The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Research Consortium

The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Research Consortium is a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, administered by the PPE Society, that funds interdisciplinary research bringing together philosophy, political science, and economics. Projects must draw on the perspectives and methods of at least two of these three core disciplines and be led by teams of two or more researchers. The Principal Investigator must hold a Ph.

D. and a faculty or research position at an accredited college, university, or pre-approved nonprofit research institution; institutions worldwide are eligible. Grants are capped at $100,000 USD for Round 2, with total program funding of approximately $3.

2 million. Funded teams must attend a PPE Society workshop and submit interim and final reports.

Eligibility Requirements - The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society Watch General Information Webinar PPE Research Consortium : The Primary Investigator (PI) must have a Ph. D. or equivalent degree and hold either 1.

a faculty position at an accredited college or university, or 2. a research position at a pre-approved non-profit research institution . They do not need to be tenure-track, but they must have an academic or professional appointment that covers the full length of the proposed project.

We encourage no more than two co-PIs on a single project. If you are at a non-profit research institution, please email us for pre-approval before May 15, 2026. All colleges and universities are eligible.

In addition, other kinds of institutions may also apply, though non-university institutions will go through a pre-approval process. Institutions from anywhere in the world are eligible. We cannot, however, award grants of more than $100,000 USD for Round 2, so please budget in your own currency taking into account the implications of currency fluctuations.

Applicants can have their name as PI or co-PI on only one Stage 2 proposal for this competition, and if funded, cannot receive funding for salary or research expenses from any other funded proposals in the PPE Society Research Consortium competitions, although they can be named on additional proposals in other roles.

The PPE Research Consortium, supported by a major grant from the Templeton Foundation and administered by the PPE Society, is designed to foster innovative interdisciplinary research that brings together insights from philosophy, politics, and economics (broadly construed). Our hope is that this FAQ provides helpful information for people who might be interested in applying for one of our grants.

It is intended to supplement—rather than replace—the full Request for Proposals (RFP) and eligibility guidelines. Applicants should review all official materials carefully before submitting. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

What projects will we support? This funding is for teams of two or more researchers on interdisciplinary projects that address questions, issues, or challenges drawing on the perspectives and methods of more than one of the disciplines of philosophy, political science, and economics (broadly construed).

They do not need to include all three core PPE fields, but proposals that rely on the perspectives and methods of just one discipline, without engagement across disciplines, will not be a good fit.

If your project is scalable in a way that has you wondering how much funding to request, please feel free to characterize the options in your initial proposal in ways that convey the difference different levels of funding would make to the project. What commitments are required of the Principal Investigators (PIs)? The PI of funded projects must commit to: Submitting interim and final reports as will be specified in the grant agreement.

The interim and final reports should not exceed 5 pages (plus budget documents) and should detail the outcomes of the funded project.

Grants will be structured so that a portion of the grant is payable only on receipt of the final report and successful completion of the project; Attending at least one of the two PPE Research Consortium workshops, held in conjunction with the PPE Society’s Annual November Conference in New Orleans during or at the end of the funded project. (There will be two such workshops, one in 2027, one in 2028.

Travel expenses should be built into full Stage 2 proposals and should, except under special circumstances, be provided by the PI’s home institution. The purpose of these workshops is to: (1) facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations related to the project and (2) cultivate the network of scholars contributing substantially to PPE Research.

Other team members are encouraged to attend the conference as well, but the responsibility to attend and present is the PI’s (or the co-PI’s) ; Providing a summary of the feedback received at the workshop.

For those who attend a workshop before the end of the project, there will be an opportunity to adjust the grant agreement in light of the feedback received ; Devoting appropriate time to the project (the level of commitment will vary by project, but the PI must be central to the research and day-to-day activities); Following stipulations of grant award as communicated by JTF either to UNC or to the recipient directly, and as determined by UNC; Following quality research practices, including, when relevant, having a decision rule for terminating data collection, listing all relevant variables and experimental conditions in publications, reporting supplementary results without removing outliers or using covariates, and considering preregistration at a site such as aspredicted.

org (Simmons et al. , 2011); Complying with standards for research with human subjects (where applicable); Acknowledging that the research teams evaluating these proposals (as well as other applicants) may themselves have already developed very similar research ideas, and that they may develop similar ideas in the future, as is in the nature of this situation.

The PI does not construe their proposal as a limit on those research directions ; Upholding the highest international standards of research integrity; and Notifying the PPE Research Consortium of all conference presentations, papers, and books and other outputs that arise from or reflect the funded research. Can multiple institutions collaborate on one proposal? If so, how should budgets be handled?

Yes. Collaborative proposals across institutions are welcome and may well be essential to certain projects. In such cases, the budget should clearly identify the lead institution (which will receive and administer the grant) and specify how funds will be distributed among partner institutions.

Letters of support from collaborating institutions would be part of a successful proposal. Can someone be involved in more than one proposal? Yes.

Individuals may participate in more than one proposal, and in more than one funded project. However, a person may serve as PI on only one funded project per round. If their first project will conclude before the start of a subsequent project, they may serve as PI again in a later round.

What are the deadlines for proposals? The deadline for Stage 1 (brief proposals) is May 15, 2026 . The deadline for Stage 2 (invited full proposals) is September 15, 2026 .

What is the difference between the Stage 1 and Stage 2 proposals? Stage 1 (short proposal): Describes the project’s nature, value, anticipated outputs, and the kind of support expected from home institutions and hoped for from the Consortium. It should make clear how the project integrates perspectives and tools from more than one of philosophy, political science, and economics (each broadly construed).

Stage 2 (long proposal): A detailed team proposal including work plan, schedule, budget, and justification for requested support. Can individuals apply if they do not already have a full team? No. For Round 2, we welcome proposals from full teams only.

For those looking for collaborators, please refer to our team-building directory to reach out to potential project partners before you submit a brief proposal as a full team. What kinds of projects are eligible for support? Projects must be interdisciplinary, drawing on the perspectives and methods of more than one discipline.

They do not need to include all three core PPE fields and the interdisciplinary aspects of the project might well involve tools, insights, and theories from fields other than philosophy, politics, and economics. Proposals that focus exclusively within one discipline, without engagement across disciplinary boundaries, will likely not be a good fit. Can grant proposers be from the same discipline?

Yes, if one or more individual on the team has a demonstrated history and expertise of interdisciplinary scholarship relevant to the project proposal. What sort of outputs should our project seek to accomplish? Outputs may include articles, books, pedagogical tools, policy memos, podcasts, newspaper/magazine articles, web media, and more.

Outputs need not be co-authored; individual contributions enriched through collaboration are also welcome. How are proposals evaluated? What are the criteria for selection?

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria: Intellectual merit and originality of the proposed research; Clear engagement across more than one discipline (philosophy, politics, and/or economics, broadly construed); Potential impact of the research, on scholarship, pedagogy, or policy; Feasibility of the research plan, including appropriateness of methods, timeline, and budget; Qualifications and composition of the research team; and Difference the funding will make to the success of the project.

Who reviews the proposals? Proposals will be reviewed by referees drawn from philosophy, political science, economics, and related fields. Referees will be selected for both their scholarly expertise and their capacity to assess interdisciplinary research.

Final funding decisions will be made by the Consortium’s leadership in consultation with the advisory board. How much funding is available and for how long? For Round 2, the Consortium will be awarding grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 and lasting anywhere from 6 months to 1.

5 years, with an end date no later than November 1, 2028. In Round 1, how many of the Stage 1 brief proposals were invited to submit full Stage 2 proposals? For Round 1, 24.

9% of Stage 1 brief proposals were invited to submit full Stage 2 proposals? What currency are the grants awarded in? All grants will be awarded in U.S. dollars, in the agreed amount.

What conditions and stipulations are attached to the funding? Full funding is contingent on successful completion of the project and submission of a final report. Home institutions are generally expected to cover travel costs associated with presentation at the Consortium workshops (either in November of either 2027 or 2028, depending on the project schedule), though limited travel support may be available in extraordinary cases.

What interim reporting is required (progress reports, financial reports)? All funded projects will be required to submit at least an interim progress report halfway through their project, including both a narrative update on project progress, and a brief financial report. Some projects may involve additional, agreed upon, reports, depending on their nature and duration.

How will funds be disbursed (lump sum vs. installments)? Funds will be disbursed in installments, with the schedule determined by the size and length of the project. The final installment will be contingent on satisfactory completion of reporting requirements.

What costs are eligible for funding? Support may be requested for a wide range of expenses, including summer stipends, course relief, data collection, research assistants, or other expenses important to the project’s success. What costs are not eligible for funding?

Grantees may not use awarded funds to support large equipment purchases, construction, or unrelated institutional expenses. Funds may not be used to carry on propaganda, or to influence legislation or the outcome of any public election. The Consortium grant is subject to the terms governing UNC spending , as well as the terms set forth by the Consortium’s grantor, a private non-profit foundation.

Can grant funds be used for travel expenses? Grantees’ home institutions are expected to demonstrate some buy-in, which may include travel support. In cases where institutional support is not feasible, up to 10% of the grant award may be allocated towards travel expenses, including PI travel to the Consortium Workshop or other project-related travel activities.

Offering honorariums as a way of covering travel is not allowed. However, it is permissible to offer honorariums (in line with normal non-travel honorariums) for participating in in-person events, with the expectation that the participants’ home institutions, or their research funds (if they have them), or they themselves, will cover their transportation and accommodations if they accept the invitation.

If the home institutions are covering it, that is a valuable sign of institutional buy in. Alternatively, a team member’s institution might offer, as institutional buy in, funding f to cover transportation and accommodations for the project. Are indirect costs/overhead allowed, and if so at what rate?

Indirect costs may be supported up to a rate of 15% and should, if charged, be included in the calculation of the over-all funding request. Are cost extensions possible if a project takes longer than expected? If additional time is needed for the project, no cost extensions are allowed, though additional time for completion may be.

Time extensions are not automatic and must be approved by the Consortium. Requests should explain the need for additional time and outline a revised completion plan. What happens if a PI leaves their institution mid-project?

For significant changes in a PI’s appointment location, department, or scope of work that might have an impact on the funded project during the grant period, the Consortium should be notified immediately. This does not include promotion or general reclassifications to permanent employment—only location or significant discipline/departmental changes.

Continuation of the grant will depend on whether the PI retains a suitable appointment to lead the project. In some cases, transfer of the grant to a co-PI may be considered. What are the expectations for reporting outcomes beyond the final report?

Grant recipients are expected to notify the Consortium of conference presentations, papers, books, or other outputs that arise from the funded research. If your question is not answered here or in the full Request for Proposals, please contact the PPE Research Consortium team at consortium@ppesociety. org .

We are happy to provide clarification and guidance as you prepare your application. We encourage prospective applicants to review the eligibility requirements and proposal guidelines carefully, and to reach out early with questions. Our aim is to support strong, innovative, and collaborative research that advances the interdisciplinary study of philosophy, politics, and economics.

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