John Templeton Foundation

Inspiring awe and wonder

The John Templeton Foundation was set up by Sir John Templeton in 1987 with the intention to make a difference in the world by funding innovative research, particularly in areas not previously explored. Motivated to improve the lives of others, the Foundation values and fosters intellectual rigor, humility and community. With a mission to spark dialogue and ‘inspire awe and wonder’, the Foundation welcomes diverse perspectives and engages in new ideas.

The John Templeton Foundation is committed to discovery and the pursuit of knowledge, interdisciplinary research, fostering curiosity, motivating all to improve the lives of others. It’s core activities include funding, sharing and promoting research, to cultivate enthusiasm for new ideas and perspectives in order to push the boundaries of scientific and spiritual understanding. A key focus is to better understand the virtues by which we want to live and how we commit to human dignity and individual freedom through creativity, discovery and innovation.

It was awe and wonder, which inspired Sir John Templeton to establish the Foundation. Living at a time of accelerated scientific discover he wondered if the ‘methods of science might be harnessed to make similar progress in understanding the deepest and most perplexing questions facing humankind.’ The Foundation is his legacy, his gift from his time on this earth.