CIIS Awarded Grant to Establish the Research Psychology Chair’s Faculty-Initiated Research Fund

A $30,000 grant will establish a faculty research fund at CIIS, creating opportunities for innovative studies in Somatic Psychology and Integral Transpersonal Psychology.

January 28, 2026

San Francisco, CA—California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) continues to expand its leadership in integrative psychological research with a new faculty-led initiative that will deepen the university’s commitment to transformative education in a unified community. CIIS has officially announced that Dr. Christopher Walling, Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Research Psychology, has received a $30,000 grant from the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation (ARPF). This grant will establish the Research Psychology Chair’s Faculty-Initiated Research Fund, designed to spark faculty-led scholarship and create structured opportunities for doctoral students to serve as co-investigators in innovative projects in the fields of Somatic Psychology and Integral Transpersonal Psychology.

“This grant is a pivotal investment in the next decade of research at CIIS,” said Dr. Walling. “It will allow us to seed bold, faculty-initiated studies and, just as importantly, to mentor students directly in the design, execution, and publication of integrative research that advances human flourishing.”

The Faculty-Initiated Research Fund at CIIS will:

Support faculty innovation through seed and pilot funding
Cultivate collaboration and co-authorship between faculty and students
Strengthen CIIS’ distinct research identity at the intersections of embodiment, spirituality, and human potential
Increase public impact through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations

“For more than 30 years, ARPF has advanced evidence-based approaches in Alzheimer’s Prevention — such as yogic meditation, lifestyle change, and stress reduction — that help protect brain health and prevent cognitive decline,” said Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, ARPF Medical Director. “We’re proud to partner with CIIS and Dr. Walling to expand rigorous, integrative research that can translate to real-world benefit.”

This grant is a pivotal investment in the next decade of research at CIIS.
Dr. Christopher Walling, Chair and Associate Professor, Research Psychology

The Faculty-Initiated Research Fund represents a significant step toward expanding CIIS’ culture of inquiry and collaboration. By empowering faculty to pursue new research and pairing them with doctoral students, the fund fosters mentorship, innovation, and interdisciplinary exploration. Projects supported through this initiative are expected to generate new insights about the lived experience of being human.

“CIIS’ Department of Research Psychology has quickly emerged as a leader in integrative inquiry,” said Dr. Kathy Littles, Provost of CIIS. “This gift strengthens our capacity to support faculty scholarship and to give our doctoral students hands-on, mentored research experiences that prepare them to lead the field.”

The fund will be administered by the Chair of the Department of Research Psychology, with an annual report submitted to the Provost and Institutional Advancement outlining disbursements, research outcomes, and future priorities. All supported projects will align with CIIS’ mission and Seven Commitments.

About the Department of Research Psychology at CIIS

Now entering its second decade, the Department of Research Psychology offers nationally distinctive doctoral training in Somatic Psychology and Integral Transpersonal Psychology. The program emphasizes rigorous research methods, scientific depth, and public scholarship, grounded in CIIS’ mission to educate the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — in the pursuit of realizing human potential.

About the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation (ARPF)

ARPF is a leading nonprofit dedicated to preventing Alzheimer’s disease through innovative research and education. Its work emphasizes integrative approaches to brain health, memory, and healthy aging.