The Science of Generosity
How do children learn to be generous? Why do some countries have higher rates of philanthropy than others? What effect does faith have on people's charitable giving? These are some of the questions that will be tackled by the Science of Generosity project at the University of Notre Dame, which was announced in January. With a four-year, $5-million grant from the Templeton Foundation, scholars will be studying the "sources, origins, and causes of generosity; the variety of manifestations and expressions of generosity; and the consequences of generosity for both the givers and receivers involved." The grant is the largest ever received by a faculty member in Notre Dame's College of Arts and Letters.

The principal investigator on the project will be Christian Smith, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Sociology and director of the university's Center for the Study of Religion and Society. "The goal of the project is to mobilize top-quality research across various disciplines on the origins, expressions, and effects of generosity," Smith said, noting that the project defines generosity as the spirit and practice of giving good things to others freely and abundantly. "This includes time, aid, attention, blood, possessions, encouragement, emotional investment, and more. In countless ways, the world wants for significant growth in the virtue of giving."

See this curious RFP.


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