Deadline: 20-Nov-2025
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Dissertation Fellowships in Buddhist Studies support PhD candidates with stipends to pursue full-time dissertation work. The fellowships are intended for a ten-month period, which can be used either for fieldwork and archival research or for writing after the research is completed.
There are two categories of support. Research fellowships are for candidates conducting fieldwork or investigating archival materials, while writing fellowships are for those ready to focus on writing their dissertations. Applicants are expected to clearly define their research questions, sources, methodology, and preliminary conclusions in their proposals.
For writing fellowships, the application should describe the central thesis, summarize the sources consulted, and include an outline of chapters if possible. It should also explain what materials have been gathered, how research questions have evolved, and the intended direction of the analysis.
Each fellowship provides a stipend of $35,000, along with an additional allowance of up to $5,000 to cover childcare or elder care, health insurance, conference attendance, or professional training. The fellowship must last ten consecutive months, begin no later than September 30, 2026, and be dedicated exclusively to dissertation work without other employment.
Applicants must be PhD candidates (i.e., have achieved ABD status) at an accredited university anywhere in the world by April 15, 2026. ABD status refers to completion of all coursework and comprehensive exams. An institutional representative must confirm this status via an online form at the time of application. The proposal must be written in English and the applicant’s work must fall within the humanities or social sciences.
There are no restrictions regarding citizenship or location of research. Proposals are evaluated on the significance of the topic, the quality of methodology and theoretical grounding, the feasibility of the project, and the applicant’s potential to contribute to the field of Buddhist Studies.
Applications must include a completed form, a five-page proposal, an optional one to two pages of non-text supporting materials, a two-page bibliography, and a personal statement detailing the applicant’s academic journey and future goals. All written materials should use Arial or Helvetica 11-point font and be double-spaced.
For more information, visit ACLS.
