JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships 2023

Deadline for applications: 12 January, 2023

JSPS International Fellowships for Research in Japan
Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan (Standard）
Application through Overseas Nominating Authorities

PURPOSE

To provide opportunities for excellent postdoctoral researchers from other countries to conduct, under the guidance of their hosts, cooperative research with leading research groups in universities and other Japanese institutions. The program allows such researchers to advance their own research while contributing to the progress of research in Japan and the counterpart countries.

FIELDS OF RESEARCH

All fields of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences are included under this program.

DURATION OF FELLOWSHIPS

12 to 24months
This fellowship is provided in full month units.

Note 1: The fellowship period covers the period from the day a fellow (invited overseas researcher) coming from abroad arrives at an airport in Japan, which is the day that the fellowship starts, to the day that the fellow departs from an airport in Japan, which is the day that the fellowship ends. (This does not
apply to fellows who reside in Japan before or after the fellowship period.)

Note 2: The duration of the fellowship may not be divided into multiple stays.

STARTING DATE

Fellows must start their Fellowship in Japan during 1 April 2023 – 30 November 2023.

CANDIDATE (Invited Overseas Researcher) ELIGIBILITY

Persons are eligible to apply who satisfy the following two conditions.
(1) Be a citizen of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. (JSPS treats Taiwanese and Palestinian researchers in this manner.)
(2) Have obtained their doctoral degree within six years of the date the fellowship goes into effect (on or after 2 April 2017).
Note 1: Those who have previously been awarded and started a fellowship under the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan ([Standard (P)] and [Pathway to University positions in Japan (PU)]) are not eligible.
Note 2: Persons who are Japanese citizen and foreigners who have permanent residency in Japan are not eligible.
Note 3: 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.) In this case, separate submission of documents are required. Please consult with JSPS in advance via the nominating authority.
Note 4: If it becomes known even after being selected that a candidate does not possess application eligibility, his/her selection is to be cancelled or eligibility terminated during the fellowship period. In such cases, the candidate is required to reimburse JSPS his/her already-paid allowances.

HOST RESEARCHER ELIGIBILITY

Host researchers are required to 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 Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI), issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) () and be eligible to apply for a KAKENHI grant–in-aid. 2 (2) Be a full-time researcher. However, researchers who are not employed full time may be eligible if the host institutions judge that they are able to execute their responsibilities for constantly carrying out the program throughout the fellowship period including the provision of a suitable research environment (e.g., laboratory, space, facilities and personnel), the same as the full time researchers are able to do. ()Eligible host institutions specified under the above MEXT Procedure are as follows:
1) Universities and inter-university research institutes
2) MEXT-affiliated institutions engaged in research
3) Colleges of technology
4) Institutions designated by the Minister of MEXT
A fellow’s host researcher may not be changed during the fellowship tenure. Therefore, if it is known at
the time of application that the host researcher will retire, due to reaching retirement age or other reason,
during a candidate’s fellowship tenure, s/he should not be a host researcher.

TERMS OF AWARD

The amounts of the Awards are as follows. They are subject to change for budgetary reasons.
(1) Airfare: A round-trip air ticket (based on JSPS’s regulations)
(2) Maintenance Allowance: ¥362,000 per month
(3) Miscellaneous: A settling-in allowance of ¥200,000, overseas travel insurance.

Note 1: For the candidate who has been living in Japan (and has a mailing address) before the fellowship starting date, a “settling-in allowance” will not be paid, and only the airfare for the return flight will be paid.
Note 2: A Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellows) is available to
cover cooperative research-related expenses. Application for this grant is made by the host
researcher through his/her institution. For details, please see the application guidelines for the
Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellows.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR PROGRAM

Applications for this program must be submitted to JSPS through an overseas nominating authority. The application process is as follows:
(1) Contact is made between the candidates who wish to conduct cooperative research in Japan and their prospective hosts.
(2) Candidates submit an application to a nominating authority.
(3) The nominating authority conducts a scientific evaluation to select candidates and nominates them to JSPS.
(4) Approximately three months after the nomination, JSPS sends out a notice of selection decision to both the candidates and the nominating authorities.
Note 1: JSPS does not find or introduce host researchers or institutions.
Note 2: Application deadlines and selection procedures differ by each nominating authority.
Note 3: When setting the starting date of fellowships, adequate time should be allowed for application processing: e.g., application screening by the nominating authority (time differing by authorities) and selection decision-making by JSPS (about three months).
Note 4: In addition to receiving applications through overseas nominating authorities, JSPS also accepts applications for candidates from their prospective host researchers in Japan (open recruitment).
Note 5: Multiple applications for the same program through overseas nominating authorities in the same fiscal year are not allowed.

MATERIALS TO BE SUBMITTED

(1) FY2023 Application Form for JSPS International Fellowships for Research in Japan, Postdoctoral
Fellowships for Research in Japan (Standard), for Application through Overseas Nominating Authorities.
The application form is to be completed by the candidate.
(2) Letter of acceptance/invitation from the candidate’s prospective host researcher in Japan, stating that s/he accepts the candidate at his /her institution during the period of the fellowship tenure.
The letter should be signed by the host himself/herself. It is preferable that the letter be written on letterhead 3 paper.
(3) Letter of recommendation signed by the candidate’s doctoral supervisor (etc.) (The writer of the letter must be a person other than the candidate’s prospective host researcher in Japan). It is preferable that the letter be written on letterhead paper.
(4) A copy of the candidate’s PhD degree diploma or PhD degree certificate. If the degree has not yet been awarded, a letter is required from the candidate’s institution stating the date that s/he will officially be awarded the degree. In that case, the candidate should submit to JSPS a copy of the PhD degree certificate or the PhD diploma promptly before starting his/her fellowship. The diploma or certificate should be signed or stamped with an official seal.
Note1: All documents must be in either English or Japanese. When the original document is in another language, please be sure to attach an English translation (which does not need to be an official translation, and may be done by the host or candidate).
Note 2: Under the JSPS program, the date of degree award is the date that the issuing university awarded the degree. It is not the date that Fellows orally defended their dissertation (viva voce) of completed a doctoral course.

NOTIFICATIONS OF SELECTION RESULTS BY JSPS HEAD OFFICE

An award letter from JSPS president and accompanying documents will be sent to the successful
candidates.

Source / More information: Official Website HERE.