More Than $1.5 Million Awarded to
Scholars and Institutions Worldwide for Research, Translation,
Teaching, and Public Positions in Buddhist Studies
NEW
YORK, May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to name the
2024 awardees of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in
Buddhist Studies. The program promotes the understanding and
interpretation of Buddhist thought in scholarship and society,
strengthens international networks of Buddhist scholars, and
increases the visibility of new knowledge and research on Buddhist
traditions.
"This eleventh cohort of The Robert H. N.
Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies represents a wide
range of nationalities, institutions, and Buddhist traditions,
echoing our commitment to better reflect and engage scholars and
communities of Buddhism worldwide."
This year's fellows and grantees include one institution and 32
scholars located in thirteen countries across Asia, Europe,
North America, and Oceania. Their
projects focus on a wide variety of languages, historical periods,
and locations of research, reflecting the diversity of Buddhist
traditions around the world.
- Four Buddhism Public Scholars will be placed in one- to
two-year professional positions with 84000 (Fremont, CA), the Art Institute of
Chicago (Chicago, IL), the National Museum of Asian Art
at the Smithsonian (Washington,
DC), and the Tricycle Foundation (New York, NY). These recent PhDs will use
their academic knowledge and professional experience to increase
the capacity of their host organizations in areas of Buddhist art
and thought.
- Eleven Dissertation Fellows at universities in
Canada, Germany, Hong
Kong, Italy, Thailand, the United
Kingdom, and the United
States have been awarded up to $30,000 each for dissertation fieldwork, archival
research, and writing. The fellows' research focuses on subjects
including the decline of Buddhism in medieval India, Indigeneity and assimilation within
Buddhist communities in Bangladesh, and the institutionalization of
Buddhist monastics in Myanmar.
- Six Early Career Research Fellows at institutions in
France, Germany, India, Italy,
and the United States will receive
up to $70,000 each to advance
promising research and writing projects on topics such as how
bilingual texts shaped the intellectual history of Theravada
societies in early modern southeast Asia, commemorative stele and "Buddhist public
space" in southwest China, and the
role of secrecy in premodern rural Soto Zen temples in Japan.
- Seven Translation Grants of up to $50,000 have been awarded to individuals and
collaborative groups for translations of important texts that will
expand understanding of Buddhist philosophy, ritual, and doctrine.
Grantees will translate works—including The Meaning of the Two
Truths by Jizang and the Laghutantra-tika by Vajrapani—into
Bengali, English, Italian, and Russian, making them more accessible
to communities of Buddhist practice across the globe.
- A New Professorship Grant will allow the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to establish a
new tenure-track position in Buddhist Studies in the College of
Liberal Arts. The new professorship will enhance both undergraduate
and graduate programs, with a focus on interdisciplinary
collaboration and the incorporation of Buddhist Studies into the
broader curriculum.
"ACLS applauds these outstanding fellows and grantees, who will
expand understanding of Buddhist traditions both inside and outside
the academy, through research, writing, translations, a new
teaching position, and professional placements at celebrated
museums and publications," said Deena
Ragavan, ACLS Director of International Programs. "This
eleventh cohort of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in
Buddhist Studies represents a wide range of nationalities,
institutions, and Buddhist traditions, echoing our commitment to
better reflect and engage scholars and communities of Buddhism
worldwide."
The Program in Buddhist Studies is made possible by a
$6.3 million grant extension to ACLS
from The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global to advance
research and scholarship in the field through fellowships and
grants, nurture networks through annual symposia for early career
fellows, and increase and diversify applicant pools across the
globe.
Formed a century ago, the American Council of Learned Societies
(ACLS) is a nonprofit federation of 80 scholarly organizations. As
the leading representative of American scholarship in the
humanities and interpretive social sciences, ACLS upholds the core
principle that knowledge is a public good. In supporting its member
organizations, ACLS utilizes its endowment and $37 million annual operating budget to expand the
forms, content, and flow of scholarly knowledge, reflecting our
commitment to diversity of identity and experience. ACLS
collaborates with institutions, associations, and individuals to
strengthen the evolving infrastructure for scholarship. In all
aspects of our work, ACLS is committed to principles and practices
in support of racial and social justice.
Inspired and informed by the concept of interconnectedness, The
Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global supports programs in arts
and culture and Buddhism, and funds initiatives that enhance the
wellbeing of humanity and the environment.
Media Contact
Anna Polovick Waggy, American
Council of Learned Societies, 6468307661, awaggy@acls.org,
https://www.acls.org/
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SOURCE American Council of Learned Societies