Early Career Research Fellowships in Buddhist Studies

These fellowships provide scholars time free from teaching and other responsibilities to concentrate on research and writing for the project proposed.

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies, administered by ACLS, is committed to inclusion, equity, and diversity as integral components of merit that enhance the scholarly enterprise. It is a priority of this program that cohorts of fellows and grantees be broadly inclusive of different backgrounds, cultures, and any aspects that make one unique. In Buddhist Studies they seek balance in regard to citizenship and university affiliation, as well as in languages, topics, Buddhist traditions, and locations of research.

Fellowship Details

• Stipend: Up to $70,000, to provide release from other duties for devoting full time to the proposed project. The exact stipend will be calculated based on a fellows’ current academic salary and other fellowships, grants, and sabbatical salary to be received during fellowship tenure. There is no additional financial support for dependents.
• Tenure: Fellowship period must begin after July 1, 2024, and must end by June 30, 2026. The tenure may last up to nine months (minimum 6 months) and may be divided into two periods, each of which must be a minimum of three months.
• No university overhead is permitted.

Eligibility Criteria

• All topics, periods, and approaches in Buddhist Studies are welcome. This is a global competition. There are no restrictions as to the location of the university that has granted the PhD degree or the university of current employment, or to the citizenship of the applicant.
• Applicants must have a PhD degree conferred (officially awarded) by an accredited university. An established scholar who can demonstrate the equivalent of the PhD in publications and professional experience may also qualify.
  • An applicant must hold a PhD degree conferred no earlier than January 1, 2018.
  • If the PhD is not conferred (officially awarded) by the application deadline, the applicant must submit:
    • (At the time of application) an institutional statement signed by a university official (dissertation advisor or departmental chair) confirming that the applicant is on schedule to complete the PhD by May 31, 2024.
    • (By May 31, 2024) a letter from the applicant’s graduate school confirming that the dissertation has been submitted and approved by the graduate school for conferral according to the university calendar. The applicant is responsible for submitting the dissertation on time in order to meet this requirement.
• Applicants who have obtained tenure, or who have submitted tenure materials for review by the application deadline are not eligible.
• A scholarly product must be proposed. It may be written in any language.
• The application must be written in English by the applicant.
• There are no restrictions as to the location of work proposed or the citizenship/residence of applicants.
• Emeriti are not eligible.

For more information, visit ACLS.