Funded by Lilly Endowment, the Louisville Institute aims to bridge church and academy by awarding grants and fellowships to those who lead and study North American religious institutions, practices, and movements, and thereby promoting scholarship that strengthens church, academy, and society, and ultimately contributes to the flourishing of the church.
Through its Pastoral Study Project (PSP) program, the institute provides grants of up to $20,000 to support individual or collaborative study projects on Christian life, religious practices and institutions, and possibilities and ideas for the church, its communities, and the wider world. Grants are awarded to skilled and innovative clergy, lay leaders, and staff working in diverse Christian contexts in the United States and Canada. Grantees share their research through books and other publications, blogs and websites, podcasts, digital media and film, exhibits, worship, music, public presentations, classes, and more.
The project timeline for grants awarded this cycle is January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. PSP grantees also gather in Louisville for the Pastoral Study Project Consultation to learn from others, discuss and hone their projects, and imagine and discover new resources and possibilities. The PSP Consultation will happen February 2026, and all travel, housing, and other expenses to participate in the gathering are covered by the Louisville Institute. Attending this event is a requirement for receiving a PSP grant…