Application Guidelines ( PDF format for printing ) English

Outline

1. OUTLINE OF THE FELLOWSHIP

   The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) carries out fellowship programs that allow researchers in Japan to invite overseas researchers to Japan. Based on a submitted visit plan, fellowships are awarded in the categories and for the purposes listed in the table below.
   Applications for this program must be submitted to JSPS by a host researcher in Japan through the head of his/her university or institution.

   Categories	Purposes
   Long-term	Invite overseas researchers to collaborate in carrying out research through long-term visits.
   Short-term	Invite overseas researchers with excellent records of research achievements for short-term visits for the purpose of contributing to the advancement of research in related fields through discussions, opinion exchanges, lectures and other means.
   Short-term S	Invite overseas researchers with eminent records of research achievements to Japan for purposes corresponding to those records. They offer advice and cooperate in research activities throughout the host institution and give lectures or conduct other activities at other research institutions, thereby elevating the international appraisal of the standard of research conducted in Japanese universities and other institutions and contributing to the advancement of scientific research in Japan.

2. FIELDS OF RESEARCH

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

3. HOST RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS

   The applicant (host researcher) must be a researcher who is employed full-time or classified as being employed full-time at a university or research institution as specified in Article 2 of the Procedure for the Handling of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kakenhi), issued by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).
   Fellows must conduct their research at the host’s affiliated institution.

   * Full-time employment classification is determined by the regulations of the host institution.

   
   

   Institutions specified as eligible in the Procedure for the Handling of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research:
   1 ) Universities and inter-university research institutions
   2 ) MEXT-affiliated institutions engaged in research
   3 ) Colleges of technology
   4 ) Institutions designated by the Minister of MEXT

4. ELIGIBILITY
   
   
   Eligible are overseas researchers with excellent records who meet the conditions of the below-listed categories (as a rule, researchers who hold full-time positions in an overseas research institution) and whose countries have diplomatic relations with Japan (researchers from Taiwan and Palestine also being eligible). To be eligible, researchers of Japanese nationality residing overseas must have lived in the other country for at least 10 years and been actively engaged in research in that country throughout the period.

   Categories	Eligibility
   Long-term	- Overseas researchers in a position equivalent to a university professor, associate professor or assistant professor in Japan. - Overseas researchers who received their doctorate degree prior to six years or more as of 1 April 2014 and are continuing to do research in a university or non-profit research institution.
   Short-term	Overseas researchers with an excellent record of research achievements.
   Short-term S	Overseas researchers who are Nobel laureates or recipients of similarly high-level international prizes with exceptionally outstanding records of research achievements and who currently occupy a leading position in their subject field.

5. NUMBER OF FELLOWSHIPS AWARDED

   Categories	Recruitment period and number of selectees
   Long-term	September 2013; Approximately 70 fellowships will be granted
   Short-term	For the 1st Recruitment (September 2013); Approximately 110 fellowships will be granted For the 2nd Recruitment (May 2014); Approximately 100 fellowships will be granted
   Short-term S	For the 1st Recruitment (September 2013); A few fellowships will be granted For the 2nd Recruitment (May 2014);A few fellowships will be granted

6. DURATION AND COMMENCEMENT OF FELLOWSHIPS

   Categories	Fellowship tenure	Fellowship periods and periods for arrival in Japan
   Long-term	At least 2 months (61 days); up to 10 months	April 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015
   Short-term	At least 14 days; up to 60 days	For the 1st Recruitment; April 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015 For the 2nd Recruitment; October 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015
   Short-term S	At least 7 days; up to 30 days	For the 1st Recruitment; April 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015 For the 2nd Recruitment; October 1, 2014 – March 31, 2015

   *Invitation plans for attending just one conference during a several day stay in Japan are not accepted.
7. TERMS OF AWARD
   ・Support for visiting researchers ( funding not provided for accompanying members)

