Depolarization: Cultivating Connection in a Divided World

June 7 – 12, 2026 | Garrison Institute, New York

The Mind & Life Institute’s 2026 Summer Research Institute will gather a bold and diverse community of scientists, contemplatives, cultural thinkers, and policymakers to explore one of the most urgent questions of our time: What holds us together in an age of fracture? 

Polarization isn’t just global challenges—it lives in our nervous systems, in the ways we perceive each other, and in the structures we build. Over five immersive days, participants will step inside a monastic ecosystem where science meets contemplative practice, where dialogue sparks innovation, and where connection is treated as both a human capacity and a designable condition.

This year’s theme, “Depolarization: Cultivating Connection in a Divided World,” charts a pathway from personal awareness to collective transformation. Together, we’ll examine how connection is disrupted, what restores it, and how these insights can shape the cultures, institutions, and technologies of our shared future.

SRI 2026 will feature leading voices from affective science, compassion research, intergroup dialogue, business and policy making, systems thinking, and contemplative traditions. Expect rigorous inquiry, grounded practice, and unexpected moments of awe and belonging.

Join us as we illuminate the science and practice of connection—and imagine new ways of living it into the world.

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.

Faculty & Planning Committee Spotlight

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The goals of the Mind & Life Summer Research Institute are:

1. To spark new research ideas and interdisciplinary collaborations that explore the human mind; test the  impacts of contemplative practices, interventions, and programs on brain, mind, behavior, health, and social relationships,  using measurable metrics, always aiming for continuous improvement.
   
2. To translate contemplative research into measurable social impact on behalf of the greater good through rigorous methods and best practices including implementation science that facilitates the uptake of evidence-based practice and research into regular use by closing the gap between what we know (research or evidence) and what we do (practice). Where relevant, SRI seeks to support research on contemplative science whose  applications improve social institutions and policies.
   
3. To train participants in emerging methods and best practices, explore opportunities and challenges of scaling up levels of analysis from the individual mind to interpersonal relationships to small groups to communities to larger societies. The long-term goal of SRI is to incentivize systems change oriented research that investigates the whole, builds upon individual parts, and aims to understand key interconnections within a system and between systems.
   
4. To experiment with topical themes as well as forms of engagement that utilize its core strengths to address contemporary social issues. Future themes might include artificial intelligence, technology, social polarization, interconnectedness, etc.
   
5. To create a space for dialogue that embodies a contemplative orientation, fosters deep and lasting relationship building among diverse participants, and creates a safe and welcoming environment for meaningful connections and group cohesiveness.
   
6. To nurture and grow  a new generation of scientists and scholars (undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs), contemplative practitioners, and policymakers interested in innovative and interdisciplinary collaborative research and action to address contemporary challenges.

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. 

Who Should Attend?

Anyone whose work and/or personal passions align with this year’s theme, “Depolarization: Cultivating Connection in a Divided World” is welcome, including researchers (e.g., scientists, humanities scholars), educators,  practitioners, contemplatives, and changemakers (e.g., leaders, policymakers, clinicians, activists). 

The Mind & Life Institute is committed to: 1) building a thoughtful and engaged interdisciplinary community that integrates diverse perspectives and experiences, and 2) offering catalytic and transformative opportunities, especially for those early in their careers.  

This unique, international gathering offers the opportunity to deepen work and connections, and the potential to spark innovative and interdisciplinary collaborations and projects. 

Applicants must apply to one of two categories of participants: 

Emerging:  Students (undergraduate and graduate), postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty (researchers across the sciences and humanities), early-career changemakers and professionals, and contemplative practitioners within five years of appointment or beginning work in the field.  Please note: Emerging researchers who attend the SRI become eligible to apply for the Mind & Life Francisco J. Varela Research Grants.

Established: Researchers (across the sciences and humanities), contemplative teachers, and changemakers (professionals, policymakers, leaders, activists), and those interested in this topic, who have held faculty appointments or positions for more than five years. 

We welcome candidates of all races, ethnicities, classes, genders, ages, religions and spiritualities, physical abilities, sexual orientations, geographic locations, disciplines, and institutions to apply.

Information on how to apply will be made available when applications open on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.

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Registration Fees

The registration fee is paid by successful applicants at the time of registration. The fee covers all program fees, room (shared), and board (three vegetarian meals per day). Each participant is expected to cover his/her/their own travel expenses. The registration fee will also provide participants access to video recordings of all plenary and panel sessions from the event for 6 months after the event.

$585 for Emerging Participants
$815 for Established Participants

Scholarships 

In our continued efforts towards equity, diversity, and inclusion, Mind & Life has committed to increase the participation of individuals from culturally diverse and historically underrepresented backgrounds, and those with financial need. We are aware that our gathering is immeasurably enriched through a multitude of perspectives and experiences. With the support of generous donors, scholarship funding is available to people who might otherwise be unable to attend the SRI.  Scholarship awards will be made available to help with registration and travel costs. Applicants may apply to be considered for one or both.

In addition, scholarship funding is also available for individuals who are full-time monastics or members of the clergy (ordained or in full-time training). Individuals who wish to be considered for a monastic scholarship should indicate so as part of their scholarship application as well as submit a brief 150-word description of their monastic/clerical background.

Scholarship applications are submitted as part of the general application form (opening on December 2, 2025). In order to be considered for a scholarship, applicants must submit an additional 150-300 word personal statement that describes their need and how a scholarship to the SRI will enable their work and help them to achieve their research/professional goals. 

Scholarship recipients will be notified of their awards, including funding amounts, along with the general application decision letters that will be sent in March.

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Venue: The Garrison Institute, New York

The 2026 Summer Research Institute will be held at the beautiful and serene Garrison Institute in Garrison, New York (located 50 miles north of New York City in the Hudson River Valley). This 1923 four story building, which was originally a Capuchin monastery and seminary, was renovated in 2003 with the opening of the Garrison Institute. In addition to your lodging, Garrison provides three meals daily served in the dining hall. Garrison’s “famous kitchen” serves vegetarian meals, prepared with most of the ingredients from farms and producers in the Hudson Valley. If attendees would like to bring personal food items, there is access to refrigerated and dry storage in the central kitchen for any personal food items. In the kitchen and beyond, Garrison Institute maintains a commitment to sustainability.

As an historic property, accommodations at Garrison are modest (twin/single beds) with no air-conditioning. Attendees should expect shared rooming (up to two individuals per room). Note that each floor has communal binary bathrooms that include individual private shower stalls. Mind & Life supports an inclusive environment and encourages attendees to choose bathrooms that are comfortable for them based on how they identify. We encourage guests to view the photos and information on the Garrison website.

Attendees with mobility concerns should be aware that the four story Garrison Institute building does not have elevator access to higher or lower levels. If needed, all sessions will be held on the main level.. Please contact Mind & Life if you are unable to reach the lower level by stairs or if you require first floor accommodation as there is only one sleeping room on the first floor available which is ADA compliant.

If you have questions or concerns regarding your stay at the Garrison Institute, we welcome you to reach out to sri@mindandlife.org at any point during the application and registration process.

For more information about the Garrison Institute, including photos and travel tips, please visit their website.

If you have any questions, please email sri@mindandlife.org.