The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Dissertation Fellowships in Buddhist Studies

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Dissertation Fellowships in Buddhist Studies provide stipends to PhD candidates for full time preparation of dissertations. The ten-month fellowship period may be used for fieldwork, archival research, analysis of findings, or for writing after research is complete. There are two types of support: research fellowships for fieldwork or archival investigations and writing fellowships for use after research is complete to write the dissertation.

Fellowship Details

Stipend: $35,000 and an award supplement of up to $5,000 for childcare/elder care, health insurance, learned society conference attendance, or related professional training.
Tenure: 10 consecutive months, starting by September 30, 2025, devoting full time to the dissertation. No other employment is permitted during the fellowship period.
The total award should be used for expenses associated with the fellowship work, not for tuition or other university fees. Home universities are requested to waive fees for fellows while allowing access to university facilities during the fellowship year. If university policy or regulations prevent the university from following this procedure, the university should be willing to negotiate with ACLS some other mutually acceptable formula that will avoid the necessity for the fellow to use the fellowship stipend for university fees. This fellowship cannot be held concurrently with any other fellowship or grant. University administrators may find more information here.

Eligibility

Pursuit of the PhD degree at an accredited university anywhere in the world.
ABD (All But Dissertation) status or equivalent by April 15, 2025. ABD status indicates completion of all doctorate coursework requirements and comprehensive exams for a PhD degree. Upon reaching ABD status, PhD students become PhD candidates and focus on research and writing of a dissertation and defending a doctoral thesis. ACLS will require final round applicants to obtain official university confirmations in Spring 2025.
The application must be written in English by the applicant.
There are no restrictions on the location of work proposed or the citizenship/residence of applicants.
Work proposed must be in the humanities or interpretive social sciences.

Application Guidelines

Completed applications must be submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship and Grant Administration (OFA) System no later than 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on December 3, 2024.

Applications must include:

A completed application form.
A proposal (no more than five double-spaced pages in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font).
An optional one to two additional pages of images, musical scores, or other similar supporting non-text materials.
A bibliography (no more than two pages, with double-spaces between entries in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font).
An applicant’s statement describing the intellectual trajectory and experiences that brought the applicant to the current stage of academic career and that motivate plans for the future (no more than two double-spaced pages in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font). 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 we seek balance in regard to citizenship and university affiliation, as well as in languages, topics, Buddhist traditions, and locations of research. Please use the applicant’s statement to note any relevant information about your personal background and/or ways in which your proposed research addresses issues related to inclusion, equity, and diversity.

Evaluation Criteria

Significance of the topic and its potential contribution to Buddhist Studies.
Coherence and cogency of presentation.
Feasibility of the plan of work.
Potential of the applicant for a career that will make full use of Buddhist Studies expertise.

Contact

Questions should be directed to BuddhistStudies@acls.org. Please read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) before making inquiries. Institutional administrators (e.g., Office of Sponsored Projects) should read our general guidance.