliation
- Three letters of recommendation
- A statement of no more than 1200 words describing his or her project
- One published or unpublished paper
Application materials should be submitted electronically to the Program Administrator, Joshua Seachris, at jseachris@ou.edu. Should you have any questions about the application process, please email either the Program Administrator or the Program Director, Linda Zagzebski, at lzagzebski@ou.edu. Applicants are required to send a Letter of Inquiry to jseachris@ou.edu no later than September 15, 2009. All application materials, including letters of recommendation, must be received no later than November 15, 2009.
Fellowship Eligibility
Applicants must have a Ph.D., and be affiliated with an accredited college or university. Applicants should have an established record of successful publication and be able to work collegially with their academic counterparts at Oxford. Applicants should prepare a timeline describing precisely the work that will be completed during the grant period, the order in which the work will be completed, and (when applicable) how the work to be completed at Oxford connects with the applicant's larger project.
Fellowship Benefits
The University of Oxford is home to many resources that are greatly beneficial to a person exploring and researching the vast array of topics within the philosophy of religion.
The junior Fellow will receive a $50,000 fellowship award (plus a stipend for college fees), as well as travel and research-related expenses. The senior Fellow will receive a $70,000 fellowship award (plus a stipend for college fees), as well as travel and research-related expenses. There will also be funds available to attend post-fellowship conferences and to lead post-fellowship workshops.
Timetable
September 15, 2009 - Deadline for letters of inquiry
November 15, 2009 - Deadline for applications
January 22, 2009 - Awards announced
October 2010 - Fellowships commence with the start of the Oxford University academic year
June 2011 - Fellowships end with the conclusion of the Oxford University academic year
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question that is not answered below, please contact us at jseachris@ou.edu or lzagzebski@ou.edu. What kinds of research projects may I work on? Three examples of topics (among a much broader range of possible topics) are the following:
(1) A number of contemporary metaphysicians endorse so-called A-theories of time which posit a moving now or privileged present. Moreover, the currently popular open theism requires an A-theory. Yet because it is difficult to reconcile A-theories of time with relativity, an examination of attempts in contemporary physics to find some room for a moving now or privileged present should be of great interest to a variety of philosophers and theologians.
(2) A second set of questions concern the nature of logico-mathematical truth. Do these sorts of truth have any relation to or dependence on God? And if so, what is it, and how can we make sense of it? The mathematician Hugh Woodin of Berkeley, for example, has recently argued that new developments in set theory make it almost impossible to avoid being a platonist in mathematics. Since many theists are attracted to platonism, construing abstract objects as ideas in the mind of God, whereas naturalists have tended to reject it, there is an important issue here for philosophical inquiry. If, on the other hand, logico-mathematical truths have no relation to or dependence upon God, why don't they, and does it matter?
(3) There is a need to explore the implications of contemporary cosmology for traditional arguments for the existence of God. While the relevance of some of these debates to fine tuning versions of the design argument seem obvious, less attention has been paid to the implications of current science for traditional cosmological arguments. Another important issue concerns the methods and aspirations of cosmology. Does it seek anything like ultimate explanation? If so, in what sense? And are religious ultimate explanations complementary to or rather competing with the project of empirical cosmology?
The Templeton Research Fellows Advisory Board
The Templeton Research Fellows Advisory Board comprises a select group of prominent academics who have demonstrated success in the philosophy of religion and commitment to advocating new ideas in the field.
- Linda Zagzebski (University of Oklahoma)
- Robert Audi (Notre Dame)
- Kelly James Clark (Calvin College)
- William J. Wainwright (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
- Edward Wierenga (University of Rochester)
- Brian Leftow (Oriel College, Oxford)
- Marilyn McCord Adams (University of North Carolina)
- Peter Harrison (Harris Manchester College, Oxford)
- Dave Leal (Brasenose College, Oxford)
- Tim Mawson (St. Peter's College, Oxford)
- Keith Ward (Christ Church, Oxford)
- Michael Murray (Templeton Foundation)
September 15th, 2009
Deadline for Letters of Inquiry
November 15th, 2009
Deadline for Completed Applications
October 2010 - June 2011
Dr. Linda Zagzebski
University of Oklahoma
Program Director
Dr. Brian Leftow
Oxford University
Program Co-Director
Joshua Seachris
University of Oklahoma
Program Administrator