The James Randi Educational Foundation is proud to provide a number of resources that skeptics need to promote critical thinking in their communities and the wider public. We are equally committed to making sure the next generation of skeptics is equipped to carry on this important work for years to come. This is why the JREF is proud to regularly provide grants and scholarships to educators, students, and community activists who share our mission of inoculating the public against pseudoscience, superstition, and unproven claims.

Over the years, tens of thousands of dollars in JREF scholarships have been awarded to both undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate a commitment to applying critical thinking and rational skepticism to their chosen fields. Some of our awardees have gone on to careers in psychology, mathematics, science education, philosophy, literature, biology, and computer and cognitive sciences. We believe in fostering skepticism across many fields of study, and we are proud to put our resources behind that conviction.

For information about past scholarship recipients, click here. And stay tuned to Randi.org in the week ahead for the announcement of our 2012/2013 academic scholarship opportunities.

In addition to students, the JREF also provides Grants for Educators. These grants are available to teachers at all academic levels who dream of creating critical thinking programs for their students but lack resources. Some of the projects funded through JREF educational grants include middle and high school level investigations of astrology, and a University of Louisville program on applying critical thinking to paranormal investigations by exploring the supposedly haunted Waverly Hills Sanitarium.

If you’re a teacher and would like to apply for a JREF Grant for Educators, click here.

Finally, the JREF also provides a limited number of grants to skeptics groups interested in educating either their local communities or the wider public with the facts behind pseudoscience, superstition, and the paranormal. For a number of years, JREF has been active in cosponsoring  community-run Skepticamp conferences, including providing financial support and  free educational and promotional materials. JREF grants have paid to rent Skepticamp venues and buy food for attendees, print tshirst and for other outreach purposes. We have also provided free educational and outreach materials, such as our Million Dollar Challenge checks and our JREF In The Classroom resources. Many local skeptics groups have availed themselves of these resources, including the Granite State Skeptics, the Mile High Skeptics, the National Capital Area Skeptics, and Vancouver Skeptics in the Pub. Additionally, the JREF has been a sponsor of outstanding regional and national skeptical conferences such as QED and NECSS, in addition to sponsoring or supporting events like the Reason RallyCamp Inquiry, the 10:23 anti-homeopathy campaign, and others. We are also interested in providing grants for non-conference community outreach projects.

If you are planning a skeptical event or project, we encourage you to apply for a JREF grant. Simply send your name, the name of your organization, a description of your project, and a proposed budget to JREF Outreach Coordinator Brian Thompson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

JREF aims to continue supporting the cause of scientific skepticism and fostering a more rational world through these various grants and scholarships. If you would like to support JREF's important work in this regard, you can help out here.