Numata Fund Scholarship
Key information
- Deadline date
- Amount
- £25,000
Scholarship overview
The Numata Scholarship has been made possible by the Numata Endowment Fund at SOAS University of London, which was established through the generosity of Bukkyō Dendō Kyōkai (BDK) (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism), a Tokyo-based foundation dedicated to international promotion of Buddhist thought and scholarship.
Named in honour of its founder, Rev Dr Yehan Numata (1897 to 1994), a prominent Japanese industrialist, Buddhist missionary and philanthropist, and his family, the fund reflects a commitment to fostering deeper understanding of Buddhism across cultures and disciplines.
Alongside the Numata Professorship in Japanese Buddhism at SOAS, the scholarships support students whose work engages with Buddhist traditions and ideas, contributing to the global study of religion in its historical, philosophical and contemporary contexts.
There are three Numata Fund Scholarships available for 2026/27 providing £25,000 towards tuition fees for Home or Overseas students. Any remainder of this amount will be paid directly to the awardee as a stipend.
Eligible programmes
Full-time MA Buddhist Studies beginning in the 2026/27 academic year.
Candidate criteria
In order to be eligible, applicants must:
- Be a new admission, starting in September 2026.
- Have a minimum 2:1 bachelors degree from a UK university or international equivalent (if a postgraduate taught applicant).
- Hold an unconditional offer for their programme by the time the scholarship panel meet.
Please note that this scholarship does not cover funding or allow for pre-sessional programmes.
How to apply
To apply for this scholarship, applicants should follow the following steps:
Step 1
Apply for your programme. To apply for a master’s degree programme, please see taught masters applications.
Applicants applying for scholarships must submit an application for admission as soon as possible. Please note that complete applications for admission can take up to 4 weeks to be considered by the department, although this duration can vary depending on the time of year. You should be prepared to wait up to 6 weeks in busy periods.
Step 2
Apply for the scholarship by 12 noon UK local time on 17 June 2026. You must apply for this scholarship via the admissions portal and will need to have applied for a course to get login credentials for this.
Candidate assessment
Candidates will be assessed by a selection panel based on their academic merit, personal statement and their focus and interest in Buddhist Studies. Information included in your scholarship and admissions applications will be reviewed by the panel.
Applicants should not use generative AI tools to write their scholarship application statements. You may, however, use AI tools to check grammar and spelling or to help you plan the structure of your statements. For further guidance on appropriate AI use, please refer to our guidance to students on the use of AI.
We will not consider late or incomplete applications.
Notification of results
The scholarship shortlisting and awarding period is expected to be completed by mid-July at the earliest. Successful candidates will be contacted first, and once all awards have been allocated, unsuccessful candidates will be notified.
Contact
For enquiries regarding your programme application procedure please email mastersadmissions@soas.ac.uk.
For any enquiries regarding the scholarship application procedure, please email scholarships@soas.ac.uk.