The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhism Public Scholars
The deadline for this program has passed. The description below is for information purposes only.
Awardees in the 2022-23 competition will be announced in the spring.
On behalf of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global, the American Council of Learned Societies announces a new initiative to place recent recipients of the PhD in professional positions at museums, libraries, and publications that present and interpret knowledge of Buddhist traditions. The selected Buddhism Public Scholars will use their academic knowledge and professional expertise to bolster the capacity of host organizations in the area of Buddhist art and thought in all traditions and locations in which Buddhism is practiced.
Award Details
- Compensation equivalent to $70,000 plus health insurance
- $60,000 paid through institution’s payroll system (subject to payroll taxes and deductions)
- $10,000 allowance for relocation, site visits, home office expenses, or professional development paid by ACLS directly to the scholar
- Tenure: 12 months beginning in September 2023
- Completed applications must be submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship and Grant Administration (OFA) System (ofa.acls.org) no later than 9PM Eastern Standard Time on January 11, 2023.
Buddhism Public Scholars
- Take on substantive, intellectually meaningful responsibilities at cultural institutions
- Receive compensation equivalent to $60,000, health insurance, and an allowance of $10,000 for relocation, site visits, home office expenses, or professional development
- Begin one-year positions in September 2023
Host Institutions
- Benefit from the scholar’s knowledge and professional capacities, including cultural competencies, and strong skills in writing, project management, and problem-solving.
- Guide the scholar’s contributions to ongoing projects or to the design of new ones
- Provide oversight and access to requisite resources
- Encourage and enable networking and mentorship
We expect the Buddhism Public Scholars initiative to nurture mutually beneficial partnerships between scholars and hosts that will help disseminate knowledge of Buddhist traditions to broad publics.
Each applicant may apply for up to two of the available positions, indicating which is the first preference.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Have a PhD in the humanities or humanistic social sciences conferred after January 1, 2019 and by April 15, 2023.
- Note: Applicants without the PhD in hand at the time of submitting the application must be prepared to show official certification by April 15, 2023 from the university (typically the Graduate School or registrar) that the PhD will be awarded by the end of the spring semester 2023 (exact date to be determined according to university practice). The applicant is responsible for submitting the dissertation on time for this certification.
- Be authorized to work legally in the United States. Neither ACLS nor the host institution will sponsor scholars for visas.
Application Guidelines
Applications must be submitted online and must include:
- A completed application form, including a short statement of interest to explain your interest in careers outside the academy, including where you see yourself professionally five years from now.
- A cover letter tailored to each selected position and addressed to the host institution (1-2 pages). Applicants applying for two positions will submit two distinct cover letters.
- A resume (1-2 pages). Applicants applying for two positions will submit two resumes.
- Two letters of recommendation are required for each position selected, which should address the applicant’s knowledge of Buddhist traditions, professional competencies, and the fit with the position selected
Evaluation Criteria
Selection and placement will take place in three stages. The first round of evaluation is a peer review conducted by the Selection Committee of the Program in Buddhist Studies, which evaluates the five competitions of the Program, including Buddhism Public Scholars. Finalists emerging from this round will be interviewed by the host institution. In the third stage, ACLS will match the preferences of the hosts with the preferences of the applicants and present nominees for positions to the hosts.
First-round reviewers will evaluate applications based on:
- Knowledge of Buddhist traditions and disciplinary competence
- Demonstrated ability to connect academic and non-academic skills and capacities to the responsibilities of the applicant’s selected position(s)
- Applicant’s academic and extra-academic accomplishments
- The capacity of an award to advance The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global’s interest in presenting and interpreting Buddhist knowledge, traditions, and cultures to broad publics.
Participating Host Organizations
We are proud to be working with the following organizations to host potential Buddhism Public Scholars. Please click on the links below for job descriptions.
- Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
- Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA)
- National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.)
- Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library, University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)
- The Rubin Museum of Art (New York, NY)
Applications for these positions are accepted solely through the Buddhism Public Scholars program. Only complete applications, submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship Application system (ofa.acls.org) by January 11, 2023, 9pm EST will be considered.
Contact
Please do not contact any of the host organizations with questions.
Questions should be directed to [email protected]. Please read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) before making inquiries.