Integrating Truth,

Rewarding Reason

Over €600,000 Awarded To Academics Worldwide

We support your work bridging ethics, theology, philosophy, and science.

Win €25,000, global recognition, and a trip to Rome—apply now.

Specialization has propelled academic progress, but it has also fractured knowledge.

Your field lacks meaningful dialogue with philosophy and ethics, limiting its capacity for deeper insights. Through your teaching or publishing, you are committed to breaking these barriers in service of the common good.

You’re not alone.

Scholars worldwide feel the effects of fragmentation—when the sciences are severed from philosophy, theology, and ethics, they lose sight of humanity’s most profound questions:

Who are we? What is right? Why do we seek to know?

Through six editions, the Expanded Reason Institute has honored forty distinguished scholars who confront this fragmentation—academics who courageously unite science, philosophy, and theology in pursuit of the common good.

An initiative of Francisco de Vitoria University, supported by the Vatican Foundation Joseph Ratzinger—Benedict XVI, ERI is leading a renaissance of expanded reason, restoring academia to its highest purpose: the flourishing of humanity, illuminated by the light of Truth.

What You Gain as a Laureate

01

Unmatched Recognition

Each year, four scholars—two in Research and two in Teaching—are each awarded a €25,000 prize. But the recognition doesn’t stop there. Winners receive a medal, certificate, and an extraordinary invitation to the general audience of the Holy Father.

02

Amplified Impact

Your transformative work is elevated from the dusty shelf to the global stage. Present your research or teaching innovations at an exclusive conference in Rome alongside like-minded scholars.

03

 A Lasting Community

As an ERI laureate, you join a global network of visionaries committed to integrating science, theology, and philosophy. This collaborative community fosters enduring partnerships in the pursuit of Truth.

“When we free ourselves from tiny academic boxes, we discover far richer paths of research.”

— Robert Enright, Ph.D., Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Expanded Reason is for every academic, not just theologians or philosophers.

Professors. Researchers. Psychologists. Economists. Lawyers. Biologists.
Anyone uniting science, philosophy, and theology for the greater good.

“Expanded reason means thinking more holistically about stuff… It’s not just about making money, but about making the world a better place—socially and ecologically.”

Bruno Dyck

Management Theorist

"We are convinced that ethics is not the brake, but the real engine of technological progress. So, our values drive us to keep searching for the truth, a truth that none of us have 'in our pocket.'"

Gonzalo Génova

Computer Engineer

"To reverse the excess of specialization and make room for cross-enrichment, we must migrate towards a collaborative project of social cognition that demands intellectual virtues."

Claudia Vanney

Physicist

"The lack of a humane philosophy has fragmented the academy and divided our society. We must reclaim what Gilson called 'the unity of philosophical experience.'“

William Simpson

Assistant Professor

“If we want philosophers and scientists talking to each other, the students should see that happen—actually see them come in and argue with each other in front of the students.”

Therese Lysaught

Healthcare Professor

“Modern man is always actively searching, and we have to learn, first of all, how to be receptive to reality.”

Michael Taylor

Teaching Fellow

“A purely scientific understanding is not enough.”

— Maureen Condic, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Neurobiology, University of Utah School of Medicine

Your Contribution

ERI welcomes submissions from academics whose work embodies the Expanded Reason perspective in:

Research

Published or unpublished books, journal articles, or studies written after 2019, addressing critical questions through an interdisciplinary lens.

Teaching

University programs, curricula, or methodologies that promote holistic academic formation and integrate faith and reason.

Ready to light the way?

Submit the following by March 21, 2025:

Abstract

A concise 500-word summary.

01

Explanatory Document

A 3,000–8,000-word in-depth guide detailing your methodology, interdisciplinary approach, and how your work advances the Award’s “Expanded Reason” ethos.

02

Curriculum Vitae

For all contributing authors.

03

Your Work

Papers or projects in Spanish, English, Italian, or French.

04

Timeline

Application Deadline:

Jury Review and Announcement:

March 21, 2025

Conference and Recognition Ceremony:

July 2025

TBD

FAQs

  • No, the award is open to scholars from all backgrounds and institutions. Faith affiliation is not required—what matters is that your work engages with fundamental human questions in an interdisciplinary and thought-provoking manner.

  • Yes, emeritus and retired professors are eligible. The award recognizes impactful scholarship, regardless of career stage.

  • Yes, co-authored works are welcome, but all co-authors must approve the submission. If selected, they will also be invited to participate in the Rome symposium. If a co-author has passed away, permission should be obtained from whoever holds the intellectual property rights.

  • No, both published and unpublished works are eligible. Acceptable formats include books, research papers, dissertations, conference papers, working papers, journal articles, and essays.

  • Yes, you can submit a standalone piece, but if the larger work offers a more substantial contribution, it may be beneficial to submit the full project.

  • The document should justify why your work matters, explaining:

    • Why it is meaningful

    • How it contributes to humanity

    • How it integrates multiple disciplines in an Expanded Reason approach

  • While the Expanded Reason Institute is based in Madrid, the Vatican Foundation hosts the award ceremony and symposium in Rome, providing a prestigious platform for scholars.

  • The institute carefully selects scholars based on their work’s alignment with the Expanded Reason approach. While outreach is broad, invitations are intentional, identifying impactful research that bridges disciplines.

Be Part of the Renaissance of Truth - Submit an Application Today

Your research matters. At ERI, we’ve awarded over €600,000 and publicly recognized academics who bridge disciplines to advance human flourishing.

Don’t let your ideas go unnoticed. By submitting your work, you join a growing international movement that highlights deserving research and shares it across our network.

The ERI community needs your voice—don’t wait to make your impact.

Apply Now

As a scholar, you know the frustration of seeing knowledge reduced to utility, detached from its deeper purpose.

The Expanded Reason Institute honors those who dare to reunite faith, science, and philosophy to illuminate humanity’s most profound questions. Submit your application today to join a community dedicated to advancing Truth and human flourishing.