Chapman sociology professor receives over $600k research grant from Indiana University
Chris Bader, a sociology professor at Chapman, received a grant from Indiana University to help further his religious research. Photo illustration by EMILY PARIS, Photo Editor
After applying for a grant from Indiana University in January, sociology professor Chris Bader received the news on Oct. 31 that he had received the grant, which will help provide resources to the public regarding religion and spirituality.
Bader is one of the co-principal investigators of the grant, along with Andrew Whitehead of Indiana University. This grant is a part of a $1.6 million from the John Templeton Foundation.
The award was given by Indiana University for a total of $664,186 to be used towards the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA) to help the religion research area of study.
Bader has been a part of co-directing the ADRA since 2008, and the website is the largest archive of religion-related data in the world, according to Bader.
“The ARDA is a free archive of data related to religion and spirituality,” Bader said. “Anyone can visit the ARDA, search for topics related to religion and spirituality and either perform analyses online or download data for free.”
An Oct. 31 press release from Chapman explained how the grant will help develop the ARDA website.
“This project will strengthen the Data Archive by adding 100 new, curated data files and by optimizing the speed with which data and metadata are displayed,” the press release stated. “Relying on the curated data, this project will also maintain, update and expand online data visualization and download tools.”
By adding new surveys and projects, researchers and the public will be able to further the questions that they have about religion, such as the kinds of religious groups inside and outside of the United States, as well as the history of these groups. The grant will also specifically focus on adding information from health researchers, economists, psychologists and anthropologists to the website.
Marisa Quezada was a student of Bader’s and a former student assistant in the sociology department who graduated from Chapman in 2022 with a bachelor’s in sociology. Bader was able to connect her to ARDA because of her passion for research on the subject of religion. Now, she processes data files for the archive to make sure that they are correct and are easily accessible to the public.
“Because I was on the fence about whether or not to pursue a Ph.D. or graduate school in general after graduating from Chapman, being a part of the ARDA has been helpful in exploring different types of research and has helped me realize that I want to pursue research more seriously through a graduate program,” Quezada told The Panther. “Having the perspective of being outside of school and trying new things while also still having the support of professors at Chapman has been critical in my post-grad journey.”
“Because I was on the fence about whether or not to pursue a Ph.D. or graduate school in general after graduating from Chapman, being a part of the ARDA has been helpful in exploring different types of research and has helped me realize that I want to pursue research more seriously through a graduate program. Having the perspective of being outside of school and trying new things while also still having the support of professors at Chapman has been critical in my post-grad journey.”
Bader explained why developments to the website were needed and why it is important to have the ARDA database as a resource.
“It is vitally important that we be able to study religion effectively,” Bader said. “Whether one is a believer or not, religion is a key driver in moral attitudes, voting decisions and a host of other non-religious outcomes. It is our hope that the ARDA can help us explore some of these issues.”
“It is vitally important that we be able to study religion effectively. Whether one is a believer or not, religion is a key driver in moral attitudes, voting decisions and a host of other non-religious outcomes. It is our hope that the ARDA can help us explore some of these issues.”
