The Heinlein Society has opened its fourteenth annual scholarship essay contest for the 2025 – 2026 academic year.

Four $4,000 scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities —

• Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship — Dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.
• The Robert A. Heinlein Scholarship, Yoji Kondo Scholarship and Jerry Pournelle Scholarship — May be awarded to a candidate of any gender.

Applicant must plan to attend an accredited college that awards Bachelor of Science degrees as a full-time undergraduate student for the 2025 – 2026 academic year as a sophomore, junior, or senior.

The scholarships are open to residents of any country. The person’s major must be Engineering, Math, or Physical or Biological Sciences.

Applicants will need to submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several available topics:

A. How did Robert Heinlein influence your career choice? What Heinlein writings would you use to illustrate how he sparked your interest in science and technology?
B. The expansion of social media has led to widespread placement of devices by which your movement and private conversations can be monitored. Social media has also accelerated the clustering of like-minded interests into largely non-interacting ‘tribes’—the so-called ‘metadata’ gathering. Can you find and comment on the Heinlein stories that predicted these phenomena?
C. Robert Heinlein said “The Age of Science has not yet opened.” Evaluate this statement compared to your technical field. Do you expect to see this golden age in your lifetime?
D. Heinlein is credited for inventing, or inspiring, many items we now take for granted, including waterbeds and cellphones. Using specific examples from his writings, share how his projections became realities in modern life.
E. Heinlein has been criticized periodically for his depictions of female characters. Is this a fair criticism, or merely a reflection of how society has changed in seventy years? Discuss his depiction and treatment of females, using characters from at least two different novels as examples.
F. Heinlein said, “Specialization is for Insects.” Specialists are, of course, necessary. However, many scientific breakthroughs have been the result of collaborative efforts. How might some knowledge of other disciplines benefit you in your chosen field?

Previous applicants, including winners, may enter again, but must write on a different topic than their previous entry.

Candidates cannot have previously been awarded a bachelor’s degree in any subject.

The deadline to apply is April 1. Full guidelines and the application form are on the Society’s website. The winners will be announced on July 7, 2024.

The Heinlein Society celebrated Robert A. Heinlein’s 117th birthday today by announcing the winners of its 2024 Scholarship competition. The $4,000 scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities.

ROBERT A. HEINLEIN SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.

• Gabriel Black – Gabriel is our Robert A. Heinlein Scholarship recipient. He is majoring in Biochemistry at Western Washington University with a minor in Astronomy and will start his junior year in the fall. He also works in the undergraduate chemistry research lab at the school and plans to pursue a PhD in Astrobiology. He is a member of the National Honors Society and served as treasurer of his local chapter while tutoring elementary and middle school students.

DR. YOJI KONDO SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences, and add “Science Fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study.

• Elizabeth Bradshaw – Elizabeth is this year’s Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship winner. In the fall she will begin her junior year at Purdue University, majoring in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. She earned a Girl Scout Gold Award by authoring the book “Your Place in Space: A Career Guide for Girls” based on interviews she did with women working in Aerospace. She donated the books to local schools and libraries. She attended Space Camp in middle school and hopes to make her way back to Mission Control after completing her degree.

VIRGINIA HEINLEIN SCHOLARSHIP

Dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.

• Maya Krolik – Maya wins this year’s Virginia “Ginny” Heinlein Scholarship. In the upcoming academic year she will be a sophomore at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, majoring in Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making. In middle school she competed on her school’s Science Olympiad Team and in high school served as team captain and programming lead for the First Tech Challenge competition. She is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and is currently performing research on creating new chemical molecules using AI.

DR. JERRY POURNELLE SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences, and add “Science Fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study.

• Luxanna Sands – Luxanna is the winner of the Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship for this year. She begins her junior year at William Jewell College in the fall, majoring in Physics. She plans to also study Aerospace Engineering as part of her college’s dual program and to pursue her master’s after completing her bachelor’s degree. She performs community service through food drives at her local church. She has stated that “Physics isn’t just what I study, it’s my life”.

The Heinlein Society made a major change to their scholarship program this year – incoming freshmen are no longer eligible. As a result, the number of applications received dropped from 744 last year to 235 this year. There were 40 international applicants, including 4 who had multiple citizenship. There were applicants from 28 different countries, from Angola to Vietnam.

There were eleven finalists this year. The other seven are:

• Pearl Bless Afegenui
• Seohyun Kim
• Pinyu Liao
• Bella Ott
• Hiba Ouadii
• Elizabeth Rusnak
• Jasmine Wongphatarakul

The Heinlein Society has opened its thirteenth annual scholarship essay contest for the 2024 – 2025 academic year.

