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January 3, 2025
2025 Scholarships Now Open
Our 14th annual scholarship essay contest for the 2025 – 2026 academic year is now open. As we did last year, we will be awarding four $4,000 scholarships to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities. The “Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship” is dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences. The Robert A. Heinlein, Dr. Yoji Kondo, and Dr. Jerry Pournelle scholarships may be awarded to a candidate of any gender. Winners will be announced on July 7, 2025.
Note: We do not accept incoming freshmen for the scholarship. Applicants must be entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year.
To apply, download and fill out the PDF application below and email to .
THS-Scholarship-Application-Form-2025.pdf
Deadline for scholarship applications is 11:59 p.m. PDT, April 1, 2025.
Refer to criteria below for eligibility requirements.
If you have any questions about the application, please email .
Purpose: To provide scholarship to 4 deserving full time students attending a four-year college.
Award Components: Four(4) $4,000 scholarships awarded to students selected by the Heinlein Society Scholarship Committee.
Eligibility Requirements
1. 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.
2. Major must be Engineering, Math, or Physical or Biological Sciences.
3. Open to residents of any country.
4. Previous applicants, including winners, may enter again, but must write on a different topic than their previous entry.
5. Candidates cannot have previously been awarded a bachelor’s degree in any subject.
Application Process
Applicant must submit the following items:
1. Completed application form, which includes items 2 & 3.
2. A brief explanation of career goals and biographical (background) information.
3. A 500 – 1,000 word essay on one of the following subjects:
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?
Deadline for the application is 11:59 p.m. PDT, April 1, 2025. Applications emailed after this date/time will not be considered.
Please email completed application PDF to:
July 7, 2024
Our Scholarship Winners For 2024
We had a major change to our scholarship program this year –incoming freshmen are no longer eligible. This resulted in a substantial reduction in the number of applications we received, from 744 last year to 235 this year. A much more manageable workload for our committee, though it didn’t make it any easier to select our 4 winners. There were 40 international applicants, including 4 who had multiple citizenship. There were applicants from 28 different countries, from Angola to Vietnam.
As always, we had far more female than male applicants. There were 174 female, 47 male, 2 non-binary and 12 who made no selection or declined to state. Ethnically our numbers were: 95 White, 42 Black, 32 Asian, 25 Hispanic, 4 Middle Eastern, 2 Pacific Islander, 14 multi-racial and 21 who made no entry. Applicants who supplied their age ranged from 17 to 36 years old.
Even with fewer applicants, making the top ten was not easy. In fact, we had a tie for tenth place, so there were eleven finalists this year. Here are our four winners:
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.
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.
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.
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”.
Our other top finalists are:
- Pearl Bless Afegenui
- Seohyun Kim
- Pinyu Liao
- Bella Ott
- Hiba Ouadii
- Elizabeth Rusnak
- Jasmine Wongphatarakul
We wish our winners, and indeed all of the applicants, great success in their academic pursuits and in their future careers. We have no doubt that they will use their knowledge as a springboard to Pay It Forward.
January 16, 2024
2024 Scholarships Now Open
Our 13th annual scholarship essay contest for the 2024 – 2025 academic year is now open. As we did last year, we will be awarding four $4,000 scholarships to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities. The “Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship” is dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences. The Robert A. Heinlein, Dr. Yoji Kondo, and Dr. Jerry Pournelle scholarships may be awarded to a candidate of any gender. Winners will be announced on July 7, 2024.
There is one important change from last year’s scholarships. We are no longer accepting incoming freshmen for the scholarship. Applicants must be entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year.
To apply, download and fill out the PDF application below and email to .
https://www.heinleinsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/THS-Scholarship-Application-Form-2024.pdf
Deadline for scholarship applications is 11:59 p.m. PDT, April 1, 2024.
Refer to criteria below for eligibility requirements.
If you have any questions about the application, please email .
Purpose: To provide scholarship to 4 deserving full time students attending a four-year college.
Award Components: Four(4) $4,000 scholarships awarded to students selected by the Heinlein Society Scholarship Committee.
Eligibility Requirements
1. Applicant must plan to attend an accredited college that awards Bachelor of Science degrees as a full-time undergraduate student for the 2024 – 2025 academic year as a sophomore, junior, or senior.
