Official poster for the 2026 POSTECH SF Award, a science fiction short story competition for nationwide science and engineering students. The visual features a blue planet against space with large 'SF' text overlaid. Key text details: Submission period from Nov 3, 2025, to Jan 11, 2026. Eligibility open to science and engineering undergraduates and graduates. Grand prize of 5 million KRW and three excellence prizes of 2 million KRW each. Winning works will be published. Hosted by POSTECH and organized by the Institute of Communication and Public Discourse.

[STEM Only] Calling All STEM Students! Write a Sci-Fi Story & Get Published

โ€ข

Heon Maximus
Q: What is this contest about? Is it a research paper?

A: No, it is NOT a research paper! ๐Ÿ™…โ€โ™‚๏ธ

  • This is a Creative Writing Contest for Science Fiction (SF) stories. – For STEM Students Only!
  • You need to write a short story (fiction) based on your scientific imagination.
  • Themes: Anything related to science or technology (e.g., AI, Space, Biotechnology, Robots, Time Travel, etc.).
  • Itโ€™s your chance to turn your engineering knowledge into a cool story!
Q: What are the benefits for winners?

A:

  • 1. Cash Prize: The Grand Prize winner receives 5,000,000 KRW.
  • 2. Publication: The winning stories will be compiled and published in an Anthology (Short Story Collection) titled <The 6th POSTECH SF Award Collection> by ‘์€ํ–‰๋‚˜๋ฌด’, one of Korea’s most prestigious publishing houses..

Admin’s Verification Check

(Verified via Phone/Email by Admin)

  • International Students Participation: โœ… ALLOWED (Confirmed!)
  • Major Requirement: โš ๏ธ STEM Students ONLY (Science & Engineering majors).
    • Undergraduates & Graduate students are both welcome.
    • Graduate students who completed coursework (์ˆ˜๋ฃŒ์ƒ) are also allowed!
  • Language:
    • Korean (Submission must be in Korean).
    • Don’t speak perfect Korean? No problem! Using AI tools for translation is a smart strategy. ๐Ÿค–โœจ
    • However, since this is a story, flow and nuance matter. We highly recommend asking a Korean friend to proofread your AI-translated draft before submitting.

Official poster for the 2026 POSTECH SF Award, a science fiction short story competition for nationwide science and engineering students. The visual features a blue planet against space with large 'SF' text overlaid. Key text details: Submission period from Nov 3, 2025, to Jan 11, 2026. Eligibility open to science and engineering undergraduates and graduates. Grand prize of 5 million KRW and three excellence prizes of 2 million KRW each. Winning works will be published. Hosted by POSTECH and organized by the Institute of Communication and Public Discourse.

“Are you an engineer with a writer’s soul?” The deadline is approaching! POSTECH is calling for the best Sci-Fi short stories from STEM students. The winning works will not only receive cash prizes but will also be published as a real book by ‘Eunhaengnamu’ (์€ํ–‰๋‚˜๋ฌด), a major publisher in Korea.

1. ๐Ÿ† Prize & Benefits

  • Grand Prize (1 person): 5,000,000 KRW ๐Ÿ’ฐ
  • Excellence Prize (3 people): 2,000,000 KRW each
  • Publication: Winners’ stories will be published in the collection book <The 6th POSTECH SF Award Collection>.
  • Ceremony: Winners MUST attend the ceremony in late February 2026.

2. ๐Ÿ“… Timeline (Urgent!)

  • Application Deadline: ~ January 11, 2026 (Sunday) Midnight
  • Winner Announcement: February 2026

3. โœ๏ธ Submission Details

  • Genre: SF Short Story (Science Fiction).
  • Limit: You can submit up to 2 stories per person.
  • Length: 80~150 pages of 200-character manuscript paper.
    • (Approx. 8~15 pages in A4 size).
  • Eligibility:
    • Current STEM Undergrads/Grads nationwide.
    • Double majors in STEM: OK / Minor in STEM: NO.
    • Previous winners of this specific contest cannot apply.

4. ๐Ÿ“ Required Documents (Check Carefully!)

You must submit the Manuscript, Cover Sheet, and Documents via Email.

  1. Application Cover Sheet (์‘๋ชจ์ž‘ ํ‘œ์ง€): Download from official site or below.
  2. Consent Form: Download from official site or below.
  3. Proof of Status:
    • Undergrad/Grad Student: Certificate of Enrollment (์žฌํ•™/ํœดํ•™์ฆ๋ช…์„œ).
    • Coursework Completed (์ˆ˜๋ฃŒ์ƒ): Certificate of Completion (์ˆ˜๋ฃŒ์ฆ๋ช…์„œ) AND Tuition Receipt (๋“ฑ๋ก๊ธˆ ๋‚ฉ์ž…์˜์ˆ˜์ฆ) to prove you are currently affiliated.

5. ๐Ÿ“ฎ How to Apply

  • Email: postech-icp@postech.ac.kr
  • Subject Line: <POSTECH SF AWARD ์‘๋ชจ์ž‘ํ’ˆ>
  • File Format: PDF, HWP, or Word.
  • DO NOT forget to attach all the required documents above!

๐Ÿ“‚ Download the required documents

Application_Forms_PackageDownload

Source: POSTECH Communication Team (Official Page)

Q: What is a .hwp file? I can’t open the application form! ๐Ÿคฏ

A: Don’t panic! .hwp (Hangul Word Processor) is the standard document format in Korea, similar to MS Word.

You DO NOT need to buy or install any software.

How to edit it for free:

  1. Go to [Hancom Docs] (www.hancomdocs.com) – The official cloud service.
  2. Sign up for free (Google login available).
  3. Upload the .hwp file you downloaded from us. (the button says “๋ฌธ์„œ ์—…๋กœ๋“œ”!)
  4. Edit the form directly in your web browser.
  5. When finished, click Download or Download as PDF
Q: Can we participate as a team?

A: Unfortunately, no. This contest is strictly for individual applicants only. You cannot co-write a story with a friend.

Q: My Korean isn’t fluent. Can I still apply?

A: Yes! While the final submission must be in Korean, we highly recommend using AI translation tools (like DeepL or ChatGPT). Write your story in your native language first, translate it, and simply ask a Korean friend to proofread the flow.

This contest judges your ‘Scientific Imagination’ more than your grammar. Don’t let language stop you.

Use technology to bridge the gap!

Q: I’m not a STEM major. Is there absolutely no way for me to join? ๐Ÿ˜ข

A:

The bad news: If your sole major is Humanities, Arts, or Social Sciences, you cannot apply. This contest is strictly for science/engineering students.

The GOOD news: If you have a Double Major (๋ณต์ˆ˜์ „๊ณต) in a STEM field, you CAN apply! ๐ŸŽ‰

(Note: A Minor (๋ถ€์ „๊ณต) in STEM is NOT accepted. Only a Double Major counts.)

Not a STEM student? Don’t worry! We will post other contests open to all majors soon. Keep checking our [Contests] board!

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