Research is sponsored in this area primarily in Buddhist literature in Chinese, Japanese, Sanskrit, Pali, and Tibetan; Modern and Contemporary Buddhism in Japan; Medieval Chinese Buddhism; Buddhist thought; doctrine and practice in East Asian Buddhism. Various approaches and methodologies are encouraged, including textual, literary, social historical, art historical, sociological and anthropological.

Research is sponsored in this area in a wide range of topics, including: Taoist canonical literature, the construction of Shinto, Chinese science, alchemy and medicine, the New Religions of Japan, the relationship of Buddhism with indigenous East Asian traditions (Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto), religion and modernity in East Asia and popular religion in East Asia as seen in literary works.