Holy Cross Associate Professor of Psychology Awarded $650,000 in Research Grants

Florencia Anggoro, associate professor of psychology at the College of the Holy Cross, was recently awarded two Templeton Foundation subgrants totaling nearly $650,000 for research that will explore the acquisition and transmission of religious and scientific concepts in Indonesia.

Through the University of California, Riverside, Anggoro was awarded a five-year subgrant of approximately $450,000 from a $10 million grant—the second-largest Templeton has awarded. The $10 million grant will fund 10 inaugural research teams representing countries around the globe. As part of this Developing Belief Network, Anggoro's project, "Exploring Religious Cognition and Development in Indonesia," will explore questions related to: — How religious and traditional beliefs relate to Indonesians’ conceptualization and reasoning about the world; — The sources, mechanisms of transmission, and developmental trajectory of these beliefs; and — Individual differences that contribute to religious cognition and development in Indonesia.

Earlier this year, Anggoro was also awarded a three-year subgrant of approximately $200,000 through the University of Texas at Austin as part of a $2 million grant that will fund 14 research teams that make up the Culture of Schooling Network. The primary goal of Anggoro's project, "The Development of Scientific and Religious Concepts in Indonesia," is to explore the interaction between intuitive theories, religious beliefs and science learning among Indonesian children, adolescents and adults.

"Even though the vast majority of the world’s population is religious, little attention has been paid to how our thinking and learning are influenced by our religious beliefs," Anggoro says. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with scholars whose work is at the cutting edge of this emerging field. I also feel fortunate to be able to pursue questions that have been important to me since my childhood in Indonesia."

Read more about the Templeton grant to fund the Developing Belief Network, including the research teams and sites.