Student Fellowships & Grants

Student conducting research at computer in East Asian Library

Fellowship Competition for Continuing Graduate Students

Applications Due: Annually on April 1

Maximum Award: $6,000 | Average Award: $1,500-$3,500

CKS holds an annual fellowship competition for continuing UC Berkeley graduate students in Korean Studies. CKS will accept applications for most academic purposes including pre-dissertation research, dissertation research, dissertation writing, and summer language study. A specific plan of research/study (not a general request for support) must be included with your application. Subject to availability of funding, a small number of competitive awards of up to $6,000 (maximum) are available.

Restrictions: Applicants may only request up to $3,000 specifically for living expenses.

How to Apply

Students interested in this fellowship should submit the following materials as a single PDF document no later than the due date mentioned above:

  1. Application Cover Sheet
  2. A current Curriculum Vitae
  3. A detailed Research/Study Proposal for the period of requested support (max. 2 pages)
  4. List of All Financial Assistance received during the course of their graduate study, including fellowships from ALL sources (extramural fellowships as well), research assistantships, teaching appointments, and grants
  5. A complete List of All Support including the amount of funding requested for the coming academic year, with notes on the status of the requests
  6. An Estimated Budget for your project
  7. Two Letters of Recommendation, emailed separately to CKS (cks@berkeley.edu).
  8. A current Transcript (unofficial copies OK) from UCB together with a list of any courses currently in progress

Please send applications to cks@berkeley.edu.

The Bong Youn Choy Fellowship

Applications Due: Annually on April 1

Maximum Award: $7,500 | Average Award: $7,500

CKS will provide financial support to 1-2 students each year to participate in the IUC Program. Funding is intended to cover the costs of the summer version of the program, however it can also be applied to semester participants. Actual transfer of award funds is contingent upon acceptance into the program.

Please note that students who apply for both the IUC Grant and the annual Fellowship Competition will only be able to receive one award or the other, and not both.

How to Apply

Students interested in this award should submit the following materials as a single PDF document no later than the due date mentioned above:

  1. Copy of SKKU IUC Program Application Form (found on the IUC Program Website)
  2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  3. Certificate of Korean Language Proficiency and/or Transcript of Korean Language Courses
  4. Proof of Acceptance into the IUC Program (NOT required as part of the CKS grant application, but if CKS approves your application please provide this proof of acceptance upon receipt from SKKU in order for CKS to actually issue your grant funding)

Note that these application materials are the exact same ones required by SKKU when applying for the IUC Program. Our grant deadline is currently earlier than the application deadlines for the IUC Program Summer or Fall dates. If you end up revising your application prior to actual submission to SKKU, you will not need to provide CKS with a copy of the updated version (an initial "draft" version is sufficent as long as all sections are filled out). 

Please send applications to cks@berkeley.edu.

Student Travel Support

Applications considered on a rolling basis

Maximum Award: $800

CKS has a small fund to support current Berkeley graduate and undergraduate travel for scholarly purposes connected with the study of Korea. In most cases, support will go to students traveling to present a paper or participate in some other meaningful way in an organized event. Awards will be made based on the merit of individual applications.

How to Apply

Students interested in this support should submit the following:

  1. A 1-2 page proposal including a description of the project and details about the student's role
  2. A budget for travel
  3. Proof of invitation and/or a copy of the program or agenda; and, when applicable, a copy of the paper to be presented.

Please send applications to cks@berkeley.edu.

Undergraduate Student Support

Applications Due: Annually on April 1

Maximum Award: $2,000 | Average Award: $500-$1,000

CKS has a small amount of funding available specifically to support current Berkeley undergraduate students. Students interested in participating in academic programs or conducting research can inquire about this funding. The amount awarded may vary greatly depending on the type of program and number of applicants. Awards will be made based on the merit of individual applications.

Undergraduate students interested in Korean Studies are encouraged to consider applying for the Korea America Student Conference, held annually in the summer. For more information, visit the Student Programs page.

How to Apply

Students interested in this support should submit the following:

  1. A 1-2 page proposal including a description of the project and details about the student's role
  2. A breakdown of the total cost of program attendance
  3. Proof of invitation and/or a copy of the program or agenda; and, when applicable, a copy of the paper to be presented
  4. A copy of your current transcript
  5. A complete list of all related financial support both received and applied for, with notes on the status of ongoing funding applications

Please send applications to cks@berkeley.edu.


On Hiatus: Graduate Student Summer Workshop

Graduate Student Summer Workshop at SNU

Applications Due: N/A - This program is currently on hiatus.

The Center for Korean Studies (CKS) hosts a summer graduate student conference. Up to eight continuing UC Berkeley graduate students with a research focus on Korea are selected to present a paper and receive feedback from faculty and fellow graduate students at Seoul National University. Students are expected to complete a working paper before the conference. All continuing graduate students are welcome to apply, but preference is given to advanced doctoral candidates.

What's Included: The workshop takes place over the course of one day. An arrival dinner is hosted the night before. CKS will provide round-trip airfare and 2 nights' lodging for all participants.

How to Apply:

Students interested in this workshop should submit the following materials as a single PDF document no later than the due date mentioned above:

  1. Name:
  2. Year:
  3. Expected Year of Graduation:
  4. Department:
  5. An abstract describing your larger research project and the paper you intend to present (1 page or less).

Please send applications to cks@berkeley.edu.

Other Award Opportunities on Campus

Toraji Prize in Korean American Cultural Studies

The Asian American Research Center and the Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies program welcomes applications and nominations for the Toraji Korean American Studies prize. This annual prize is for graduate and undergraduate students from any department who are researching and/or writing about Korean American literature, film, and cultural studies. Topics in history and politics will also be considered. For more information, visit the Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies website. Questions should be emailed to ehkim@berkeley.edu, with CCs to anjinsoo@gmail.com and eunicekwon@berkeley.edu.

AARC also administers a separate research grant program open to graduate students working on scholarly, community engagement, and/or creative projects that focus on Asian American populations. For more information on that program visit the AARC Research Grants webpage or contact aarc@berkeley.edu.

Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch Fellowship

The Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch Fellowship comprises two distinct programs: the "Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch Fellow of Political Science '' and the "Ambassador Julia Chang Bloch Fellow of East Asian Studies," each provides one fellow with $2,000 of funding. The Fellowship program aims to provide interested students, especially those of AAPI heritage, with financial support to conduct academic research focused on political/social/cultural/economic aspects of East Asia. 

The application is now reopened to give potential applicants another chance to be benefitted from this opportunity. It will be closed by 11:59PM PST September 29th, Friday, 2023. If interested, please submit an application on our Application Form: https://forms.gle/Tx9JQsnYVf78fyB1A