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What we seek to accomplish

1
Launch a pioneering grant-development mechanism. Using best practices in open science, ARC will facilitate adversarial collaboration.
2
Identify the most pressing empirical questions about consciousness and support innovative experiments to generate answers.
3
Promote rigorous empirical engagement with deeper questions regarding consciousness, as a core aspect of human nature, among the wider scientific community.

Request for Proposals Released November 22, 2021 (Now Closed)

To learn more about Accelerating Research on Consciousness, view our past Request for Proposals.

 

About Accelerating Research on Consciousness

Consciousness is a foundational concept for understanding human nature, but there is little agreement on what anatomical structures and physiological functions produce consciousness. Scholars across disciplines can look at the same data and draw different conclusions. As a result, different theories of consciousness have become siloed.

Templeton World Charity Foundation’s Accelerating Research on Consciousness initiative (ARC) proposes a solution to these problems. Drawing on best practices in open science and adversarial collaboration, ARC promotes open and rigorous engagement among leaders of opposing theories. We do not expect to solve all the mysteries of consciousness, but we aim to foster progress by reducing the number of theories through rigorous scientific and conceptual investigation. We hope this will accelerate research and increase the legitimacy of the remaining theories.

Click here to learn more about the grants we have made using our signature approach.

Download the PDF to see our signature approach to making grants.

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Accelerating Research on Consciousness aims to make progress on the science of consciousness
by using adversarial collaboration and open science practices.

Making an Impact

Stories from our grantees

A groundbreaking project led by Lucia Melloni will test two prominent theories of consciousness: Global Neuronal Workspace and Integrated Information Theory.

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Featured Projects

Pilot Study for a Novel Paradigm to Study Consciousness

Consciousness poses a striking paradox. On the one hand, it is the phenomenon we are most intimately familiar with. On the other, it is one of the...
TWCF0484

Analyzing and Merging Theories of Consciousness

Led by Ned Block, this project seeks to determine whether two leading theories of consciousness may be integrated into a single account that best...

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Interested in learning more? We will send occasional updates about the ARC initiative.