The Lilly Theological Research Grants program, inaugurated in 1996 and revised in 2001 and 2008, is designed to enhance the skill and capacity of faculty in ATS schools as theological researchers and scholars. It supports research efforts of faculty, particularly at junior and non-tenured levels in order to nurture the development of their scholarship; seeks to enlarge the pool of faculty actively engaged as theological researchers; works to increase knowledge about grant seeking and the craft of theological research; and nurtures the habit of research as an ongoing aspect of scholarly life.

The ATS Lilly Theological Research Grants program has four components:  

• Faculty Fellowships will support up to six faculty members with awards of $30,000 each during an institutionally approved research leave of at least one full semester.

• Theological Scholars Grants will provide as many as six grants of up to $12,000 each for research apart from a formal research leave.

• Research Expense Grants will give up to $5,000 each to as many as six scholars for direct research expenses.
  
  
• Collaborative Research Grants will provide grants of up to $16,000 each to as many as four collaborative research projects.

Each grant type supports researchers engaged in well-designed and significant research projects in theological scholarship and education. Applicants to the Lilly Theological Research Grants program must be full-time faculty at ATS accredited and candidate schools. 

Lilly Application Instruction Booklet 

Former Grant Recipients
Applicants should consider checking the list of former grant recipients when seeking information regarding the range and kind of proposals that have been funded in the past.