The Quaker Institute for the Future is a network organization that plans and coordinates research projects through Summer Research Seminars, Circles of Discernment, Focus Books, and other publications.
The 2026 Summer Research Seminar (SRS) will be held online from August 13 (Thursday) through August 17 (Monday), including a weekend to facilitate attendance for those working full time. Here is this year’s QIF 2026 SRS Announcement.
The Quaker Institute for the Future (QIF) envisions a global future in which humanity is in right relationship with the commonwealth of life. QIF seeks to generate insight, knowledge and wisdom that informs public policy and enables us to treat all humans and the whole commonwealth of life as a sacred community. QIF conducts research using practices of collaborative spiritual discernment based on the Quaker tradition of “meeting for worship for business.” The Institute creates the opportunity for scholars and activists to investigate their areas of interest and commitment within the Spirit-led context of Quaker testimonies, other traditions, truth seeking and public service.
Books
Insight and understanding born of collaborative discernment on social, economic, and ecological concerns.
Research Seminars
Spirit-led research using Quaker methods of reflection and discernment.
The 2026 Summer Research Seminar will be held online from August 13 through 17.
The 2025 Summer Research Seminar was held online from August 11 through 15.
For recordings of some Recent Summer Research Seminars see the QIF YouTube channel:
Videos
Playlists
Circles of Discernment
Small study groups that examine particular themes and concerns. Recent circles have met on “Bridging Our Polarities” (Bridging Divides in an Era of Polarization, reprinted with permission here), “Homeless People and Housing Justice” (see their work here and in Shalom and Right Relationships), and “The Monetary System” (see The Money System and the World We Seek).
Support for Young Researchers and Activists to Pursue Leadings
The Quaker Institute for the Future is offering grants to young people who would like to use Quaker processes to explore a call of conscience or spiritual leading to undertake some project of activism and/or research. The grants provide $1000 to support a project over a couple months during which they will take part in several clearness meetings to support the explorations as well as a workshop presentation at the end to share the results of the work with some appropriate community of Quakers or others. QIF is also looking for Quaker groups interested in nominating young people and/or serving as co-sponsors. For more information see Youth Grants for Activist Researchers or contact Gray Cox at: gray@coa.edu.
More to Read
August 2025: available in a Creative Commons version ¿Planeta más Inteligente o Tierra más Sabia? Diálogo y Colaboración en la Era de Inteligencia Artificial?, translation of “Smarter Planet or Wiser Earth? How Dialogue can Transform Artificial Intelligence into Collaborative Wisdom,” Quaker Institute for the Future, 2024
August 2024: QIF is pleased to release “Sketches from Behind Prison Walls”
April 2024: Read the Quaker Institute for the Future Epistle on Responding to the Threat of Overwhelming Climate Change
July 2023: Now available, “Smarter Planet or Wiser Earth? Dialogue and Collaboration in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,”
by Gray Cox, published by Quaker Institute for the Future and Producciones de la Hamaca
June 2023: A Clerk’s Post on Artificial Intelligence and Collaborative Wisdom has been added to the Blog.
More Ways to Find QIF Online
Read the blog, or follow us on our social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and our QIF YouTube channel.