JSPS post-doctoral programs for visiting Japan

There are a number of programs that can be used to visit and do research work in Japan. The JSPS program is one of the most well funded with the around 15 positions available for short term visiting researchers (1-12 months), and around 125 positions for the more typical 1-2 year duration post-doctoral fellowship. They are competitive, but have an acceptance rate of around 30%.

To apply for one of these positions you first need a host lab, and the funding agency will evaluate your suitability based, in part, on the expertise and relevance of the host lab to your proposed research. Most of the information is available in English, and contained in the pdfs available at the link below:

https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-fellow/application.html

The “application guidelines” available at the above link contains the information you need regarding application requirements and deadlines. Since these applications are typically made from overseas, the normal procedure should involve the JSPS office in your home country to accept your invitation while the Japan-side host application would be made to JSPS from within Japan. This means that application deadline will vary depending on your home country (or the country where you are currently working outside of Japan). If you cannot find the correct contacts in your own country, please ask your institution, or if that fails contact the JSPS office in Japan.

To find a suitable host lab, you can ask around in your own network or look online. If you are interested in applying for spectroscopy/imaging/immunology please feel free to contact Nicholas Smith and/or Alison Hobro at the Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center who may be able to help you network with a host lab in Japan.

Prof Nicholas Smith, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, nsmith@ap.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp

Prof Alison J. Hobro, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, ajhobro@ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp