Scholarship Applications

The scholarship application period for 2026 is now open.

Submit your documents by March 31, 2026.

Application Overview

The American Wine Society Educational Foundation (AWSEF) annually awards academic scholarships to support students pursuing an academic program in enology, viticulture, or health aspects of wine.

Eligibility (Please read carefully:  all requirements must be met)

1. Must be a full-time graduate student  

who has completed at least one semester in a graduate program leading to a M.S., Ph.D., or equivalent in enology, viticulture, or health aspects of wine, as stated above, and who expresses their intent to work in one of these areas upon completion of their graduate degree. Ph.D. students with an M.S. from another graduate program are eligible.

2. Must be a North American citizen or permanent resident

(i.e., U.S., Canada, or Mexico) who is already enrolled for their degree in a North American institution of higher learning and has completed at least one semester of coursework.

 3.  There is a three (3) scholarship limit

Previous AWSEF scholarship recipients may apply again in open competition with new applicants, but students are limited to receiving three (3) scholarships during their academic career. Students may apply every year they are eligible.

4.  March 31 deadline 

The deadline for completion of the application, submission of all transcripts, and all professor and professional recommendations is 11:59 PM EST on March 31.

Instructions on Submitting Applications

The application has three parts: 

1. The student application form,
2. Most recent academic transcripts (MS or Doctoral only, no undergraduate transcripts required UNLESS YOU ARE A FIRST-YEAR graduate student), and
3. Three letters of recommendation. One of which must be from your academic advisor.

Please DOWNLOAD the detailed instructions to prepare your application and gather the required documents.

Here are the steps (NOTE: IT’S CRITICAL THAT ALL OF THESE STEPS BE FOLLOWED EXACTLY TO ENSURE PROPER RECEIPT OF ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS BY THE AWSEF SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION COMMITTEE):

1. STUDENTS: 
   • Start Application – Complete the online application form. It is required that you use a Google account email address. 
   • Make sure your contact details are correct. The Scholarship Committee will use this information to contact the awardees.
   • Once you submit your online application form, you will receive access to a Google Folder that has been shared with your Google Account.
     
   • Essay – As part of the application, provide an essay to fully and precisely describe:
     • Part A –  A Summary of their Research Project: What do you believe is the importance of your research to the North American wine industry, and/or what important result do you hope to accomplish?
     • Part B – Statement of Professional Intent: What are your professional goals after graduation?
     • You can either submit your essay text in the provided field or upload a PDF file at the time you submit your online application.  Alternatively, you can upload your essay as a PDF to the Google Folder at a later time, prior to March 31.
     • The statement should be no longer than 750 words. Please clearly separate Part A and Part B in your essay formatting.
     • If you use acronyms or other technical terms, please spell out the word or phrase for the first use.
       
     • Finish Application – After you have submitted your online application form, you will receive an email with a link to a Google Folder.  You can send this link to your university to upload your transcript and to your references to upload letters of recommendation.  All files must be uploaded by 11:59pm ET on March 31. 
       
2. RECOMMENDERS: Three letters of recommendation must be included to complete the application. One letter must be from the student’s advisor as identified in the Application form. The other recommenders do not necessarily need to be professors.
   Professionals with whom the student works in the wine industry or at a university, who are aware of the student’s work and research may provide a recommendation.
   Upload your recommendation as a PDF to the Google Folder using the link provided by the student.
   
3. TRANSCRIPTS: Each student must arrange with their Registrar’s Office (or other office that handles transcripts) to have the appropriate official academic transcripts sent directly to the student to upload to their account.
   Upload the transcripts as a PDF to the Google Folder using the link received after submitting your application form. If the student has completed fewer than one term of graduate studies, they should also include an undergraduate transcript(s).

If you have any questions on these procedures, please contact Dr. Isabelle Lesschaeve at vpscholarships01@awsef.org for further assistance.

*The AWSEF does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or gender.
* The decisions of the Scholarship Committee will be final.