Research Projects

Conducting Original Research and Scholarship

In what ways do religious tolerance, pluralism, and understanding look different in different sectors of society and different parts of the world? The Boniuk Institute discovers new knowledge on religious pluralism and conflict through original local and global research.

Responsible Futures Project

A five-year, interdisciplinary research initiative exploring how religion and morality shape public responses to emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and environmental innovation. Supported by a $2.9 million grant from the Templeton Religion Trust (#TRT-2024-33523), the project brings together scholars from leading institutions around the world to examine how religious values influence ethical decision-making and visions of the future, helping inform responsible innovation, public understanding, and policy.

Learn more about the Responsible Futures Project

Houston Religious Leadership Project

An examination of how religious leaders navigate religious diversity, collaboration, and shared challenges in one of the nation's most religiously diverse cities. Funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the project draws on interviews and focus groups with Houston-area religious and community leaders to understand the opportunities and barriers shaping interfaith engagement. Findings provide evidence-based insights and practical resources to strengthen religious cooperation and build bridges across differences for the common good.

Learn more about the Houston Religious Leadership Project

2024 Boniuk Institute Religion and Social Issues Survey

A nationally representative study examining Americans' attitudes and experiences related to religion, public life, emerging technologies, and social issues. Conducted through NORC's Amerispeak Panel with oversamples of Jewish and Muslim Americans, the survey explores topics including religious discrimination, antisemitism, Islamophobia, artificial intelligence, and reproductive technologies. The findings provide a robust foundation for scholarship and public engagement on religion's role in contemporary society.

Learn more about the 2024 Religion and Social Issues Survey

Related Articles

• Ecklund, Elaine Howard, Kerby Goff, Eduard van der Merwe. 2025. "Religious Discrimination and Othering in the US After October 7th: A Data Overview." Religions 16 (12): 1552. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16121552

Study of Perspectives on Science, Religion, and Diversity

An exploration of how religious identity shapes experiences within scientific communities across diverse cultural contexts. Through surveys and in-depth interviews with scientists and the public, the project explores questions of inclusion, belonging, ethics, and the relationship between science and religion. Its findings challenge common assumptions about conflict between faith and science while providing evidence-based insights to foster more inclusive scientific institutions and informed public dialogue.

Funded by the Templeton Religion Trust, this study is an extension of "Communicating Outlooks for a New Global Religion and Science Synergy: The Engagement Challenge" (#TRT-0203) and builds upon the largest international study of scientists' attitudes toward religion, spirituality, gender, ethics, and family ever undertaken.

Learn more about the Study of Perspectives on Science, Religion, and Diversity

Related Articles

• Taru, Josiah, and Elaine Howard Ecklund. 2026. "Beyond Falsification, Fabrication, and Plagiarism: Religion and Ethical Thinking Among Scientists in Three National Contexts." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.70076
• Biney, Moses, Zikang Hou, and Elaine Howard Ecklund. 2026. "Religious Representation in Science: How Scientists in the United States, Mexico and South Africa Respond." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.70068