About
The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) is a professional academic organization dedicated to the scholarly study of religion. The society promotes excellent scholarship, fosters an inclusive community, and encourages public engagement with research on religion. SSSR hosts annual meetings, publishes a journal, and provides various awards and grants to support research in the field, including the Jack Shand Research Grants, Student Research Grants, and travel grants for scholars studying religion from scientific perspectives.
Funding Opportunities
Student Research Grants
The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion offers annual research grants to assist graduate students in their research. Although these grants are normally used for dissertation support, other significant research is eligible. The ordinary maximum award is $3,000. Grants are intended to cover research expenses, travel, research assistance, and up to $1,500 in stipend for the researcher's own time. Grant recipients have two years to spend their awards and are expected to submit a brief report on their research. SSSR student research funding is transferred to the principal investigator's university unless other arrangements are made. Applicants must be SSSR members at the time they submit their proposals and must not have won the award in the previous three years. Applicants should describe the project they wish to undertake in no more than 3 single-spaced pages, discussing its significance for the social scientific study of religion and briefly identifying the literature on which they are drawing.
SSSR Student Paper Award
The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) Student Paper Award recognizes the best papers presented by students at the Annual Meeting. The SSSR awards two Student Paper Awards: one for the best student paper that has been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, and one for the best student paper that has not yet been published. The award aims to encourage scholarly work and participation by students in SSSR meetings. Student papers are judged by the awards committee on criteria normally used in evaluating scholarly and scientific papers for publication, including an appropriate theoretical framework, competent use of research methods and data, and a persuasive argument to a logical conclusion. Papers may build upon any theoretical or research tradition, with authors demonstrating the cogency and usefulness of the theories and methods used.
Jack Shand Research Grants
A generous bequest from Jack Shand, a long-term member of SSSR until his death in 2001, has made it possible for SSSR to offer Jack Shand Research Grants to support research in the social scientific study of religion. For 2026, SSSR Council allocated $55,000 to this program. While individual grants do not ordinarily exceed $5,000, it is possible to make a special request for more, to be considered at the committee's discretion. Applicants must have finished the Ph.D. degree and must be members of SSSR. In the case of co-authored requests, one author must be both an SSSR member and a Ph.D. Intellectual merit is the criterion by which proposals will be evaluated. Individuals are expected to use the Jack Shand award for expenses connected with their research. SSSR prioritizes applications that support direct research expenses. Shand Award funding is transferred to the principal investigator's university unless other arrangements are made. Please note that SSSR does not allow for any indirect cost recovery.
At a Glance
- Total Funding Opportunities
- 7
- Active Now
- 3
- Source Domain
- sssreligion.org
Catalog Data
This funder profile was automatically extracted from grant listings. Information may be incomplete.
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