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Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc. (TWCF) was established in 1996 to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to Big Questions of life and the universe, in areas of science, theology, philosophy, and human society. Sir John Templeton was interested in concepts that he referred to as “invisible realities”, including (but not limited to) such examples as love, infinity, creativity, gratitude, consciousness, and complexity. He established the Foundation to foster rigorous scholarship and broad communications on such diverse topics, as well as on the dialogue between science and religion, in order to stimulate humility, curiosity, and enthusiasm for new discoveries in invisble realities. This is reflected in the Foundation’s motto: “How little we know, how eager to learn."
The Templeton World Charity Foundation is currently seeking exceptional applicants for the Templeton Independent Research Fellowships in the Power of Information. Each Fellowship will provide financial support of up to $110,000 per year for up to three years, tenable at any recognized university or research institution in the world. Fellows will enjoy the freedom to pursue independent research that contributes to the overall goal of our Power of Information Initiative, at an institution of the fellow’s choosing. Leading labs at top universities in nine countries—such as MIT and Oxford—have already expressed interest in hosting successful applicants.
Since 2013, TWCF has provided nearly $12 million in support to nearly twenty research projects around the world through its Power of Information initiative, which seeks to explore how information may act as fundamental concept in nature. The concept of information offers a promising pathway for comprehending both micro- and macro-level phenomena—that is, phenomena from the quantum to the cosmological scales—within a single framework.
The purpose of the Templeton Independent Research Fellowship in the Power of Information is to facilitate further scientific research pertaining to the concept of information by supporting exceptional early-career scholars who are likely to establish themselves as prominent researchers in their field. The Fellowship will allow the most talented postdoctoral fellows to pursue independent research projects that contribute to the overall goal of the Initiative.
Following the success of the 2016 and 2017 rounds, TWCF will award up to three Fellowships in 2018. Each Fellowship will provide financial support of up to $110,000 per year for up to three years, tenable at any recognized university or research institution in the world. Fellows must hold a PhD by the start of their Fellowship, although they need not have completed their degree when submitting their application. Applicants must apply within five full-time-equivalent research years of completing their PhD program. Newly graduated PhDs are welcome to apply. Applications will be considered from researchers who work in any of the following areas: mathematics, statistics, physics, chemistry, biology, biophysics, computer science, electrical engineering, or the philosophy of science. Applications are welcome from researchers of any nationality.
Applications for the 2018 round of Fellowships close on Friday 27 April 2018. Full details about the Fellowship, including detailed eligibility criteria and instructions about how to apply, can be found in the program announcement below.
Applicants will need to download and complete an application form, providing a detailed description of their proposed research project in the project description form. Instructions about how to fill out the budget section of the application form may be found in the budget instructions.
Although applicants are welcome to apply through any recognized university or research institution in the world, a number of investigators (listed in the program announcement) have already agreed to consider hosting a fellow in their research group. If an applicant thinks their Fellowship project might fit well with the general research interests of one or more of those persons, the applicant is welcome to make contact with the potential host to discuss how their proposed research would fit in that person’s laboratory or institution.
Each fellow will be expected to undertake the following activities and produce the following outputs during their Fellowship:
Applications will be judged according to a range of criteria, including:
For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.
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