Guidelines for JSPS Invitation Fellowship Program

Guidelines for JSPS Invitation Fellowship Program

Short- and long-term invitation fellowships are available as a part of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) fellowship opportunities through the NIH. The fellowships promote international cooperation in scientific research and contribute to advancement of research in the subject field.

Short-term Invitation Fellowships

Short-term Invitation Fellowships invite senior scientists to participate in discussions, attend seminars, give lectures, or perform similar functions at Japanese research institutions and laboratories.

Eligibility

The candidate must be a researcher with an excellent record of research achievements who, in principle, is employed full-time at an overseas research institution and meets the following requirements:

  1. Senior scientists, university professors, or other persons with substantial professional research experience equivalent to a university professor or associate professor.
  2. Possess either the nationality or citizenship of the nominating country or be a permanent resident of that country.
  3. Researchers with an excellent record of research achievements.

Those who do not meet the above nationality/citizenship requirement must have resided and had substantial professional research experience in the nominating country for more than 10 years as of April 1, 2016.

Period

From 14 to 60 days.

Terms of Award

  1. A round-trip air ticket (based on JSPS regulations)
  2. A daily maintenance allowance of 18,000 yen
  3. A research support allowance
  4. Overseas travel accident and sickness insurance coverage
  • The amounts of the Awards indicated above are subject to change.
  • JSPS only provides fellows with the air ticket; never gives fellows cash to buy nor reimburse the ticket they have purchased on their own.
  • If the Fellow resides in Japan on the date his/her fellowship commences, the air ticket to Japan will not be provided. Only a return ticket may be provided.
  • A research support allowance is available to cover cooperative research related expenses. Application is made by the host researcher through his/her institution.
  • Fellows invited by a host research and those nominated by an overseas nominating authority receive equal treatment under this program.

Long-term Invitation Fellowships

Short-term Invitation Fellowships invite scientists to Japan to conduct cooperative research work with scientists at Japanese research institutions and laboratories.

Eligibility

The candidate must be a researcher who, in principle, is employed full-time at an overseas research institution and meets the following requirements:

  1. Possess either the nationality or citizenship of the nominating country or be a permanent resident of that country.
    NOTE: Those who do not meet the above nationality/citizenship requirement must have resided and had substantial professional research experience in the nominating country for more than 10 years as of 1 April 2016.
  2. Have a research background equivalent to that of a professor, associate/assistant professors or research associate in a Japanese university as of 1 April 2016. Other researchers may be eligible if they have held a doctorate degree for a period of more than six years prior to April 1 of the planned fellowship year and are continuing to do research in a university or non-profit research institution.

Period

From 2 to 10 months.

Terms of Award

  1. A round-trip air ticket (based on JSPS regulations)
  2. A monthly maintenance allowance of 387,000 yen
  3. Research support allowance
  4. Overseas travel insurance
  • The amounts of the Awards indicated above are subject to change.
  • JSPS only provides fellows with the air ticket; never gives fellows cash to buy nor reimburse the ticket they have purchased on their own.
  • If the Fellow resides in Japan on the date his/her fellowship commences, the above mentioned air ticket to Japan will not be provided. Only a return ticket may be provided.
  • A research support allowance is available to cover cooperative research related expenses. Application is made by the host researcher through his/her institution.
  • Fellows invited by a host researcher and those nominated by an overseas nominating authority receive equal treatment under this program.

Fields of Research

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

Starting Dates

Fellows must start their Fellowship in Japan between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017.

Host Researchers and Host Institutions in Japan

Host researchers in Japan must be employed full-time or classified as being employed full-time at an institution of one of the types listed below:

  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

Application Procedures

Application for this program must be submitted to JSPS through a foreign nominating authority. Application process is as follows:

  1. Contact made between an overseas scientist who wishes to conduct cooperative research in Japan and his/her prospective host.
  2. Visit the JSPS website to complete Form 1 and Form 2 online.
  3. Foreign scientist submits an application to a nominating authority.
  4. Nominating authority selects the candidates and nominates them to JSPS.
  • JSPS does not find or introduce host researchers.
  • Application deadlines and selection procedures differ by each nominating authority.
  • Apart from receiving applications through foreign nominating authorities, JSPS also accepts applications from Japanese researchers who wish to invite a foreign researcher (Open recruitment). For details on this application channel, please see JSPS Invitation Fellowships for Foreign Researchers .
  • The same person may not simultaneously be a candidate for a long-term and short-term Invitation Fellowship Programs and a Postdoctoral Fellowship.
  • The same person may not simultaneously be a candidate for a Long-term and Short-term S or Short-term and Short-term S Fellowship.
  • The same person may not be awarded more than one Invitation Fellowship within one Japanese fiscal year (1 April – 31 March of the following year).
  • JSPS does not support any research related to military affairs.
  • Researchers who have already come to Japan under the JSPS Invitation Fellowship Program may not reapply for the same fellowship until three years have lapsed. Researchers who were awarded an invitation fellowship in the three previous years are not eligible to apply again for the same fellowship in the current year.
  • During their tenures in Japan, fellows may not accept employment, either full-time or part-time, irrespective of whether it is paid or non-paid.
  • A host researcher can accept only one fellow who gets awarded fellowship for one category (short- or long-term) in the fiscal year. It is necessary for the applicant to clarify that he/she is the only prospective fellow whom the prospective host researcher is going to accept in the fiscal year before receiving the prospective host’s invitation/acceptance letter.

Materials to be Submitted

  1. Application forms (Form 1 and Form 2) from the JSPS website written completed by the candidate.
  2. A letter of acceptance/invitation from the candidate's prospective host researcher in Japan, stating that he/she accepts the candidate at his/her institution during the period of the fellowship tenure.
  3. A copy of the candidate’s passport.
  4. Supplementary documents (if necessary).

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, but may be done by the host or candidate).

Image data of the candidate’s signature pasted on Form 2 is acceptable.

Obligation

  1. When presenting or publishing the content or results of research conducted under the fellowship, the JSPS fellowship should be acknowledged.
  2. Fellows are expected to devote themselves full time to their research during the term of the fellowship, and may not accept employment in Japan with or without remuneration.
  3. The fellow may not accept other grants during their tenure. If they are offered another grant, they must either decline the JSPS fellowship or the other grant.
  4. Fellows are required to communicate with Host to submit necessary forms to JSPS in due time.
  5. Fellows are to obey the laws of Japan.
  6. Fellows are to obey the rules of their host institutions including confidentiality. Especially when a Fellow’s research theme involves the need to protect human rights or to comply with related laws or ordinances s/he is to handle appropriately.
  7. Fellows should be very careful not to do anything that violates their visa status.

Handling of Personal Information

With regard to personal information contained in the application materials, it shall be strictly controlled in accordance with laws governing the protection of personal information by administrative institutions and JSPS's rules for protecting personal information.

Personal information is to be used solely for implementing JSPS programs, including the provision of such information to private companies commissioned to conduct data processing. In such cases, JSPS will observe all pertinent laws and regulations.

If selected for a fellowship, fellows should note that their name, title, affiliated research institution, research themes, Japanese host institution, name/title of their host researcher, and research reports may be given public access. The awardees will also be asked to participate in surveys aimed at improving the fellowship program.

Updated November 2015