Bergel Institute Fellowship - FS1: Cutting Edge or Pseudoscience? Grant

Bergel Institute Fellowship - FS1: Cutting Edge or Pseudoscience? Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Bergel Institute
Amount: US $30,000
Last Updated: February 03, 2026

Summary

The Bergel Institute Fellowship - FS1: Cutting Edge or Pseudoscience? invites individuals to explore the intersection of science and human potential. This immersive program seeks to rigorously analyze over a century of scientific advancement, examining theories from quantum mechanics to consciousness. Through intensive research and mentorship, fellows will develop a comprehensive study that aims to redefine the applications of validated scientific theories, fostering public understanding and contributing to the evolution of human knowledge.

Overview

Note: Below are the other Bergel Institute Fellowships: FE1: Bringing an End to the Poverty-Violence Connection in the U.SFE2: Building a Fully-Resourced CommunityFT1: Using AI to Expand Economic OpportunityFH1: Expanding our Understanding of Health and HealingFE3: The Creation of the Mentoring Industry in the United States The Bergel Institute The Bergel Institute is dedicated to the advancement of human knowledge and the human condition. The Institute focuses on six major areas: Economics ScienceTechnology Consciousness Health Culture The common theme in all of the Institute’s work is the pursuit of what is possible. It brings a commitment to critical thinking and the questioning of accepted norms and approaches to issues that lie at the foundation of what we think and how we live. In every discipline, assumptions are tested against evidence. In addition to its research and programmatic endeavors, the Institute offers fellowships. Fellowships come with high expectations and are supported with structure and active mentorship. Bergel Institute Fellowships The Bergel Institute offers Fellowships to individuals of all ages who wish to spend a year in intensive study and project development in a subject area that aligns with the advancement of human knowledge and the human condition. Each year, the Institute will list specific fellowship topics within these areas. Applicants may pick one or propose a different topic, as long as it aligns with the Institute’s goals. Fellowships run from June to May and are primarily virtual, with two paid Institute visits (to the home office in Florida) as the only in-person expectations during the Fellowship year. Fellows are expected to work approximately 20 hours per week and to bring a strong intrinsic motivation for the project. They will spend the year conducting intensive research and/or project development, supported by Institute staff, with monthly meetings and quarterly progress reports to help maintain momentum. The Fellowship is also intended to function as an incubator, providing time, guidance, and structure for work that continues beyond the Fellowship year. As noted above, Fellows travel to the Institute twice during the Fellowship year to present to leadership: once in August, at the end of Q1, and again in May, at the end of the Fellowship year. The May presentation focuses on what was accomplished during the year and the Fellow’s plans for next steps. Final work may take many forms, including detailed manuscripts, the launch of a business or organization; or a video series, documentary films, etc. Travel and lodging for both presentations are covered by the Institute. Upon completion of the Fellowship year, all Fellows are required to serve as mentors for future Fellows, ensuring that accumulated knowledge and experiences are passed to their successors. FS1: Cutting Edge or Pseudoscience? Science can reshape how we live and what we believe is possible. It can also be misunderstood, oversold, or used to justify claims that go far beyond the evidence. This Fellowship asks: how do we rigorously interpret the past 100+ years of scientific work, and what, if anything, does it suggest about human potential and what is possible in our lives? In the early 20th century, the Copenhagen Interpretation helped bring quantum mechanics into public view, and later frameworks, including chaos theory and string theory, challenged classical assumptions about how reality works. Einstein argued that quantum theory was incomplete, yet modern research has repeatedly validated core aspects of quantum physics, which now underpins many major technologies, including experimentally supported nonlocal effects. At the same time, string theory remains debated, including disputes about dimensional models and whether the theory is scientifically predictive. These debates are often extended into broader claims about consciousness and human potential, including ideas linked to Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious and shared human experience. This Fellowship will be immersive, exploring with precision the origins and rationale behind the types of scientific theories and experimental research noted above. The goal is to produce a definitive study of these theoretical sciences that will make a unique and practical contribution to human knowledge. Further, the Fellowship will result in a blueprint for how the validated theoretical sciences can impact the human condition. The Fellow will develop and implement a strategy to effectively educate the general public on the applications of what can serve as the jumping-off point in the evolution of our species.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants do not have to be enrolled in or associated with a school or academic program of any kind. Applicants may also be enrolled in a graduate program at an insititution anywhere in the world. Either way, Fellowship subject matter must fall within one of six major areas: Economics, Science, Technology, Consciousness, Health, or Culture.