The Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University has secured a three-year continuation grant of $1,575,923 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to fund the next stage of a multi-year examination into how congregations responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From data collection to long-term interpretation
The grant will support the project known as Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC), which HIRR and its partners have run since 2021. Officials said the work has produced one of the most comprehensive longitudinal datasets on American congregational life in the pandemic era, and the new funding will shift the project’s emphasis from immediate reporting to sustained interpretation and broad dissemination through June 2029.
EPIC’s accumulated materials include multiple national surveys, a longitudinal panel, an attender survey with more than 24,000 respondents, and in-depth fieldwork at 81 case-study congregations. The research team completed its final survey in the spring of 2026, officials confirmed.
Planned outputs and public engagement
During the continuation period, HIRR plans to move beyond raw analysis and concentrate on translating the findings for both academic and practitioner audiences. Planned activities outlined by the project include:
- Production of peer-reviewed journal articles.
- Publication of at least three academic monographs.
- Creation of practitioner-facing reports and clergy reflections.
- Release of roughly 30 journalistic pieces to reach broader publics.
- Hosting two major conferences — one for researchers and advisors, another for clergy and denominational leaders.
To improve long-term access, HIRR is also redesigning its website to integrate EPIC materials and results into a single digital platform, which project leaders say will support archival access and ongoing use by scholars and faith leaders.
“This continuation grant reflects the Hartford Institute's longstanding commitment to producing research that is both academically rigorous and deeply relevant to the work of congregations,”
Allison Norton, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, offered the project rationale and emphasized the institute’s focus on applied scholarship that serves religious communities as well as academic fields.
Local implications for Hartford and beyond
HIRR’s work is based in Hartford, and the extension grant means the city will remain a national center for research into religious institutions’ post-pandemic adjustments. Local clergy, denominational leaders and nonprofit organizations stand to benefit from practitioner reports and conferences designed to share actionable findings.
At the same time, the project’s scale — particularly the large attender survey and extensive fieldwork — gives Hartford-based scholars an opportunity to contribute to national conversations about resilience, innovation and institutional change in religious life. HIRR officials said the forthcoming outputs are intended to speak to both scholarly audiences and community practitioners, which could shape how congregations nationwide approach post-pandemic ministry, membership, technology and budgeting.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Grant amount | $1,575,923 |
| Grant period | July 2026–June 2029 |
| Attender survey respondents | 24,000+ |
| Case-study congregations | 81 |
As the EPIC project moves into its dissemination phase, Hartford will host elements of that work through conferences and the institute’s online platform. Officials say the materials will support future scholarship and provide usable guidance to congregations facing ongoing changes in attendance, volunteerism and financial stability.
The continuation grant underscores both the national significance of the EPIC dataset and Hartford International University’s role in sustaining long-term research into the social impacts of the pandemic.
