KAUST Discovery Scholarship

The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is being built in Saudi Arabia as an international, graduate-level research university. The KAUST Discovery Scholarship is offered to highly talented undergraduate students from around the world who represent future leaders in science, engineering and technology. Scholarship recipients will enter KAUST as graduate-level students in Fall 2009 and Fall 2010.  Scholarship benefits include:

• Full tuition to complete degree at current institution
• A monthly living stipend
• An allowance to purchase textbooks
• An allowance to purchase a laptop computer
• All travel costs associated with participation in KAUST-sponsored student development activities
• Access to the KAUST on-line academic community

Upon the completion of the first university degree program, students will receive:

• Admittance into a master’s degree program at the KAUST campus in Saudi Arabia
• Full scholarship at KAUST, including tuition, healthcare, housing and travel costs
  

Visit the KAUST website: http://kaust.edu.sa/

Eligibility

To qualify for a KAUST Discovery Scholarship, a student must meet the following criteria:

• Have obtained a minimum 3.0 GPA overall and a 3.3 GPA in Major or Course of Study.
• Be currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in a field of study that is related to the overall KAUST mission (science, mathematics, environmental science, computer science, engineering, etc.).
• Be able to provide an official Undergraduate University transcript documenting coursework taken and highest academic achievement.
• Have completed 80 credit hours, or equivalent, of course work by the end of 2008.
• Demonstrate academic and research interest and/or leadership potential that can be documented in your Statement of Purpose on the application.
• Be able and willing to matriculate at KAUST in Saudi Arabia September 2009 or September 2010.
• Be able to travel outside your home country to attend KAUST-sponsored enrichment activities.

Application Process

Eligible students must submit the online application: https://apply.embark.com/kaust/discovery/69/ .
There are four components to the KAUST Discovery Scholarship application:

1. Online application with essays
2. Three letters of recommendation
3. Official University Transcript

Selection

KAUST has developed a fair, consistent and transparent selection process for the KAUST Discovery Scholarship.  Applicants will be evaluated by the following selection criteria:

• Academic achievement
• First university or bachelor’s field of study
• Commitment to KAUST goals
• Statement of Purpose
• Demonstrated leadership abilities
• Involvement in related extracurricular activities
• Commitment to matriculate at KAUST upon graduation
• Interview with KAUST representatives or faculty (for finalists only)

 Selection Process:

• Applications are reviewed for minimum eligibility.
• Eligible applicants are reviewed by independent regional selections panels composed of international education experts and premier global research faculty from around the world.
• Applications of the highest merit are forwarded for review by a global review panel.
• Finalists from the global review panel are interviewed by KAUST prior to final selection as scholarship recipients.

UNC-Chapel Hill has been invited by KAUST to nominate outstanding students for the Discovery Scholarship. Contact Dr. Greg Gangi (ggangi@email.unc.edu) for more information about the UNC-KAUST Scholarship Nomination process.

Deadlines

The Discovery Application closes May 11, 11:59 pm UTC/GMT -6 hours
All application documents, including academic transcripts and letters of recommendation, must be received by the KAUST Scholarships office by May 11, 2008 or earlier.
For further information please email: scholarships@kaust.edu.sa .