Competition

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Early Career Research Fellowships in Buddhist Studies

Early Career Research Fellowships offer support for research and writing in Buddhist Studies for pre-tenure scholars who hold the PhD degree, with priority given to those teaching full time. 

These fellowships provide scholars time free from teaching and other responsibilities to concentrate on research and writing for the project proposed.  Priority will be given to unemployed or underemployed scholars; emeriti are not eligible. The fellowship period may last up to nine months, during which time no teaching, commissioned research on other topics, or administrative duties are allowed. The fellowship may be separated into two periods, each of which must be a minimum of three months. If the duration is less than nine months (minimum of six months), the stipend will be prorated.

There are no restrictions as to the location of the work conducted. Each applicant must identify a significant scholarly product (monograph, series of journal articles, etc.) that will result from the fellowship. At the end of the fellowship tenure, a final report will be due describing progress made. Fellows will be asked to report to ACLS any publications based on their fellowship work, when they are published.

When accepting a stipend, the Fellow must confirm being officially released from teaching, commissioned research, administrative duties, or other employment during the entire fellowship period.

An Early Career Research Fellowship may be held concurrently with other fellowships or grants and with sabbatical pay, but the total received should not exceed 125% of the Fellow’s academic annual salary. There is no additional financial support for dependents.

Tenure of the fellowship may begin no earlier than July 1, 2023 and must conclude by June 30, 2025.

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 the Fellows’ current academic salary and other fellowships, grants, sabbatical salary to be received during fellowship tenure. A nine-month stipend should not exceed 125% of the annual academic salary.
  • Tenure: Fellowship period must begin after July 1, 2023, and must end by June 30, 2025. 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.
  • Applications must be submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship and Grant Administration (OFA) System (ofa.acls.org) no later than 9PM Eastern Standard Time, November 16, 2022.
  • No university overhead is permitted.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must have a PhD degree conferred by an accredited university. (An established scholar who can demonstrate the equivalent of the PhD in publications and professional experience may also qualify.)
  • The PhD degree must be completed by November 16, 2022 (including defense and revisions) and be conferred by May 31, 2023.
    • If the date of conferral is after the application deadline, the application must include an institutional statement attesting that all requirements for the PhD have been fulfilled. A successful applicant will be asked to submit proof of conferral before being named a Fellow.
  • An applicant must hold a PhD degree conferred no earlier than January 1, 2017.
  • 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.

Application Guidelines

  • Completed application form submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship and Grant Administration (OFA) System
  • Application essay (no more than 5 double-spaced pages in Times New Roman 11-point font)
  • Up to 2 additional pages of images, musical scores, or other similar supporting non-text materials [Optional]
  • Bibliography (no more than 2 pages, double-spaced between entries, Times New Roman 11-point font)
  • Applicant’s statement (no more than 1 page, single- or double-spaced, in Times New Roman 11-point font) describing the intellectual trajectory and experiences that brought the applicant to the current stage of academic career and that motivate plans for the future. ACLS is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of the fellowship application process. Please use the personal statement to note any relevant information about your personal background and/or ways in which your proposed research addresses issues related to underrepresented minorities.
  • List of the applicant’s publications (no more than 2 pages, double-spaced between entries, Times New Roman 11-point font)
  • Two reference letters submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship and Grant Administration (OFA) System [Optional]

Evaluation Criteria

  • Significance of the topic and its potential contribution to Buddhist Studies.
  • Coherence and cogency of presentation.
  • Feasibility of the plan of work.
  • Record of the applicant’s previous accomplishments.

Contact

Questions should be directed to [email protected]. Please read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) before making inquiries.

Supporting Documents