Research Grants Target Effects of Optimism
The program
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA collaborative project involving the University of Notre Dame and Cornell University has awarded nearly $2 million to 18 research projects in five countries. The initiative focuses on the theoretical, empirical and practical potential of hope and optimism.
The project is funded through a grant from the John Templeton Foundation and university money. The initiative involves social scientists, theologians and philosophers taking part in fellowship programs, conferences and stage and screen competitions.
The projects funded include:
"What Should I Hope From You?" from Claremont McKenna College Professor Adrienne Martin. She will examine how hope is invested in people, rather than objects.
"Are There Any Advantages to Racializing Hope?" from Brown University Assistant Professor Andre Willis. That project focuses on how practical hopes linked to citizen ship have shaped the African-American religious experience.
Other researchers receiving funding come from schools including George Mason University, University of Oxford and Carnegie Mellon University.