JSPS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM┋SHORT-TERM POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS

The program provides PhD students or PhD researchers in the Europe and North America with opportunities to conduct collaborative research under the guidance of their hosts in universities and other Japanese institutions for a relatively short period of time. A person who has never engaged in research at universities etc. in Japan would be most preferable.

History

The “JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for US Researchers (Short-term)”was started in 1997 under the domestic recruitment (twice a year) system. It provides young PhD students or PhD researchers in the United States with opportunities to conduct collaborative research under the guidance of their hosts in universities and other Japanese institutions, as one of the programs implemented in the “JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan” which had been carried out since 1988. It aims to support an overseas researcher’s progress in his/her research as well as to promote academic exchange between Japan and countries in Europe and the U.S.

The “JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for US Researchers (Short-term)”was reviewed for further expansion. It made some changes such as, including Canada and other European countries as recruitment subject countries and extending the duration from 15 days up to 12 months. Also, it was renamed as the “JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for North American and European Researchers (Short-Term)” and the domestic recruitment was started to be issued three times a year.

The number of domestic recruitment was increased to six times a year in 2004 and was reduced to four times a year in 2013. From 2019, the program provides three application periods a year and offers the duration from one to twelve months.

Fields of Research

All fields of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

Duration of fellowships

1 to 12 months

Candidate (Invited Overseas Researcher) Eligibility

Candidates must satisfy both of the following conditions as of April 1 of the fellowship's fiscal year and during the fellowship period.

i) Be a citizen or permanent resident of an eligible country stipulated in the below (*). Also eligible are persons who have been engaged in research continuously for a period of at least three years at a university or research institution in an eligible country. Such persons must be from a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan or from Taiwan or Palestine, have conducted research continuously for three or more years before the time their application was submitted, and must possess an excellent research record.

(*)Eligible countries are the US, Canada, European Union countries, UK, Switzerland, Norway and Russia.

ii) Candidates must have obtained their doctoral degree at a university outside Japan within six years of the date the fellowship goes into effect, or must be currently enrolled in a doctoral course at a university outside Japan, and scheduled to receive a Ph.D. within two years from the time that their research starts in Japan.

• Note 1: Those who have previously been awarded and started a fellowship under the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Research in Japan ([Standard], and [Pathway to University positions in Japan]) are not eligible.
• Note 2: Those who have resident cards with mailing addresses in Japan at the application deadline set by JSPS are not eligible.
• Note 3: A Japanese citizen who is also a permanent resident of the country stipulated in the above (*) is not eligible.
• Note 4: Researchers who have continuously carried out their research for three or more years minus time taken for maternity and/or parental leave. (Every four weeks of leave is counted as one month, with any remaining weeks also counted as one month. These months are subtracted from number of years that the researcher has continuously carried out his/her research.)
• Note 5: Researchers who obtained their PhD within six years minus time taken for maternity and/or parental leave. (Every four weeks of leave is counted as one month, with any remaining weeks also counted as one month. These months are subtracted from the number of years elapsed since the researcher’s PhD was received.)
• Note 6: A person who was selected as a fellow needs to submit an original copy of the doctoral degree certificate or the diploma (if the fellow has not obtained the degree, the prospect certificate for the doctoral degree is necessary) before the fellowship starting date (Not required when submitting the application).

Applicant (Host Resarcher) Eligibility

Persons are eligible to apply who satisfy the following two conditions at the time of application, at the time of  selection, and during the fellowship period.

1. Be affiliated with a research institution specified in Article 2(*) of the Procedure for the Handling of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI),  issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) (*), be eligible to apply for a KAKENHI grant, and wish to host an overseas researcher.
2. Be a full-time researcher. However, researchers who are not employed full time may be eligible if the host institution judges them able to execute their responsibility to carrying out the program uninterruptedly throughout the fellow’s tenure including providing them a suitable research environment (e.g., laboratory, space, facilities and personnel) in the same way that a full-time researcher would be able to do.

Each applicant (host researcher) can submit up to three applications. If more than one candidate (invited overseas researcher) apply as candidates for the fellowship, priorities should be given to them.

(*) Eligible host institutions specified under the above MEXT Procedure are as follows:

• Universities and inter-university research institutes
• MEXT-affiliated institutions engaged in research
• Colleges of technology
• Institutions designated by the Minister of MEXT

Term of Award

• Airfare: A round-trip air ticket (based on JSPS’s regulations. See the “Program Guidelines”.)
• Maintenance Allowance: (a) For PhD holders: ¥362,000 per month; (b) For non-PhD holders at the time research starts in Japan: ¥200,000 per month
• Miscellaneous: A settling-in allowance of ¥200,000 (only applicable for Fellows with 3 or more months of tenure), Overseas travel insurance, etc.

[Note] For the candidate (invited overeas researcher) who has been living in Japan (and has a mailing address) before the fellowship starting date, the "airfare" of outbound and a “settling-in allowance” will not be paid.
A research support allowance is available to cover cooperative research-related expenses. Application is made by the applicant (host resarcher) through their institution.