ECLAS FUNDING TO SUPPORT SCIENCE ENGAGEMENT IN CHURCHES AND COLLEGES

We are delighted to announce our awardees for Scientists in Congregations and Science for Seminaries, 2026-27!

The awards support churches and theological education institutions to engage with science and scientists as a way of exploring and enriching their Christian faith.

Fifteen churches and Christian organisations in the UK and Ireland have been awarded grants totalling £114,812 under Scientists in Congregations. These will fund science-faith engagement projects spanning satellites, microscopes, and spiritual intelligence, and recipients include a cathedral, a community farm, and a Methodist art project.

Science for Seminaries awards support theological colleges to explore the interaction of science and faith through core courses and public events. We have made three awards for 2026-27, totalling £175,419. The awardees are Emmanuel Theological College, The Queen’s Foundation and the Theological Colleges Environment Network. They will focus on cosmology, neuroscience, and environmental science respectively.

David Wilkinson, our Project Director, said:

“We are proud to make this significant investment into advancing the science-faith dialogue in the UK and Ireland. These projects, which represent a wide range of topics, faith traditions, and geographic reach, will become exemplars to other churches and theological colleges who want to weave engagement with science and scientists into their mission and ministry.”

Below is a list of the recipients. For full project descriptions, visit our Scientists in Congregations and Science for Seminaries pages.

Scientists in Congregations awardees and projects, 2026-27:

• GoHealth (£8,295). Spiritual Intelligence in Practice: Breath Prayers
• St Matthew’s Church, Walsall (£9,850). Embodied Faith: How Does God Meet us in Body?
• Farnham Churches Network (£4,750). Caring for Planet Earth: Science and Christian Responses to Climate Change.
• Christleton Parish Church (£7,700). The Role of Science in the Coming of God’s Kingdom.
• St Nic’s Church, Durham (£10,000). Enduring Call, Changing Climate.
• Shieldfield Art Works (10,328). Creating Fallow.
• King’s Church, Warrington (£8,000). Escape Room
• St George’s Church with St Thomas Church, Hyde (£8,562). The Science Club.
• Carlisle Cathedral (£9,850). Land, Landscape and Faith.
• Jubilee Farm, Co. Antrim (£9,546). Eating Creation: Exploring the Relationship Between Food, Health and the Environment.
• Youthscape with Christians in Science (£5,000). Wonder, Wow, Worship @Satellites 2026.
• The Projection Studio (£9,600). Without a Voice, They Speak.
• Lanchester Methodist Church (£3,260). The Mustard Seed Microscope.
• St Olave, Hart Street, London (£8,000). Fire and Faith: Exploring Science and Theology Through the Great Fire of London.
• Church of Ireland (£2,071.20). How Can You Be a Scientist and a Christian?

Science for Seminaries awardees and projects, 2026-27:

• Emmanuel College (£55,419). Their project Christology and the Cosmos will explore theological understandings of time and space and the nature of Christian hope in the light of contemporary cosmology. The course will include a conference at Jodrell Bank Observatory.
• The Queen’s Foundation (£60,000). Neurodivergence, Psychology, and Intersectionality for Ministry will explore how churches can become more inclusive environments for neurodivergent people, integrating theological reflection with insights from psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience.
• Theological Colleges Environment Network (TCEN) (£60,000): The Elisha Project. The programme will bring together and consolidate existing environmental work across TEIs. Participants will be introduced to reliable scientific resources, trained in science communication, and supported in developing ethical and theological responses.