American Council of Learned Societies Awards Inaugural Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Public Impact Grants in Buddhist Studies

Six Grants Support Projects that Make Buddhist Knowledge More Accessible to Communities of Practice and the Public

NEW YORK, June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to announce the inaugural Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Public Impact Grants in Buddhist Studies. This year, six grants of up to $50,000 each will support outstanding projects that will increase public understanding of Buddhist art, texts, and traditions through engagement between Buddhist Studies scholars and the public. In 2026 ACLS proudly celebrates 100 years of grantmaking to individual scholars.

The 2026 Public Impact Grants in Buddhist Studies support a podcast exploring the transformative impact of Asian American Buddhists on US society; a public workshop on Buddhist environmental storytelling; an interactive archive on the unpublished works of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh; a podcast featuring public scholars discussing Buddhist biographies in Tibet and surrounding regions; a translation project that includes extensive engagement with communities of practice; and the restoration of Buddhist architecture in Ladakh, India with local craftsmen.

"ACLS is honored to support these collaborators from a wide range of communities: monastics, university faculty, public scholars, practitioners, librarians, archivists, and an architecture firm," said Daphne Weber, ACLS Program Officer for Buddhist Studies. "Their projects showcase the many forms public engagement can take, as well as the relevance of and desire for Buddhist Studies scholarship beyond the academy. We look forward to following and sharing their work throughout the coming year."

Learn more about the 2026 Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Public Impact Grants in Buddhist Studies.

The grantees join one institution and 18 individual scholars previously announced as 2026 awardees of The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies. Supported by The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Global, the program promotes the academic study of Buddhism, strengthens international networks of Buddhist scholars, and increases the visibility of new knowledge and research on Buddhist traditions.

Formed a century ago, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a nonprofit federation of 86 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 expands 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.

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.

SOURCE American Council of Learned Societies