Fellowship for Research in Japan Open for Applications

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) is funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to promote the advancement of academic research in all disciplines. JSPS administers several fellowships and collaborative international funding programmes to support the exchange of researchers between Japan and other countries.

The JSPS Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme for Research in Japan (Short Term) provides the opportunity for pre- and postdoctoral researchers from the UK and Republic of Ireland – and researchers from Europe and North America based in the UK or Republic of Ireland – to undertake short-term visits to Japan to conduct cooperative research with leading research groups at Japanese universities and institutions. The fellowship is designed to provide researchers with first-hand experience of the research and living environment in Japan, whilst expanding academic exchange between Japan and the UK and Ireland. Awards will support visits of between one and 12 months.

The fellowship awards include a monthly maintenance allowance of ¥362,000 JPY (for postdoctoral fellows) and ¥200,000 JPY (for doctoral fellows), return air ticket for the most direct, economical route, settling-in allowance of ¥200,000 JPY (for awardees with a tenure of three or more months), monthly research support allowance and overseas travel, accident and sickness insurance cover.

Researchers from all disciplines are eligible to apply (Computer, Engineering, Health, Biological, Life, Natural and Physical Sciences, Mathematics) including Humanities and Social Sciences.

Applicants should be normally resident in the UK or Ireland for research purposes and must be a national of the UK, a European Union country (as of 1 April 2019), Switzerland, Norway, the USA or Canada.

Postdoctoral candidate applicants must have obtained their PhD at a university outside of Japan within the last six years; PhD student applicants must be enrolled on a doctoral course in the UK or Republic of Ireland (and not Japan) and be scheduled to receive their PhD within two years from the time of starting their tenure in Japan.

Candidates must, in advance of applying, arrange a research plan with a host researcher in Japan. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact a suitable Japanese host from the list of Japanese universities and institutions approved by JSPS.

Applications for the first FY2021 Short Term Fellowship call should be received by the closing date of 26 January 2021.

Fellowships will commence in Japan between August 2021 and March 2022.

More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.