Theory-Experiment Cross Training (TEX) Fellowship
This pilot program accepted applications in 2022 and made awards in 2023.
The program will not be open for new applications in 2023 or 2024.
Application Details Page |
Frequently Asked Questions |
The John Templeton Foundation (JTF) seeks applicants for a theory/experiment cross-training graduate fellowship in fundamental physics, astronomy, or cosmology.
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The Foundation welcomes applications from outstanding PhD-track graduate students whose research focus is primarily either experimental or theoretical, and who wish to enrich their graduate experience by pursuing one year of research in the complementary “cross discipline” (theory for experimentalists or experiment for theorists). The purpose of this program is to increase the Fellows’ capacity and skills for bridging methodological divides across theory and experiment in fundamental physics, astronomy, and cosmology, and thereby to push the conceptual frontiers at the foundations of these fields, and to seed integrated, multidisciplinary research programs in basic science. |
Each Fellowship will be awarded as a grant to the accredited university or college at which the Fellow is enrolled and employed. The Fellow must be mentored and supported by a primary doctoral advisor at the same institution, as well as by a cross-discipline advisor who may be affiliated with a different organization. Every Fellow is expected to remain a graduate student working toward a PhD, to be employed full-time in research, and not to be enrolled in courses or to have teaching or other non-research responsibilities during the entire term of the Fellowship.
Requests of up to 250,000 USD (or the currency equivalent) will be considered, the total of which is to be distributed over the following budget categories:
- Salary support for Fellow. Up to 42,000 USD per year may be used for the salary of the fellow for two full years (summers inclusive) in pursuit of the above-described purpose of the Templeton TEX Fellows. The award will support the Fellow to conduct research in the “cross discipline” for one full year (expected to be twelve consecutive months), as well as research in the principal discipline for an additional full year.
- Salary support for each faculty advisor. Up to 25,000 USD may be budgeted for each of the two faculty advisors for work that is directly related to mentoring the fellow for the purposes described above.
- Books and materials for the Fellow. Up to 5,000 USD may be budgeted for books, materials, computers, or computing access, to be used by the Fellow in pursuit of the proposed research project and the purposes of the Templeton TEX Fellows program.
- Travel and lodging for the Fellow. Up to 10,000 USD may be budgeted for travel and lodging expenses to be incurred by the Fellow in pursuit of the proposed research project and the purposes of the Templeton TEX Fellows program.
- Cost-of-education expenses. The grantee institution may request up to 15,000 USD per year for cost-of-education expenses (including tuition, tuition waivers, and fees) for the Fellow for the purposes of the Fellowship. The grantee institution may not additionally charge the Fellow for such expenses during the period of the Fellowship.
- Employee benefits. The grantee institution may request up to 20,000 USD per year for a percentage of the employee benefits directly related to the salaries and expenses covered by the Templeton TEX Fellow grant. (Note: Combining salary and benefits under a single category is permitted for non-US grantee institutions.)
- Overhead. The grantee institution may request overhead equaling 15% of all requests mentioned above.
If the cross-discipline advisor is employed by a partnering organization that hosts the year of cross-training, the grantee institution is expected to use grant funds to pay that organization for the advisor’s salary support and benefits in support of the Templeton TEX Fellow, as well as a portion of the total overhead charge mentioned above. The grantee institution will be responsible for submitting an itemized accounting of all expenses in financial reports during and at the end of the grant term.
For additional questions, please contact TEXfellows@templeton.org
