Competition

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

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Early Career Research Fellowships offer support for research and writing in Buddhist Studies for pre-tenure scholars holding a 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. Applicants may request a waiver of this requirement if their institutions do not provide leave. 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, translation, 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, once they are published.

When accepting a stipend, fellows 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.

Tenure of the fellowship may begin no earlier than July 1, 2025, and must conclude by June 30, 2027.

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 we 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.
  • An award supplement of up to $5,000 for independent scholars, adjunct faculty, and faculty with teaching-intensive roles for costs incurred during the fellowship term, including research support, access to manuscript development workshops, learned society conference attendance, health insurance, or child- or eldercare.
  • Tenure: Fellowship period must begin after July 1, 2025, and must end by June 30, 2027. 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.
  • 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.

Eligibility

  • 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, 2019.
    • If the PhD is not conferred (officially awarded) by the application deadline, the applicant must:
      • (At the time of application) have a university official (dissertation advisor or departmental chair) confirm through the OFA system that the applicant is on schedule to complete the PhD by April 15, 2025. This is an online form, not a reference letter.
      • (By April 15, 2025) submit 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. The applicant should request that the graduate school send the letter to ACLS at [email protected].
  • 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 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.
  • Application 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.
  • Bibliography (no more than two pages, with double-spaces between entries in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font).
  • 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.
  • List of the applicant’s publications (no more than two pages, with double-spaces between entries in Arial or Helvetica 11-point font).

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.
  • Note: Applicants seeking support for a project that has previously been funded by a Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Dissertation Fellowship or any other competition in the Program in Buddhist Studies should articulate clearly what is different about the new application. For example, if applying for an Early Career Research Fellowship to revise a dissertation that was previously supported a Dissertation Fellowship, the applicant must clearly explain how an Early Career Research Fellowship will support new research or significant revisions to the project.

Contact

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

Supporting Documents