Fall 2023 LeMaître Grants

In honor of Georges LeMaître, the theoretical physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic priest sometimes called the “Father of the Big Bang”, the Magi Project is pleased to award grants to support projects and events on science and religion for an undergraduate audience.

Applications will open for the Fall 2023 Grant Cycle on August 15, 2023.

Two grants of up to $3,500 are available to host events on science and religion for undergraduates. Applications open on August 15. Closing date for applications is October 1st, 2023.

What kind of event can I organize?

You are free to propose any event which helps undergraduate students to develop their understanding of the relationship between science and religion. Examples of such events could include, but would not be limited to:

  • External speaker program

  • Short course in Science and Religion

  • Workshop in Science and Religion

  • Undergraduate organized outreach and public education projects.

Past grant awardees include:

  • The Newman Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture: “Religion and Ecology: Recovering Integrity of Life in Ourselves and Creation,” a 3-day regional undergraduate colloquium exploring the relationship between religion and care for the environment

  • The Duke Catholic Center at Duke Divinity School: "Faith, Certainty, and Modern Science,” a lecture and colloquium series exploring themes of faith and certainty. The first pair of events in the series featured remarks by Sr. Damien Marie Savino (FSE, Dean of Science and Sustainability at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI).

  • The Morningside Institute: A series of four lectures by Dr. William Carroll (Oxford) on the theme “Evolution, Cosmology, and Creation: From Darwin and Hawking to Aquinas.”

  • The Beatrice Institute: A public lecture “How Artificial Intelligence Will Change Us: A Conversation” featuring theologian Jordan Wales (Hillsdale College) and scientist John Dolan (Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon) and a 5 week seminar “Engineering Happiness 2.0” from David Sanchez (University of Pittsburgh)

*Unfortunately, members of the University of Pennsylvania community or organizations part of the In Lumine Network are not eligible to apply for these grants, but we welcome you to collaborate with us in other ways! Please contact us directly with your ideas at magi@collegiuminstitute.org.

The LeMaître Grants are made possible through the support of ‘In Lumine: Supporting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide’ (Grant #62372)
from the John Templeton Foundation.