Advancing the Science of Human Flourishing
Invest in Science. Cultivate Wisdom. Transform Lives.
Help build the future of contemplative research.
What if a deeper scientific understanding of meditation, compassion, consciousness, and mind–body practices could help us address some of humanity's greatest challenges?
The International Society for Contemplative Research (ISCR) is building a global community of neuroscientists, psychologists, clinicians, philosophers, educators, contemplative scholars, and practitioners dedicated to understanding the human mind and its potential for transformation.
Our mission is to advance rigorous, interdisciplinary research into contemplative practices and their relevance to health, consciousness, education, ethics, and human flourishing.
Your donation helps us turn this vision into action.
What Your Support Makes Possible
Empowering the Next Generation
Help early-career researchers, students, and scholars from underserved communities participate in scientific conferences, professional development, and international collaborations.
Advancing Interdisciplinary Discovery
Support meaningful exchanges among neuroscience, medicine, psychology, philosophy, contemplative traditions, and the humanities to develop new approaches to understanding the mind and body.
Expanding Access to Knowledge
Help bring contemplative research to wider audiences through educational webinars, public conversations, scientific resources, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
Building a Global Scientific Community
Strengthen relationships among researchers and practitioners across cultures, disciplines, and continents, creating new opportunities for collaboration and scientific exchange.
A Global Vision, A Shared Responsibility
As ISCR prepares for its 2027 international conference in Kyoto, Japan, we are looking beyond a single gathering.
We envision a sustainable international society that supports emerging scholars, encourages scientific rigor and open inquiry, honors the cultural traditions from which contemplative practices emerge, and translates knowledge into meaningful benefits for humanity.
Your contribution is an investment in a future where scientific discovery and contemplative wisdom work together to advance health, compassion, and human flourishing.
Join us in building the future of contemplative science.
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ISCR Funding Priorities & Strategic Initiatives
Where Does Your Support Go?
1. Communications and Public Engagement
Amplifying the Impact of Contemplative Science
Expand ISCR's global reach through scientific communications, educational content, webinars, podcasts, newsletters, and digital media. Funding will support professional communications infrastructure, research dissemination, and initiatives that translate scientific discoveries into accessible knowledge for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and the public.
2. Multi-Day Training Institutes
Cultivating the Next Generation of Contemplative Scientists
Develop immersive, interdisciplinary training institutes bringing together emerging scientists, senior researchers, clinicians, philosophers, and contemplative practitioners. These programs will provide methodological training, mentorship, experiential practice, and collaborative learning in contemplative neuroscience, mind–body medicine, consciousness studies, and related fields.
3. Scientific Think Tanks and Working Groups
Accelerating Discovery Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Establish focused research working groups and expert think tanks to address high-priority scientific questions, methodological challenges, and emerging opportunities in contemplative research. Topics may include consciousness and self-transcendence, meditation mechanisms, psychedelics, artificial intelligence, embodied cognition, and ethics. Funding will support expert convenings, collaborative research agendas, consensus papers, and international research networks.
4. Scientific Awards and Recognition
Celebrating Excellence and Innovation
Establish awards recognizing outstanding scientific contributions, interdisciplinary innovation, mentorship, and leadership in contemplative research. These awards will honor both established scholars and emerging investigators whose work advances scientific rigor, knowledge integration, and the broader societal impact of contemplative science.
5. Scholarships for Underrepresented Scientists and Scholars
Expanding Equity and Access in Contemplative Research
Provide financial assistance to researchers and scholars from historically underrepresented communities and regions with limited research resources. Scholarships will support conference participation, registration, professional development, mentorship, and specialized training, helping ensure that diverse perspectives and cultural knowledge systems contribute to the future of contemplative science.
6. Travel and Accommodations for Contemplative Monastics
Bridging Traditional Wisdom and Contemporary Science
Support participation by Buddhist monastics, contemplative teachers, and traditional knowledge holders from Nepal, India, Japan, Korea, and other regions. Funding will cover international travel, accommodations, interpretation, and participation expenses, enabling meaningful dialogue between contemplative traditions and scientific researchers. This initiative emphasizes reciprocal knowledge exchange, cultural representation, and the integration of first-person contemplative expertise into scientific inquiry.
7. Research Coordination and Collaborative Infrastructure
Building the Infrastructure for Rigorous, Collaborative Science
Develop shared research coordination resources to strengthen multicenter studies, interdisciplinary partnerships, and methodological innovation. Funding will support research coordination personnel, collaborative study development, grant preparation, shared measurement tools, data management resources, and research networks that improve scientific quality, reproducibility, and the translation of contemplative research into meaningful outcomes.
Invest in the Future of Contemplative Science
Supporting these initiatives will help ISCR build a sustainable international research community that advances scientific discovery, cultivates the next generation of scholars, strengthens dialogue across knowledge traditions, and contributes to individual and collective flourishing.
Your contribution helps transform scientific collaboration into lasting impact.
Visit our website and learn more Here: https://iscrsociety.org/