Four $4,000 scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities —

• Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship — Dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.
• The Robert A. Heinlein Scholarship, Yoji Kondo Scholarship and Jerry Pournelle Scholarship — May be awarded to a candidate of any gender.

There is one important change from last year — they are no longer accepting incoming freshmen for the scholarships. Applicants must be entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year.

The scholarships are open to residents of any country. The person’s major must be Engineering, Math, or Physical or Biological Sciences. Applicants will need to submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several available topics:

A. How did Robert Heinlein influence your career choice? What Heinlein writings would you use to illustrate how he sparked your interest in science and technology?
B. The expansion of social media has led to widespread placement of devices by which your movement and private conversations can be monitored. Social media has also accelerated the clustering of like-minded interests into largely non-interacting ‘tribes’—the so-called ‘metadata’ gathering. Can you find and comment on the Heinlein stories that predicted these phenomena?
C. Robert Heinlein said “The Age of Science has not yet opened.” Evaluate this statement compared to your technical field. Do you expect to see this golden age in your lifetime?
D. Heinlein is credited for inventing, or inspiring, many items we now take for granted, including waterbeds and cellphones. Using specific examples from his writings, share how his projections became realities in modern life.
E. Heinlein has been criticized periodically for his depictions of female characters. Is this a fair criticism, or merely a reflection of how society has changed in seventy years? Discuss his depiction and treatment of females, using characters from at least two different novels as examples.
F. Heinlein said, “Specialization is for Insects.” Specialists are, of course, necessary. However, many scientific breakthroughs have been the result of collabrative efforts. How might some knowledge of other disciplines benefit you in your chosen field?

The deadline to apply is April 1. Full guidelines and the application form are on the Society’s website. The winners will be announced on July 7, 2024.

Previous applicants, including winners, may enter again, but must write on a different topic than their previous entry.

The Heinlein Society celebrated Robert A. Heinlein’s 116th birthday today by announcing the winners of its 2023 Scholarship competition. The $4,000 scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities.

VIRGINIA HEINLEIN SCHOLARSHIP

Dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.

• Nine Reed-Mera – Nine is this year’s Virginia “Ginny” Heinlein Scholarship recipient. She has a double major of Biological Sciences and Written Arts, entering her Senior year at Bard College. Nine began college at age 16 and has maintained a 4.0 GPA. She has received numerous scholastic awards, including a Nation Silver Medal. She was awarded a Mellon Foundation grant to study extremophiles.

ROBERT A. HEINLEIN SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.

• Rhiannon Red Bird – Rhiannon is the winner of this year’s Robert A. Heinlein Scholarship. In the fall she will begin her senior year at California Polytechnic State University – Humbolt. She is majoring in Cellular and Molecular Biology with a Chemistry Minor. After completing her undergraduate degree, Rhiannon hopes to spend time in a research lab and eventually pursue a postgraduate degree in Veterinary or Human Medicine.

DR. YOJI KONDO SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences, and add “Science Fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study.

• Kenji Sakaie – Kenji is the Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship winner. He is an incoming Freshman at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Kenji is interested in working in the aerospace or naval architecture industries, working toward a goal of providing safe, affordable and sustainable housing through the prefabricated building industry.

DR. JERRY POURNELLE SCHOLARSHIP

Awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences, and add “Science Fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study.

• Victoria Woods – Victoria wins this year’s Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship. In the upcoming academic year she will be a Sophomore at Trinity College Dublin, majoring in Geography and Geoscience. Last summer, Victoria interned studying the detection limits of hyperspectral sensors and is doing ongoing research in gamma ray spectrometry. She is active in her college’s Environmental Society and International Students Club.

The Heinlein Society received 744 applications this year, up from 567 in 2022. The number of international applicants increased to 84, including 15 who had multiple citizenship. The international applicants hailed from 28 different countries across the globe.

In addition to the winners, the names of six top finalists were announced:

• Elisabeth Hayduk
• Ayushi Kadakia
• Liane Lee
• Anjara Mellman
• Leyat Besufekad Tesfaye
• Rachel Todromovich

The Heinlein Society has opened its twelfth annual scholarship essay contest for the 2023-2024 academic year. Four $4,000 scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities —

• Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship — Dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.
• The Robert A. Heinlein Scholarship, Yoji Kondo Scholarship and Jerry Pournelle Scholarship — May be awarded to a candidate of any gender.

