UC Berkeley is proud to announce that APARRI has been awarded a 2026 Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Public Impact Grant in Buddhist Studies. The grants support outstanding projects that increase public understanding of Buddhist art, texts, and traditions through engagement between Buddhist Studies scholars and the public.
APARRI received a grant for “We the Sangha: A Podcast Series on Buddhist Asian America.” The six-episode, story-driven podcast series explores the transformative impact of Asian American Buddhists on US society. Curated and hosted by author and scholar Chenxing Han and produced by Axis Mundi Media in partnership with APARRI, the series features conversations with artists, activists, and scholars to illuminate the diversity of Buddhist Asian America—across ethnicities, generations, and traditions. Blending rigorous research with intimate storytelling, “We the Sangha” will offer an empathetic, community-rooted lens on race, religion, and belonging, advancing public understanding of Asian American Buddhism’s contributions to America’s cultural and spiritual fabric.
“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.”
The Public Impact 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.
