Summer Research Institute

Reimaging Contemplative Education:
Shaping a Collective Future

Learn More about SRI 2025

The Summer Research Institute (SRI) is an application-based program and will take place in-person at the Garrison Institute in upstate New York. Save the date: Applications open on Monday, December 2, 2024 and close on Monday, January 27, 2025. Upon notification of your accepted application, you will be contacted directly with more information concerning the program schedule and how to register for the event. Plus, stay tuned for updates on how you can join us via livestream for select sessions—details to come in the months ahead!

The Mind & Life Summer Research Institute (SRI) is a weeklong immersive program designed for deep, interdisciplinary dialogue and personal reflection. Moving beyond traditional academic settings, SRI provides a unique environment for collaborative inquiry and first-person exploration, aiming to inspire real-world impact and foster holistic understanding of the mind, society, and global well-being.

Why SRI is Unique

A “life-changing experience” where participants feel supported and valued by like-minded peers, forming lifelong connections, collaborations, and friendships.
Focuses on an interdisciplinary approach which integrates discussions that break down knowledge hierarchies, with an emphasis on inclusivity, action, and shared purpose.
Incorporates daily contemplative practices (e.g., meditation, yoga, Qigong, nature walks, contemplative arts, and silent retreats) for personal growth and community bonding.

Program Highlights

Rich Content & Format
- Plenary lectures, panel discussions, and breakout groups for deep dive sessions.
- Poster presentations and networking opportunities.
- Dedicated spaces for relationship-building and support around shared interests and identities.
Contemplative Practices
- Daily time for meditation, yoga, and reflective nature walks.
- Full day retreat for immersion in silent contemplation.
Support for Emerging Changemakers & Researchers
- Researchers become eligible to apply for the Mind & Life Francisco J. Varela Research Grants.

SRI brings together diverse participants—scientists, scholars, contemplative practitioners, and social changemakers—around the shared goal of fostering individual, societal, and planetary flourishing. Faculty and program structure inspire intellectual humility, a commitment to research with a higher purpose, and a dedication to self-inquiry and collaboration.

Goals of SRI

To spark new research ideas and interdisciplinary collaborations that explore the mind from an integrative perspective (including first-, second-, and third-person approaches); examine the effects of contemplative practices on mind, behavior, brain, and health; and translate this wisdom into action on behalf of the greater good.
To create a space for dialogue that a) embodies a contemplative orientation, b) fosters deep relationship building among a diverse array of participants, and c) creates a safe and welcoming environment for meaningful connections and group cohesiveness.
To foster a new generation of nascent scientists and scholars (undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs), contemplative practitioners, and changemakers interested in innovative and interdisciplinary collaborative research and action to address contemporary challenges.
To catalyze the fields of contemplative research and contemplative action (e.g., through exploring how contextual factors shape the mind, how contemplative practices engender effects on brain, mind, and behavior; and how these effects can support both individual and societal flourishing).
To train participants in emerging methods and best practices, examine future opportunities and challenges within contemplative science, and explore their application to improving social institutions and policies.

Mind & Life is committed to exploring and facilitating in depth and honest discussion around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion during the SRI. We know that these are hard topics and encourage the community to use skills honed during our contemplative practices to engage in this critical work together.

Mind & Life’s Summer Research Institute is made possible in part by the Hershey Family Foundation, which has provided generous program support since SRI’s inception in 2004.