2. Major must be Engineering, Math, or Physical or Biological Sciences.
3. Open to residents of any country.
4. Previous applicants, including winners, may enter again, but must write on a different topic than their previous entry.
5. Candidates cannot have previously been awarded a bachelor’s degree in any subject.
Application Process
Applicant must submit the following items:
1. Completed application form, which includes items 2 & 3.
2. A brief explanation of career goals and biographical (background) information.
3. A 500 – 1,000 word essay on one of the following subjects:
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?
Deadline for the application is 11:59 p.m. PDT, April 1, 2024. Applications emailed after this date/time will not be considered.
Please email completed application PDF to:
January 7, 2024
2024 Scholarship Application Delayed
We are running slightly late this year with getting our application form updated. It should be online within the next week.
Note: There is one significant change to this year’s scholarships. We are no longer accepting incoming freshmen for the scholarship. Applicants must be entering their sophomore, junior, or senior year.
July 7, 2023
Announcing our 2023 Scholarship Winners
The growth of our scholarship program continues to be astounding. This year we received 744 applications, up from 567 in 2022. Likewise, our number of international applicants increased to 84, including 15 who had multiple citizenship. The international applicants hailed from 28 different countries across the globe.
Our demographic information continues to be diverse. We still have far more female than male applicants. This year we had 552 female, 131 male, 4 non-binary and 55 who made no selection or declined to state. Ethnically our numbers were: 375 White, 87 Black, 84 Asian, 71 Hispanic, 9 Middle Eastern, 1 Native American, 1 Pacific Islander, 44 multi-racial and 70 who made no entry. Applicants who supplied their age ranged from 16 to 38 years old.
With such a large field there were many excellent applicants, so being named among our ten finalists was no mean feat. Becoming one of the four awardees was even harder. They are:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Our other top ten finalists are:
- Elisabeth Hayduk
- Ayushi Kadakia
- Liane Lee
- Anjara Mellman
- Leyat Besufekad Tesfaye
- Rachel Todromovich
We wish our winners, and indeed all of the applicants, great success in their academic pursuits and in their future careers. We have no doubt that they will use their knowledge as a springboard to Pay It Forward.
Announcing our twelfth annual scholarship essay contest for the 2023 – 2024 academic year. This year we will be awarding four $4,000 scholarships to undergraduate students of accredited 4-year colleges and universities. The “Virginia Heinlein Memorial Scholarship” is dedicated to a female candidate majoring in engineering, math, or biological or physical sciences. The Robert A. Heinlein, Dr. Yoji Kondo, and Dr. Jerry Pournelle scholarships may be awarded to a candidate of any gender. Winners will be announced on July 7, 2023.
To apply, download and fill out the PDF application below and email to .
THS 2023 Scholarship Application Form
Deadline for scholarship applications is 11:59 p.m. PDT, April 1, 2023.
Refer to criteria below for eligibility requirements.
If you have any questions about the application, please email .
Purpose: To provide scholarship to 4 deserving full time students attending a four-year college.
Award Components: Four(4) $4,000 scholarships awarded to students selected by the Heinlein Society Scholarship Committee.
Eligibility Requirements
1. Applicant must plan to attend an accredited college that awards Bachelor of Science degrees as a full-time undergraduate student for the 2023 – 2024 academic year.
2. Major must be Engineering, Math, or Physical or Biological Sciences.
3. Open to residents of any country.
4. Previous applicants, including winners, may enter again, but must write on a different topic than their previous entry.
5. Candidates cannot have previously been awarded a bachelor’s degree in any subject.
Application Process
Applicant must submit the following items:
1. Completed application form, which includes items 2 & 3.
2. A brief explanation of career goals and biographical (background) information.
3. A 500 – 1,000 word essay on one of the following subjects:
A. How Robert Heinlein influenced your career choice. What Heinlein writings would you use to illustrate how he sparked your interest in science and technology?
B. 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.
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. 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.
E. 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?
Deadline for the application is 11:59 p.m. PDT, April 1, 2023. Applications emailed after this date/time will not be considered.
Please email completed application PDF to: