This scholarship aims to provide opportunities for pre/post-doctoral researchers from the ASEAN member countries (*) to conduct cooperative research under the guidance of their hosts cooperative research with leading research groups in universities and other Japanese institutions. This program is intended to help advance the overseas researchers’ research activities while advancing science and promoting internationalization in Japan.

*Eligible countries are ASEAN member countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam)

1. Terms of Financial support

• Financial support provided:
  • Airfare: Round-trip ticket based on JSPS regulations.
  • Monthly Allowance:
    • Ph.D. holders: 362,000 JPY per month.
    • Non-Ph.D. holders: 200,000 JPY per month.
  • Miscellaneous:
    • Settling-in allowance of 200,000 JPY for fellows with 3 or more months of tenure.
    • Overseas travel insurance.
• Monthly allowance:
  • 362,000 JPY for Ph.D. holders if their diploma is submitted before the fellowship starts. 200,000 JPY if no diploma is submitted.
  • If the diploma is submitted after the fellowship starts, the allowance increases from the following month, but past payments remain unchanged.
    • In the same regard, If you obtain a degree during the employment period, the fee can be changed to 362,000 JPY per month.
  • Candidates already in Japan before the fellowship's start date do not receive airfare or settling-in allowance.
  • Research support allowance available for cooperative research expenses, up to 70,000 JPY per month of tenure, applied for by the host researcher through their institution.

2. Eligibility 

• Eligibility criteria for applicants:

• Applicants must meet one in each of the AB categories below.
  • Category A: Conditions related to degree
    • Less than 6 years since obtaining a Ph.D. in a country other than Japan
    • Expected to obtain a Ph.D. in a country other than Japan within 2 years from the employment start date
  • Category B: Conditions related to nationality
    • Nationals of ASEAN member countries
    • A person who is a citizen of a country other than an ASEAN member country and has been engaged in research activities for the past three years at a research institution in an ASEAN member country.
• Must receive Letter of Acceptance/Invitation from the candidate’s prospective host researcher in Japan (details indicated in Eligibility criteria for host researchers*).
• Conditions
  • Persons who have previously been awarded and started a fellowship under the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan ([Standard (P)], [Short-term (PE)] , [Short-term (PA)] and [Pathway to University positions) in Japan (PU)]) are not eligible. This Short-term (PA) Fellowship is only awarded once per researcher.
  • Japanese citizens who are permanent residents of eligible countries are not eligible.
  • Researchers who have taken maternity or parental leave may have the time deducted from their research experience.

• Eligibility criteria for host researchers*:

  • Must be affiliated with a research institution eligible to apply for KAKENHI (Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, JSPS) grants.
  • Must be full-time researchers, but exceptions may be made if the host institution can ensure uninterrupted program execution.
  • Eligible host institutions include universities, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)-affiliated institutions, colleges of technology, and institutions designated by the Minister of MEXT.
  • Host researchers cannot change during the fellowship tenure. If it is known at the time of application that the host researcher will retire during a candidate’s fellowship tenure, they should not be a host researcher.

3. Required Documents:

• Completed application form by the candidate through the AUN web portal.
• Letter of acceptance/invitation from the candidate's prospective host researcher in Japan, confirming acceptance during the fellowship tenure.
  • ***In the case which the candidate has not been in possession of this letter from the host at the time of applying for the scholarship, the candidate may submit their application without the letter and send a follow up email with the letter to the programme coordinator later once available. In this regard, the status of the candidate's application will be set as "pending" until the submission of the letter of acceptance.
  • In the case above, the letter of acceptance/invitation still must be submitted by 31 July 2024.
• Letter of recommendation from the candidate's doctoral supervisor or equivalent, on letterhead if possible.
• Ph.D. degree diploma or certificate. If not yet awarded, a letter from the institution stating the expected award date.
• Alternatively, candidates not scheduled to receive a Ph.D. may submit:
  • Certificate of doctoral course enrollment indicating graduation within two years.
  • A letter from the supervisor confirming the expected Ph.D. award within two years.
• All documents must be in English. If in another language, include an English translation (not necessarily official, can be done by the host or the candidate).
• The date of degree award is based on the university's official award date, not the defense or completion date.

4. Submission Deadline: 31 July 2024 and Result Announcement: February 2025

For more detail and application: https://www.aunsec.org/aun-action/scholarships/jsps-international-fellowships-research-japan