Research Fellowships in Korea for ABD and Coursework-Completed Students
“ABD” and “coursework completed” do not describe one universal status. One fellowship accepts doctoral ABD applicants, another accepts master’s coursework completion but explicitly rejects doctoral ABD, and another accepts coursework-completed students but not graduates. These are non-degree research or training programmes, not automatic tuition funding for a Korean degree.
4 programmes from the published database. Application status as of 2026-10-22 (KST); source review dates are recorded individually. Past calls remain labeled by their year and deadline. A policy without dates is not treated as an open call.
Research fellowships
Research qualifications and overseas affiliation requirements differ from degree-entry scholarships.
Government scholarshipResearch;PostdoctoralResearch fellowship
AKS Fellowship for Korean Studies
Academy of Korean Studies
KRW 2,000,000 per month; one economy round-trip airfare within the budget cap, except for residents in Korea; up to 50% off AKS guesthouse fees.
Overseas-affiliated Korean-studies researchers in humanities or social sciences with a PhD or completed doctoral coursework (ABD). Korean nationals need foreign permanent residency. AKS fellowship recipients within the previous three years are excluded. ABD applicants need a supervisor recommendation. Documents must be in Korean or English, or have notarized translations.
Apply online through the AKS fellowship notice with the application, CV and affiliation/enrollment proof. ABD applicants also submit coursework-completion proof; the supervisor emails a recommendation. The 2027 call closed July 16, 2026 at 17:00 KST.
Research in Korea for 2–6 months during 2027. No concurrent fellowship. Present at the overseas Korean-studies colloquium and submit research results before the stay ends; acknowledge AKS and submit two copies when publishing.
Government scholarshipResearch;PhD;PostdoctoralResearch fellowship
KF Fellowship for Field Research
The Korea Foundation
Monthly stipend: KRW 2,300,000 for doctoral candidates or KRW 3,000,000 for eligible faculty/PhD professionals. Entry allowance and travel insurance; airfare only for qualifying lower-income countries of residence.
Overseas-affiliated researchers studying Korea-related humanities, social sciences or relevant emerging topics. Type A: doctoral coursework completed and dissertation in progress. Type B: full-time lecturer or higher, or PhD holder active in research/professional work. Foreign citizenship or permanent residency outside Korea is required; Korean nationals must have obtained it by August 2026. Secure a Korean affiliate scholar and host institution before applying. Excludes continuous extension of prior study/research in Korea, Korean-public-institution field-research funding in the preceding three years, concurrent Korean institutional funding and regular degree/language-study applicants. No parental citizenship requirement is stated.
Apply online through KF by October 14, 2026 at 18:00 KST. Referees submit two letters by October 19 at 18:00. Upload nationality/residency proof, CV, research proposal, signed Korean cooperative-research proposal and degree/employment documents; doctoral candidates also need coursework completion and transcripts. Research and documents must be Korean or English, with translations where needed. Accommodation is not provided. Entry allowance: KRW 500,000 for doctoral candidates, KRW 1,000,000 for PhD holders or KRW 1,500,000 for tenured associate/full professors; only the highest applicable amount is paid. Economy return airfare is restricted to residence in eligible DAC least-developed, low-income or lower-middle-income countries; upper-middle-income countries are excluded.
Field research in Korea for 1–6 months during 2027, starting by November 30. Submit the final report two weeks before completion. Doctoral candidates should obtain their degree within two years and send the dissertation to KF. Faculty fellows are encouraged to publish an article within two years or a book within three. Acknowledge KF and report progress annually for three years. Concurrent support from Korean institutions is prohibited.
Government scholarshipMaster;PhD;ResearchResearch fellowship
AKS Graduate Fellowship
The Academy of Korean Studies · Graduate School of Korean Studies
KRW 750,000 per month for six months; free on-campus dormitory and Korean language courses. Economy return airfare reimbursed at actual cost within the city ceiling, capped at KRW 2,088,000 per person.
As of September 1, 2026: enrolled in a master’s or doctoral programme at an overseas university, or master’s coursework completed with dissertation pending. Doctoral ABD applicants are ineligible. Research must concern Korea/Korean studies. Foreign nationals qualify; Korean nationals must have completed all equivalent primary, secondary and university education outside Korea. Previous AKS Graduate Fellows cannot reapply. Korean proficiency is preferred; no minimum TOPIK/English score is stated. No parental-nationality requirement is stated. This is a non-degree research visit in Korea, not tuition support for enrollment in a Korean degree.
The 2026 call is closed: online application April 27, 2026, 10:00–May 8, 17:00 KST through gradaks.recruiter.co.kr. Name an AKS academic advisor. Upload application, personal statement, research plan, degree/enrollment/coursework certificates, transcripts, passport and photo; valid language certificates are optional. The home-university advisor must email a recommendation from their own account within the same application period. Documents must be Korean or English, or accompanied by notarized translations. Selected fellows submit original documents by post. Up to five fellows; no selection if none qualifies. Insurance is advised at the fellow’s own cost. Final report minimum: 16,000 Korean characters or 5,000 English words, excluding bibliography. Obtain prior approval for exceptional overseas conference travel, acknowledge AKS in publications and provide return-ticket details. No later call dates are announced here.
September 1, 2026–February 28, 2027; no extension. Select an AKS advisor and complete at least one advisor-taught course or independent study with a successful grade. Present findings, submit a final thesis/report and proof of stay in Korea; complete obligations at least two weeks before departure. Academic-status proof was due September 21. Paid work and registration at another Korean institution are prohibited. Delayed arrival, early departure or time abroad reduces the stipend by KRW 25,000 per day. Airfare is paid after completing obligations; certain cases receive one-way fares only. Unsuccessful courses or missing reports/presentations can remove airfare; false information or non-compliance can revoke support and require repayment.
Government scholarshipUndergraduate;Master;PhDResearch fellowship
AKS Hanmun (Classical Chinese) Fellowship · Advanced Course
The Academy of Korean Studies
KRW 750,000 per month; economy round-trip airfare; free AKS guesthouse; accident insurance.
Non-Korean undergraduate, master’s or doctoral students majoring in Korean studies at an overseas university. Coursework-completed students may apply; graduates may not. Prior basic Hanmun coursework and advanced Korean proficiency are required. This is non-degree language and research training at AKS in Korea, not admission to a Korean degree. No numeric TOPIK minimum or parental-nationality requirement is stated.
The 2026 advanced-course re-announcement is closed: online applications March 24–April 13, 2026 through the AKS website. Submit the application, enrollment or coursework-completion certificate, an academic-advisor recommendation explaining the need for Hanmun, and prior Hanmun course proof or an AKS Hanmun completion certificate. Include a TOPIK report if previously taken. Documents must be Korean or English, or accompanied by notarized translations. Shortlisted applicants interview individually; the announced interview period was April 21–30. The notice does not announce a 2027 application window.
One 2026 training session, September 1–December 18, at AKS. Submit a final report at least 15 days before the session ends. Concurrent financial support from another institution cannot be received. A later session requires its own published call; no automatic renewal is stated.
Does ABD mean the same thing for every fellowship?
No. Check the degree level and documentary proof. E054 accepts master’s coursework completion with a pending dissertation but explicitly excludes doctoral ABD.
Will these fellowships pay my Korean degree tuition?
No such assumption is made. The listed records are non-degree research or training support, with their own stipends, duration and host requirements.