Women in STEM Scholarships and Support Programs for ASEAN Students Studying Abroad

Why dedicated programs exist

Women remain a minority in STEM postgraduate study and research careers in most countries, and international funders built specific programs to close that gap rather than waiting for general scholarships to fix it. For ASEAN students, this matters because several of these programs explicitly prioritize applicants from developing and emerging economies, which puts most ASEAN countries in scope by default.

Most of these awards target graduate level study (PhD or postdoctoral research) rather than undergraduate degrees, and most require you to already hold a STEM degree or be enrolled in one. Read eligibility carefully before you build an application around any single program.

Programs to know

L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science

This is the best known global program supporting women in science. Its flagship International Awards recognize five eminent women scientists a year, one per world region, for established research contributions in life sciences or physical sciences, mathematics and computer science, according to the program's own site, unesco.org . That award targets senior researchers, not students.

Alongside it, the L'Oreal Foundation and UNESCO run national and regional For Women in Science fellowships in many countries for women completing a PhD or postdoctoral research in STEM. Coverage and terms differ by country and are managed by the local L'Oreal Foundation office or national UNESCO commission, so check whether your country runs a cycle and what the current terms are on forwomeninscience.com before assuming eligibility.

Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future

This fellowship funds women from developing and emerging economies pursuing PhD or postdoctoral study in the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics or computer science at top universities abroad. The foundation describes fellows as joining a connected global network working toward sustainability goals, and selection weighs academic ability, leadership potential and a track record of STEM outreach in your home community, according to facultyforthefuture.net . Current fellows come from around 95 countries, so ASEAN applicants are well within scope. Full eligibility, current amounts and the application window are published on the foundation's applications page.

AAUW International Fellowships

The American Association of University Women runs a long-standing fellowship for international women pursuing full-time graduate or postgraduate study in the United States, open to a wide range of fields including STEM. It is one of the older international fellowship programs still running and has funded thousands of women across decades. Confirm current cycle dates, funding levels and field-specific requirements on aauw.org before you apply, since terms are set annually.

Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship

Named after the aviator, this fellowship funds women pursuing a PhD in aerospace-related sciences or aerospace-related engineering anywhere in the world. It is narrower in field scope than the other programs on this list but has funded women from across Asia. Application details and current terms are on zonta.org .

University-level women in STEM offices

Separate from named fellowships, most large universities in Australia, the UK, the USA, Japan and Singapore run a women in engineering or women in computer science office that manages scholarships, mentoring circles and research placements specifically for women in those departments. These are often easier to access than global fellowships because they are smaller and less competitive. Search your shortlisted university's engineering or computer science faculty site for a women in STEM or diversity in STEM page, or ask the admissions office directly whether one exists.

Company-run programs

Technology companies including Google and Microsoft have historically run scholarship and mentoring programs aimed at women studying computer science, typically bundling a monetary award with a conference invitation or mentoring track. Program names and terms change more often than university fellowships, so search the company's current careers or scholarships page directly rather than relying on older program names, since some have been renamed or discontinued between cycles.

How ASEAN applicants typically qualify

• Country of origin: most of these programs favor or explicitly prioritize applicants from developing economies, which includes every ASEAN country under most funders' definitions.

• Field of study: physical sciences, life sciences, mathematics, engineering and computer science are the consistent core, check whether your specific specialization is listed.

• Academic stage: PhD and postdoctoral applicants have far more options than undergraduates, since most named fellowships start at graduate level.

• Leadership and outreach: several programs score applicants on STEM outreach or mentoring you have already done, not only grades, so document any tutoring, competitions or community STEM work on your CV before you apply.

Before you apply to any of these

Award amounts, application windows and eligibility rules are reset every cycle by each funder. Read the current official page in full rather than relying on summaries, forums or old blog posts, since terms genuinely change year to year and an outdated deadline or amount will waste your application effort.