Overview
From 2015-2017, the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy held a Request For Proposal competition to fund research proposals related to the Science and Imagination of Living Generously.
The Science and Imagination of Living Generously Regranting Program
Eight emerging researchers nationwide working to expand knowledge on generosity over the life course received grants from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Generously funded by the John Templeton Foundation, the regranting program identified and captured bold ideas and innovations in the social sciences and arts and humanities, shedding light on what it means to live generously and transmit generosity to others.
“By nurturing emerging scholars in this field and encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, this program further developed both the breadth and depth of information devoted to generosity and generous behaviors,” said Una Osili, PhD, associate dean for research and international programs.
The funded projects addressed three big questions:
- Can virtuous habits be cultivated?
- How is generosity related to character, thrift, and creativity?
- Can cutting-edge scientific work and reflective expression promote individuals’ practice of generosity?
Research was funded in two categories:
- Imaginative Innovations in the Arts or Humanities – The Imagination of Living Generously projects aim at creating imaginative works that encourage reflection on generosity for individuals at different stages of their lives. Innovators will stretch their imaginations, encouraging creative work (e.g., writers, filmmakers, video game designers, musicians, historians, theologians, and philosophers) to illuminate the imagination within the science of generosity. Their work will be a catalyst for change by reducing the barriers that often exist between generosity science and the novel ways it can be communicated.
- Original Social Science Research – The Science of Living Generously projects will provide research on generosity’s consequences for well-being and satisfaction. These scholars are encouraged to expand the use of data from several key Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) modules, including the school’s Philanthropy Panel Study.