The scholarships are open to residents of any country. The person’s major must be Engineering, Math, or Physical or Biological Sciences. Applicants will need to submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several available topics:

• How Robert Heinlein influenced your career choice. What Heinlein writings would you use to illustrate how he sparked your interest in science and technology?
• Biologist J.B.S. Haldane once wrote “I have no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly more surprising than anything I can imagine. Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.” Find, discuss, and comment on one episode in your STEM field in the past 50 years that you find surprising.
• Robert Heinlein said “The Age of Science has not yet opened.” Evaluate this statement compared to your technical field. Do you expect to see this golden age in your lifetime?
• What are the structural, procedural, and operational limitations of computer simulations of which a practitioner or user must be acutely aware? Discuss with respect to your career field.
  • How might advances in your chosen field of study affect how people live 50 years from now? What changes, good and bad, might society see?

The deadline to apply is April 1. Full guidelines and the application form are on the Society’s website. Winners will be announced on July 7, 2023.

Previous scholarship winners who will still be attending college in the 2023-2024 academic year as undergraduates are eligible to apply again, but they must choose a different essay topic than previously.

The Heinlein Society celebrated Robert A. Heinlein’s 115th birthday today by announcing the winners of its 2022 Scholarship competition. Expanded to four this year, the $4,000 scholarships are awarded to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities.

Virginia Heinlein Scholarship

Dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.

• Sera McCarty

Sera is the winner of this year’s Virginia “Ginny” Heinlein Scholarship. She will be attending the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor as a freshman. Her major is Biomedical Engineering. Her experience with her own gymnastic injuries – and later coaching – helped steer her toward a career helping others overcome their physical limitations.

Robert A. Heinlein Scholarship

Awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.

• JiIlian SouIvie

Jillian is the first winner of the Robert A Heinlein Scholarship. She is majoring in Biology and will attend the University of Arizona as a freshman in the fall. Jillian has always wanted to work in a medical field and help other. In recent years she has focused especially on the surgical field, particularly pediatrics and trauma.

Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship

Awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences, and add “Science Fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study.

• Anna Mei Moulene

Anna is the recipient of Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship. She will be a senior at Bard College in the upcoming academic year, majoring in Chemistry. She began baking at a very young age, which helped pique her interest in Chemistry initially. After graduating next year, she plans to get a postgraduate degree and hopes to work in a research lab verifying drug safety and efficacy.

Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship

Awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences, and add “Science Fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study.

• Oliver Tan

Oliver is the Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship recipient. He will be a freshman in the fall,majoring in Mathematics with a special interest in areas like computational complexity, number theory,and combinatorics. His biggest achievement in the subject is the discovery of the shortest known supersequence. His result has been featured in The On-line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences.

The Heinlein Society commented that they were “astonished” to receive even more applications than the previous year — setting a new record of 567, including a record 53 international applicants. The international applicants are from 29 countries.

In addition to the winners, the names of six top finalists were announced:

• Gabriel Black
• Thor Gabrielson
• Ember Jones
• Kaitlyn Long
• Danielle Santoro
• Sarah Sasinowska

The Heinlein Society has opened its eleventh annual scholarship essay contest for the 2022-2023 academic year. Four $4,000 scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities —

• Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship — Dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences.
• The Robert A. Heinlein Scholarship, Yoji Kondo Scholarship and Jerry Pournelle Scholarship — May be awarded to a candidate of any gender; in addition, “Science Fiction as literature” is an eligible field of study.

The scholarships are open to residents of any country. The person’s major must be Engineering, Math, or Physical or Biological Sciences. Applicants will need to submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several available topics:

• • How Robert Heinlein influenced your career choice. What Heinlein writings would you use to illustrate how he sparked your interest in science and technology?
  • Biologist J.B.S. Haldane once wrote “I have no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly more surprising than anything I can imagine. Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.” Find, discuss, and comment on one episode in your STEM field in the past 50 years that you find surprising.
  • Robert Heinlein said “The Age of Science has not yet opened.” Evaluate this statement compared to your technical field. Do you expect to see this golden age in your lifetime?
  • What are the structural, procedural, and operational limitations of computer simulations of which a practitioner or user must be acutely aware? Discuss with respect to your career field.
  • How might advances in your chosen field of study affect how people live 50 years from now? What changes, good and bad, might society see?

The deadline to apply is April 1. Full guidelines and the application form are on the Society’s website. Winners will be announced on July 7, 2021.

Previous scholarship winners who will still be attending college in the 2022-2023 academic year as undergraduates are eligible to apply again, but they must choose a different essay topic than previously.