Khyentse Foundation Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies
Funding Amount
$8,000
Deadline
Expected ~December
Based on past cycles
Grant Type
Foundation
Deadline history & next window
- Cycle
- Annual
- Current deadline
- December 31, 2026
- Tracked since
- April 2026
Deadlines typically fall in: December
Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.
Can we apply?
Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.
Geography
- Based on original research in relevant primary language(s)
Other requirements
- The award is traditionally granted for Asian and European dissertations in alternate years.
- Asia-Pacific Zone (added in 2021):
- Mainland China
- Hong Kong
Overview
Overview:
The Khyentse Foundation Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation in Buddhist Studies is given annually to the author of a doctoral dissertation in the field of Buddhist studies, defended during the previous 2 academic years. The dissertation must be based on original research in the relevant primary language or languages and should significantly advance the understanding of the subject or Buddhist texts studied.
Geographic Scope
The award is traditionally granted for Asian and European dissertations in alternate years.
Asia-Pacific Zone (added in 2021):
- Mainland China
- Hong Kong
- Taiwan
- Cambodia
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Laos
- Indonesia
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Australia
- New Zealand
Europe Zone: European institutions, including the UK
Eligibility
- PhD programs in Buddhist studies or religious studies at accredited institutions
- Dissertations completed within the specified academic years (typically 2-year window)
- Dissertations written in English or Chinese only
- Based on original research in relevant primary language(s)
Selection Process
- A four-person committee reviews nominations
- Committee selects three dissertations to be read in their entirety
- Committee selects the winning dissertation
Background
Past recipients include:
- 2025: Louise Roche (Southeast Asia/Pacific zone)
- 2024: Xiaonan Li and Lingfeng Tan (Asia)
- 2023: Nils Martin (Europe)
How to Apply
Application Process
Nomination Period: October 1 - December 31 (annually)
Submission Method: Email all documents as attachments to the dissertation award coordinator
Required Documents:
- Letter of recommendation by a faculty member and/or the chair of the department or institution
- Summary of the dissertation (maximum 2 pages)
- One representative chapter of the dissertation
- Full contact information for the department and for the author of the dissertation
Timeline:
- Nomination window: October 1 - December 31
- Winning dissertation announced by June 30
Notes:
- Only dissertations completed within the specified 2-year academic window are eligible
- Geographic region (Asia-Pacific or Europe) rotates annually
What Khyentse Foundation actually gave
Source: IRS Form 990, 2025
- Grants in 2025
- 20
- Total given
- $1.66M
- Median grant
- $28K
- Range
- $8,000–$699K
- By dollars: New York 52%, Massachusetts 20%, California 12%. Top recipient cities: New York, NY; Berkeley, CA; Boulder, CO.
- 5% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
- 33% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.
Example grants
Middle Way School · Saugerties, NY
Usa - 2024/25 operating grant
$699K
Buddhist Digital Resource Center (BDRC) · Cambridge, MA
Usa - zen peacemaker fellowship grant
$221K
Head of the Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Center (Sarnath International Nyingm · Berkeley, CA
Usa - year 1 of 3 year grant to support advancing strategic and innovative educational…
$116K
Middle Way Education · Woodstock, NY
Usa - grant to support mwes buddhist education curriculum framework design and…
$95K
Yale University · New Haven, CT
Usa - year 2 of 4 year grant to support a khyentse postdoctoral associate in tibetan…
$95K
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
- Science research
- Humanities
Categories
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