Korea Foundation Fellowship for Field Research Program
Since 1992, the Korea Foundation is offering an annual fellowship program for field research on Korea-related topics. In accordance with the guidelines listed below, the Foundation is currently accepting applications for its 2024 Field Research Fellowship program.
Program Outline
In order to promote Korean studies research by scholars at universities or research institutes outside Korea, the Korea Foundation offers support via its Fellowship for Field Research program, which provides Korean studies scholars and experts in relevant fields with the opportunity to conduct on-site field research in Korea and access relevant resource materials.
Number of Selected Fellows
Approximately 30 per year
Eligible Applicants
Scholars outside Korea who conduct comparative or case studies in the field of Korean studies or in Korea-related areas in the fields of the humanities or social sciences, or focus on research topics that are closely related to Korea and recognized as important new areas of study, and fall under one of the following ‘Type A’ or ‘Type B’ criteria.
Details of Program Support
Applicants┋Type A
- Qualifications: Doctoral candidates who have completed their required coursework and are in the process of writing their doctoral dissertation
- Monthly Stipend: KRW 2,300,000
Applicants┋Type B
- Qualifications: Full-time lecturers or researchers with experience in teaching or research at a university or research institute; Assistant, associate, or full professors or individuals currently in a professional or research field (PhD degree holders only)
- Monthly Stipend: KRW 3,000,000
Miscellaneous Support
1. Travel insurance coverage
2. Support for entry expenses (one-time payment):
- Doctoral candidate: KRW 500,000
- PhD degree holder: KRW 1,000,000
- Tenured associate or full professor: KRW 1,500,000
Note: For successful applicants falling under two categories, the KF will provide the higher amount of support.
3. Round-trip airfare (shortest distance economy flight): Provided only to fellows whose country of residence is included on the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list of ODA Recipients on the official OECD website as of this program's application submission deadline (e.g., least-developed countries, other low-income countries, and lower-middle income countries; fellows from upper-middle income countries are ineligible for airfare support) .
Program Schedule
1. Application Period: July 1, 2023 (Saturday) 12:00 p.m. to August 31, 2023 (Thursday) 6:00 p.m. (Korea Standard Time)
Please note: As system errors may occur at the end of the application period due to traffic overload, please submit your application as soon as possible. If you cannot submit your application by the due date, even if caused by a system error, the KF cannot guarantee that it will be accepted. Please be aware that the deadline for reference submissions is 6:00 p.m. KST on September 7, 2023. After that, letters of reference can no longer be submitted.
2. Notification of Results: December 2023
3. Fellowship Period: The field research should take place between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
Duration: 1 month (minimum) to 6 months (maximum)
Please note: The start date of the fellowship period should be no later than November 30, 2024.
Required Documents
Applicants┋Type A: Documents to be Submitted
1. Application form
2. Curriculum vitae (including the applicant’s signature)
3. Research proposal (free format, 5-10 pages)
4. Proposal for cooperative research with a Korean scholar
- Written by the Korean scholar, submitted by the applicant.
- Please insert the Korean scholar’s signature
5. Two letters of reference
- Head of the applicant’s institution (university president, dean, department chair, institute director, etc.)
- Dissertation supervisor in applicant’s country of residence
6. Evidence of current employment or enrollment (official letter or certificate)
7. Graduate school transcripts (MA & PhD)
8. Copy of the most recently obtained academic degree
9. Certificate of coursework completion (official letter written by the department head or supervisor)
Applicants┋Type B: Documents to be Submitted
1. Application form
2. Curriculum vitae (including the applicant’s signature)
3. Research proposal (free format, 5-10 pages)
4. Proposal for cooperative research with a Korean scholar
- Written by the Korean scholar, submitted by the applicant.
- Please insert the Korean scholar’s signature
5. Two letters of reference
- Head of the applicant’s institution (university president, dean, department chair, institute director)
- An individual capable of evaluation the applicant's research proposal (expert or professor of applicant's country of residence)
6. Copy of the most recently obtained academic degree
7. Evidence of current employment (official letter or certificate)
Obligations of Fellows
Applicants┋Type A
All fellows are required to submit a final report on their research (in accordance with the KF’s standard report form) two weeks before the end of the fellowship period.
Doctoral candidate (Type A) fellows must make efforts to submit their doctoral dissertation and obtain their doctorate within two years after the end of the fellowship period. Upon acquiring their doctorate, they must submit their doctoral dissertation to the KF.
Applicants┋Type B
Faculty member (Type B) fellows are encouraged to publish an article in an A&HCI/SSCI/SCOPUS journal or an academic journal registered with their respective country’s ministry of education within two years after the end of the fellowship period, or publish a book within three years after the end of the fellowship period. Any such published articles or books must be submitted to the KF.
Please note: The Korea Foundation will monitor fellows’ research progress by requesting annual updates on their academic achievements for three years following the conclusion of the fellowship period. Fellows who do not fulfill their responsibilities may be ineligible for future support from the Korea Foundation.
How to Apply
All applications must be submitted via the KF Online Application Portal
Important Reminders on Fellowship
1. Applicants must be able to conduct their research in Korean or English.
2. For Korean nationals, only those who have acquired citizenship or permanent residency status in a country outside Korea are eligible to apply.
3. One PDF file may be uploaded per attachment category.
4. Only scanned files (in PDF format) are valid. Image files will not be accepted as part of an application.
5. The application form and all documents must be submitted in English or Korean. If documents are submitted in other languages, please submit both the original file and a verbatim translation.
6. Individuals in the following circumstances are ineligible for consideration:
- Those who currently study or conduct research in Korea
- Those who received support through the KF Field Research Fellowship program or research grants for field research from other Korean public organizations within the past three years
7. The fellowship period approved by the KF’s review committee may differ from applicants’ proposed schedule.
8. Accommodations and research facilities should be arranged by the fellows in cooperation with their affiliated research institute.
(Please note: The KF does not provide any accommodation.)
9. Applicants must have an affiliate scholar and host institution in Korea.
(Please note: The KF does not provide any recommendations or information regarding Korean scholars.)
10. During the fellowship period, fellows may not receive concurrent support from other organizations in Korea. Should it become known that a fellow is receiving concurrent support, the Korea Foundation’s support will be cancelled immediately.
11. Letters of reference: The link where one can download the reference form and upload the completed form will be sent to referees when the applicant presses the sending button.
12. All personal information contained in the application form will only be used for the program’s purposes. By submitting your application you agree to the collection of your personal information by the KF.
13. The notification date of the results is subject to change without prior notice.
Further Inquiries
KF Help Desk
E-mail: tech-support@kf.or.kr
For questions regarding the online application system or any system errors, please select ‘Help Desk’ from the top menu on the KF Online Application Portal or contact tech-support@kf.or.kr.
Program Inquiries: fellow@kf.or.kr
Please note: We do not answer questions via phone. Please read the instructions and attached FAQ carefully before applying.
