Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellowship

Research Fellowship for highly qualified postdocs from Germany The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellowship supports you as a highly qualified postdoc from Germany in conducting your research in Japan – regardless of discipline.

There are two separate funding lines: short-term postdoctoral fellowships, which sponsors research stays of 1–12 months, and standard postdoctoral fellowships for research stays lasting from 12–24 months. The Humboldt Foundation pre-selects applicants for fellowships of six months or more on behalf of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); the DAAD selects the fellows applying for shorter funding periods in the short-term programme. Up to 17 short-term postdoctoral fellowships and up to 12 standard postdoctoral fellowships may be awarded peryear.

If you would like to apply for a JSPS Research Fellowship, you will require an academic host, who must be working at a university or selected national research institution in Japan. For a corresponding list please see the programme information.

The JSPS Research Fellowship enables you to carry out your research in Japan in cooperation with a qualified academic host of your choice.

The monthly fellowship amount paid by JSPS is currently 362,000 yen. Fellows conducting a stay of three months or more will receive a one-off settling-in allowance of 200,000 yen. Travel and insurance allowances may also be paid.

During your stay abroad, the Humboldt Foundation will provide you with a contact person. We will also assist you in reintegrating in Germany: e.g. with allowances for job interviews or the possibility of a twelve-month return fellowship. We will keep in contact with you even after your research stay: Our alumni sponsorship measures flexibly support every Humboldtian’s individual journey through life, in both their career and their future collaborations.

You may apply for a JSPS Research Fellowship for highly qualified researchers from Germany if you meet the following criteria:

• You completed your doctorate no more than six years ago (cut-off date: 1 April of the corresponding financial year) and will be ab- u have German citizenship or a permanent residence permit for Germany. For further details please see the programme information for the corresponding programme line (Short-Term or Standard).
• Please note that Japanese citizens are not eligible to apply. This is also the case if you have dual citizenship and one of your citizenships is Japanese. You are moreover ineligible to apply if you hold a permanent residence permit for Japan.
• You have an excellent command of English. Japanese language skills are not necessarily required. Humanities scholars, social and medical scientists must however have good knowledge of Japanese if needed to successfully carry out their research.
• We expect you to abide by the rules of good scientific practice (PDF) and the principles of scientific ethics.

Deadlines:

The Selection Committee responsible for reviewing applications to this programme meets every February, June and October. Please send your completed application form, including any additional documents required, well in advance of the desired selection date. Applications are usually processed within four to seven months. Incomplete or inaccurate applications take longer to process and often have to be postponed to a later Selection Committee meeting.