American Bible Society (ABS) Research Grant

American Bible Society (ABS) Research Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: American Bible Society
Amount: US $5,000 - US $15,000
Last Updated: December 13, 2025

Summary

The American Bible Society (ABS) Research Grant invites Christian higher education scholars to explore ways to enhance Bible engagement among young adults aged 18-35. With $50,000 in funding, this grant encourages innovative proposals that promote meaningful interactions with Scripture, evaluate engagement strategies, and cater to diverse Christian traditions. Research teams or individual faculty members with expertise in spiritual formation and discipleship are encouraged to apply, aiming for scalable solutions that positively impact spiritual well-being.

Overview

Increasing Scripture Engagement in the Next Generation American Bible Society (ABS) is excited to announce a research grant opportunity for Christian higher education scholars from various academic disciplines. This grant aims to build upon the themes presented in the State of the Bible: USA reports by exploring and testing interventions that promote increased Bible engagement and foster positive changes in spiritual vitality and well-being. Special emphasis will be placed on solutions that address the Bible engagement needs of individuals in the “Movable Middle.” For this research agenda, change will be measured using ABS’s Scripture Engagement Scale. A total of $50,000 in grant funding is available. Applicants may submit proposals requesting $5,000 to $15,000 for research and reporting over a one-year period. Proposals should aim to: Increase the frequency and duration of meaningful interactions with the Bible among next-generation adults.Guide participants to consider how Scripture applies to their daily lives.Encourage individuals who are merely curious about the Bible to begin consistently engaging with it.Be contextualized for participants from different Christian traditions (e.g., Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, etc.).Include an evaluation component that tracks changes in Scripture engagement, along with other quantitative and/or qualitative measures.Demonstrate scalability and potential for replication in diverse settings and among various groups.Include a final report that will be shared with the American Bible Society’s community of scholars and may be published in an academic journal.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Grants are available to university or college faculty members with a proven record of research in spiritual formation or discipleship, specifically with next-generation adults. Grants may be awarded to individuals or research teams with an identified principal investigator.