Programs
Events
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Zenith Grants
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Fulcrum Grants
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Competitions
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Structure
The Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI, is an international group of scientists, mathematicians, and philosophers in physics, cosmology, and other scienti$c $elds questioning the foundations of science, along with outreach specialists. FQxI seeks answers to foundational questions in these disciplines.
Our programs are at the core of the Institute and work in concert to accomplish FQxI’s goals. FQxI’s programs include but are not limited to,
- Zenith Grants: RFPs open to international researchers and outreach specialists and offer multi-year grants to investigate the foundations of science.
- Events: FQxI curates special gatherings focused on small workshops and talks, as well as opportunities for Members and special invitees to discuss and collaborate.
- Fulcrum Grants: These small grants of up to $15K enable Members opportunities for workshop development, collaborations, travel to present papers, and more.
- Competitions: This program inspires active discussion and excitement from the general public, professionals, and Members with themes that explore the foundations of science integral to our deep understanding of reality.
- QSpace: FQxI’s online platform hosts engaging content to increase public understanding of known and future discoveries in the foundational sciences and the potential implications for our worldview. Growth and change are a natural part of FQxI’s scientific mission and trajectory. When new programs are launched, the goal remains: to enable and share research on foundational questions.
Growth and change are a natural part of FQxI’s scientific mission and trajectory. When new programs are launched, the goal remains: to enable and share research on foundational questions.
Funding
FQxI’s programs are funded by philanthropic organizations and donations from individuals and corporate partners. This funding has enabled us to support work on a broad range of issues in foundational science all around the world. We are currently raising funds to host future rounds of the Zenith and Fulcrum Grants. Please contact us via email if you are interested in funding new grant programs.
QSpace Latest
PressRelease: Shining a light on the roots of plant “intelligence”
All living organisms emit a low level of light radiation, but the origin and function of these ‘biophotons’ are not yet fully understood. An international team of physicists, funded by the Foundational Questions Institute, FQxI, has proposed a new approach for investigating this phenomenon based on statistical analyses of this emission. Their aim is to test whether biophotons can play a role in the transport of information within and between living organisms, and whether monitoring biophotons could contribute to the development of medical techniques for the early diagnosis of various diseases. Their analyses of the measurements of the faint glow emitted by lentil seeds support models for the emergence of a kind of plant ‘intelligence,’ in which the biophotonic emission carries information and may thus be used by plants as a means to communicate. The team reported this and reviewed the history of biophotons in an article in the journal Applied Sciences in June 2024.