KSEA Scholarships

KSEA is pleased to announce the 2024 KSEA Scholarships and Fellowship program.

Multiple awards for Postdoc Fellows, Graduate students and Undergraduate students majoring in science, medicine, engineering, or related fields will be provided in 2024.

The KSEA scholarships and fellowship recognize outstanding students and postdoc fellows of Korean heritage who are excellent in academics and research as well as in service to the community and have the potential to become future leaders of society.

There are three award categories this year

KSEA Scholarships for Undergraduate Students in the US. (30 awards, $1,500 per each)

Objective

To recognize outstanding undergraduate students in the United States who excel in academics as well as in services to the community, and have demonstrated a potential to become future leaders of the society for closer cooperation between the U.S. and Korea.

Scholarships Information

Number of recipients: 30

Eligibility

• Undergraduate students of Korean heritage at an accredited institution in the US with a minimum of 2 semesters or 3 quarters completed as a college student at the time of application.
• Scholarship applicants must have an undergraduate student status on the date of the application deadline.
• Major in science, medicine, engineering, or related fields
• Active KSEA membership (You must be a KSEA member with active membership to apply)
  • Apply for KSEA membership (https://www.ksea.org/signUp)
  • Please make sure your information in “My Profile” on the website is correct and up to date before the submission.
  • Please make sure you pay membership to have an active membership ($0 for undergraduates)
• You must submit the application first and notify recommenders and the school to send official documents.
• Previous recipients of any KSEA scholarships are not eligible to apply

KSEA Named Scholarships (20) and KSEA-Rim Scholarships (10)

Objective
To recognize outstanding graduate students in the United States who excel in academics as well as in services to the community, and have demonstrated a potential to become future leaders of the society for closer cooperation between the U.S. and Korea.

Scholarships Information

Number of recipients: 20

Eligibility

• Graduate students of Korean heritage at an accredited institution in the US
• Scholarship applicants must have a graduate student status on the date of the application deadline.
• Major in science, medicine, engineering, or related fields
• Active KSEA membership (You must be a KSEA member with active membership to apply)
  • Apply for KSEA membership (https://www.ksea.org/signUp)
    • Please make sure your information in “My Profile” on the website is correct and up to date before the submission.
  • Please make sure you pay membership to have an active membership
• You must submit the application first and notify recommenders and the school to send official documents.
• Previous recipients of  KSEA-KUSCO scholarships are not eligible to apply

Application Materials

Online application only (https://www.ksea.org/scholarship). Other materials including essay and copy of transcript must be submitted Online in PDF format. The maximum file size for each is 2MB.

1. Curriculum Vitae or Resume (including education, work experience, publications, extracurricular activities, and involvement in KSEA and Korean community activities).   Resume must be in PDF format, 1 page.
2. Essay: Describe your most meaningful achievements and how they relate to your field in industry or academia. (600-800 words limit)
3. Official transcripts from up to two colleges attended. You may submit an unofficial transcript (PDF) or scanned copy of an official transcript (PDF) online, (The maximum file size for each is 2 MB) but you MUST send an official transcript to KSEA for verification. Your school can send soft copies of your official transcript to KSEA (scholarship@ksea.org) electronically. In the application form, you will be asked to provide the overall GPA and also average GPA by each semester.
4. Two recommendation letters: At least one letter must be from a college professor, the other could be from a professor or a current/former KSEA official such as an Executive Committee member, local professional Chapter President, or a Councilor. Current Scholarship Committee members cannot write a recommendation letter.
   • One letter can be from the supervisor at work or at the volunteer institution.
5. Recommendation Letters:
   1. The recommendation letter should have a letterhead and a signature on it. (it could be a scanned letter)
   2. Once recommender's information is included on the application, a link to upload recommendation letters will be automatically sent to the recommenders. Please note that the recommenders' information cannot be changed once added. In case the link to upload the recommendation letter can not be delivered to the recommenders, the letters can be submitted to scholarship@ksea.org via email.
6. No supplemental materials beyond the above will be accepted.

Evaluation Criteria

• Academic performance
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• Recommendation letters (letters we receive will be uploaded in March)
• KSEA activities and community service
• Essay

KSEA-KUSCO Scholarships for Graduate Students in the US. (20 awards, $2,000 per each)

Objective

To recognize outstanding Postdoctoral Fellows in the United States who excel in academics and research.

Scholarships Information

• Each year, KSEA will select 5 postdoctoral fellowship awardees per year, and each will receive $2,000.

Eligibility

• Postdoctoral researcher of Korean heritage with up to 3 years of postdoctoral experience in the U.S. accredited colleges, universities, and U.S. Government laboratories on the date of the application deadline.
• Fellowship applicants must have a doctoral degree.
• Current postdoctoral work should focus on science, medicine, engineering, or related fields.
• Each awardee should present a paper at UKC, regional/local conference, or TG/APS conference
• Active KSEA membership (You must be a KSEA member with active membership to apply)
  • Apply for KSEA membership (https://www.ksea.org/signUp)
  • Please make sure your information in “My Profile” on the website is correct and up to date before the submission.
• Please make sure you pay membership to have an active membership
• You must submit the application first and notify recommenders and the school to send official documents.

Application Materials

1. Curriculum Vitae (including education, work experience, publications, extracurricular activities, and involvement in KSEA and Korean community activities).  
2. Essay: Describe your most meaningful achievements, current postdoctoral research plans, and how they relate to your field in industry or academia. (800 words limit)
3. Evidence of doctoral degree. You may submit a scanned copy of your doctoral diploma or degree certificate letter (PDF) online, (The maximum file size for each is 2 MB) but you MUST upload them to KSEA for verification.
4. Two recommendation letters: One letter must be from your current postdoctoral advisor. The other can be preferably from a professor or a current/former KSEA official such as an Executive Committee member, local professional Chapter President, or a Councilor. Current Scholarship Committee members cannot write a recommendation letter.
5. Recommendation Letters:
   1. The recommendation letter should have a letterhead and a signature on it (it could be a scanned letter).
   2. The email address of the sender shows the institution that the person who writes the letter is affiliated with (emails using Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc. accounts are not acceptable).
   3. Once recommender's information is included on the application, a link to upload recommendation letters will be automatically sent to the recommenders. Please note that the recommenders' information cannot be changed once added. In case the link to upload the recommendation letter cannot be delivered to the recommenders, the letters can be submitted to scholarship@ksea.org via email.
   4. The email address of your two recommenders cannot be changed after you add them to your application.
6. No supplemental materials beyond the above will be accepted.

Evaluation Criteria

• Scholarly performance
• Curriculum Vitae
• Essay and research plans
• Recommendation letters (letters we receive will be uploaded in March)
• KSEA activities and community service