Dear Professor,

We would like to extend our warmest greetings and heartfelt gratitude to you in the new year of 2025! Your support of the AYS Fellowship in the past two years is the cornerstone of our mission to support young scientists in Asia, and we genuinely appreciate your integral role in this journey.

In this letter, we highlight the growth and achievements of the AYS Fellowship since its initiation. We hope this letter offers you a glimpse of the impact of your contributions.

The 2025 Selection Round is ongoing, and we look forward to your continued engagement in shaping the future of science in Asia.

Part 1 -  Growth of AYS Fellowship Nominations

Thanks to your invaluable nominations and dedicated support for young scientists, we received a significant increase in nominations from five Asian countries (China, India, Japan, Korea, and Singapore) over the previous selection rounds, highlighting the growing recognition and engagement with the AYS Fellowship from the Asian scientific community. Key milestones achieved during this period include:

Part 2 - Impact of Your Nominations: Empowering Asia's Next Generation of Scientists

Through a rigorous review process, the AYSF Committee has selected 24 exceptional young scientists in Asia over the last two years.  They represent the most creative minds with cutting-edge research in Life Science, Physical Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Each fellow is provided with a USD 100,000 unrestricted research grant in support of their research and academic endeavors.  

So far, $2,400,000 USD funding has been committed to 17 universities in Asia where the AYS fellows are employed.  With the “unrestricted funds” fellows will have the freedom to decide how the grant is to be used.  For instance, the funds can be used to purchase new experimental equipment, subsidize their own salaries, hire doctoral students or postdoctoral fellows, and pay for participation in international conferences.

We Create Showcasing Opportunities for Young Scientists in front of World-class Scientists

AYSF Annual Conference

Each year, we organize the AYSF Annual Conference and bring together twelve selected fellows of that year for a ceremonial celebration of their achievement.  The AYSF Annual Conference also created a platform for our fellows to showcase their research to senior scientists, donors, and a public audience.  In 2023 and 2024, the AYSF Annual Conference was held at the University of Hong Kong, co-organized by the Future Science Awards Foundation and the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences.

Support from world-class senior scientists

At the Annual Conference, world-class scientists actively engaged in meaningful exchanges and hosted workshops with our fellows on topics such as “Me and My Scientific Journey” and “Scientific Management” to empower and inspire our AYS Fellows with their wisdom and experiences.

Strengthening Our Network in Asia – Moving into Singapore

Following the 2024 Annual Conference, AYSF hosted its inaugural Future Science Forum - From Scientific Innovation to Future Technologies at the National University of Singapore (NUS). This milestone event in Singapore welcomed nominators and nominees from the region.

Online Academic Exchange Platform - AYS Webinar

In 2024, the AYS Webinar series, "The Biggest Question for My Science," was launched to deepen understanding of the fundamental questions driving scientific discovery. Open to students, junior researchers, and young faculty across Asia.  The webinar platform allows direct interaction with our AYS fellows and leading scientists in various fields.

Exciting Opportunities Ahead in 2025 

  • The 2025 AYSF Annual Conference in Hong Kong this October.

  • Online and offline seminars on diverse disciplines and interdisciplinary topics——The AYS Webinar “The Biggest Question for My Science”

  • Themed industry-academia-research exchanges and events in Shanghai and Singapore. 

2025 AYSF Selection Round

A single spark can start a prairie fire, and we sincerely appreciate all the small contributions from our nominators behind these achievements. Each nomination is a step toward greater exposure and recognition for young scientists in Asia.

 The 2025 nomination period is gearing up. A nomination invitation letter has been sent out to our nominators. We sincerely look forward to your continued nomination in this upcoming selection round.

 For further inquiries on this year’s nomination, or if you have any interest in recommending additional nominators, please contact our Program Coordinator, Ms. Wennie Wen at wennie@aysfellowship.org. 

Once again, thank you for your time and support of AYSF’s mission to encourage and support young scientists in Asia to carry out creative and transformative research. We wish you all the best in your endeavors, both personally and professionally.

 

Best regards,

Asian Young Scientist Fellowship Office