Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research Abroad
Under this program, fellowships are awarded to young Japanese postdoctoral researchers for conducting research at foreign universities or research institutions for a period of two years. The fellowship covers travel expenses, a stipend, and a research grant.
Call for FY2012 (NOW CLOSED)
|
Number
(world wide) |
Extra quota for FY2011: about 30 people
Quota for FY2012: about 110 people |
|---|---|
| Duration of Stay | 2 years from the starting date which is
For FY2011: 1 October 2011 - 29 February 2012 For FY2012: 1 April 2012 - 28 February 2013 |
| Application Method: | Complete the e-application process on the JSPS Tokyo website.
For details, please refer to http://www-shinsei.jsps.go.jp/ (only the Japanese version is available) |
| Application Period: | 6-10 June 2011 |
|
Coverage of
Fellowship |
1) International return flight tickets
2) Accommodation fees and research costs (The amount depends on the country the fellow will visit, ranging from 3.8 million to 5.2 million Japanese yen per year.) |
|
Link to JSPS
Tokyo Website |
JSPS Tokyo website (only the Japanese version is available) |
ELIGIBILITY
- Institutions applying for the programme must be one of the following:
1. Japanese universities, inter-university research institute corporations, junior colleges and colleges of technology
2. National research institutions
3. Independent administrative institutions and other institutions which conduct scientific research or R&D activities
4. Research institutions in the private sector
- The position of the applicant must be either one of the following:
1. Full-time researcher affiliated with a Japanese university or research institute. (This excludes researchers employed on a project-specific contract supported by competitive research funds.)
2. Applicants who hope to become full-time researchers at a Japanese university or research institute.
- The age of the applicant must meet one of the following requirements as of 1 April 2011 for FY2011 and 1 April 2012 for FY2012:
1. Be under 34 years old
2. Be under 35 years old: applies to those who have gained a 4 year doctoral degree in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine
3. Be under 36 years old: applies to those who have gained a 4 year doctoral degree in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine and have completed clinical training required by law.
4. Under 37 years old: applies to those who have gained a 4 year doctoral degree in medicine and have completed over 2 years clinical training as required by law.
- Applicants must have obtained a doctoral degree as of 1 April 2011.
- Applicants must be Japanese nationals or foreign citizens possessing permanent residency status.
- Applicants who have been awarded this fellowship before are not eligible to apply for this award again
- Applicants who were awarded a Research Fellowship for Young Researchers in FY2011 are not eligible to apply for FY 2011 additional quota of this award.
DURATION AND COMMENCEMENT OF AWARDS
- Grants are awarded for a period of 2 years.
- Successful applicants are asked to start their award between 1 October 2011 and 29 February 2012 for FY2011 and 1 April 2012 and 28 February 2013 for FY 2012.
TERMS OF THE AWARD
- International return flight tickets
- Maintenance Allowances and research costs (The amount depends on the country the fellow will visit ranging from 3.8 million to 5.2 million Japanese yen per year.)
APPLICATION PERIOD
6 - 10 June 2011
SELECTION PROCESS
1. Selection of this fellowship includes a first stage mail review by expert reviewers followed by interviews conducted by a special panel of expert reviewers which consists of researchers considered at the top of their research field in Japan. There are 47 such panel members and 1,800 expert reviewers in total in the JSPS College of Peer Reviewers.
2. Each application is reviewed by 6 expert reviewers from the same research field as the applicant.
3. The panel meeting is held in early August (postponed slightly due to the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake) for eight research fields (humanities; social science; mathematics and physics; chemistry; engineering; biology; agriculture and medicine, dentistry and pharmacology). As a result of this meeting, some successful applicants may not be required to attend a further interview. Those invited to a further interview are selected based on a criteria described in the next part for quotas allocated for each research field. The results of the panel meeting are announced to applicants in late August (postponed due to the Eastern Great Japan Earthquake).
4. Interviews take place in the early October, last for around ten minutes and take place in front of a panel of expert and non- expert reviewers. The first four minutes of the interview are allocated to explain the applicant’s research merits and research plans, and the remaining six minutes are allocated for other questions from the panel. The result is announced to the applicant and head of the institute to which applicant is affiliated around the end of October.
Selection Schedule for FY2011’s additional quota and FY 2012 quota
*The selection schedule has been partly postponed due to the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake.
*The affiliated institutions are informed of the result of the panel meeting and interview stages at the same time.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications to JSPS Headquarters will be evaluated according to the following points:
- Merits of research
- Research plan that aims to tackle a new area or that is expected to develop by carrying out research in an overseas institution with a different advantage.
- Concrete research plan that has been sufficiently discussed with host researchers.
- Foreign language skills, e.g. English language TOEFL score of at least 213 (Computer-based), 730 TOEIC score or the pre-1st grade of the Practical English Proficiency Test are desirable.
- Approach to research requiring a legal procedure to be satisfied i.e. research that requires obtaining another person’s consent and cooperation, to handle personal information with caution, to address bioethics and/or safety measures.
- The mail review uses a five scale grading system in consideration of research merits, research plan and value of implementing the project at an overseas institution.
CONTACT
For application enquiries and submissions, please contact:
Research Fellowship Division
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
8 Ichibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
102-8472 JAPAN
Tel: +81-(0)3-3263-5070
Fax: +81-(0)3-3222-1986
E-mail: kaitoku-s@jsps.go.jp