   Categories	International Transportation	Maintenance Allowance	Others
   Long-term	Supply international air tickets (based on JSPS’s regulations)	¥369,000      per month	・Domestic Research Trip Allowance ( ¥100,000 ) ・Research expenses ( ¥40,000 ) ・Overseas travel accident and sickness insurance
   Short-term	Supply international air tickets (based on JSPS’s regulations)	¥18,000      per day	・Domestic Research Trip Allowance ( ¥150,000 ) ・Overseas travel accident and sickness insurance
   Short-term S	Supply international business-class air tickets (based on JSPS’s regulations)	¥42,000      per day	・Domestic Research Trip Allowance ( ¥150,000 ) ・Overseas travel accident and sickness insurance

   ・For hosts:
   Host’s cooperation allowance of ¥50,000
8. APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR THE PROGRAM
    Applicants (host researchers) are required to use JSPS’s electronic application system to apply for fellowships.
    Applications for this program must be submitted to JSPS by a host researcher in Japan through the head of his/her university or institution. Foreign researchers wishing to participate in this program are advised to establish contact with a Japanese or foreign-resident researcher in their field and to ask him/her to submit an application. They should make this contact well in advance of the host institution’s application deadline indicated below.

   Application process is as follows:
   1) Contact made between candidate and applicant (host researcher)
   2) Applicant (host researcher) submits application to institution’s head office
   3) Office submits application to JSPS
   * JSPS does not find or introduce host researchers.
   * JSPS does not accept applications submitted directly by foreign researchers or through diplomatic channels.
   * There is another application channel: JSPS also receives applications for the program through its overseas nominating authorities (Table II). Regarding this procedure, please contact the nominating authority in your country.

   1) Materials to be submitted
     (1) Documents to be prepared by applicant (host researcher) to be submitted to affiliated institution

   Categories	Documents to be prepared by applicant (host researcher) to be submitted to affiliated institution	Numbers of copies
   Long-term	① Long-term application form to be filled out by the host researcher (Form 1) ② Long-term application form to be filled out by the foreign candidate (Form 2) ※ Please staple each set of forms together in Form 1-2 order in upper left-hand corner. Submit 4 sets of forms, one being the original.	One original and 3 copies of each form
   Short-term	Short-term application form to be filled out by the host researcher	One original and 3 copies
   Short-term S	① Visit plan ② Summary of prize(s) received (within the two sides of one A4 page) ※ Please staple each set of forms together in Form 1-2 order in upper left-hand corner. Submit 4 sets of forms, one being the original.	One original and 3 copies of each document

     (2) Documents to be prepared by the administrative office of the host institution
       ① Form A (indicating the number of applications)
       ② Form B (list of applications)

   
   

   2) Application deadline (for host institution)

   Categories	Application deadline (for host institution)
   Long-term	September 2, 2013 – September 6, 2013
   Short-term	For the 1st Recruitment; September 2, 2013 – September 6, 2013 For the 2nd Recruitment; May 1, 2014 – May 9, 2014
   Short-term S	For the 1st Recruitment; September 2, 2013 – September 6, 2013 For the 2nd Recruitment; May 1, 2014 – May 9, 2014

   Note (1):	Application guidelines will be distributed only once this fiscal year.
   Note (2):	These deadlines are for the head of the host institution to submit the application to JSPS; the time frames for applicants (host researchers) to submit their applications are normally earlier.

9. SELECTION PROCESS AND NOTIFICATION
   1) Selection process
   

   ①	Screening is conducted by JSPS’s selection committee based on the criteria listed below.

   Categories	Screening process is conducted based on the criteria listed below
   Long-term	ⅰ) That the collaboration will contribute to advancing science in Japan and counterpart country. ⅱ) That the collaboration can be expected to advance research in the subject field. ⅲ) That the applicant (host researcher) and candidate have established contact in advance and created a concrete research plan. ⅳ) That the plan can be carried out within the period of the candidate’s fellowship tenure ⅴ) That the plan has as its objective joint research or other collaborative between the Japanese researcher(s) and overseas researcher(s). ⅵ) That, as much as possible, preference is not given to the candidate’s nationality, host institution, or field of specialization.
   Short-term	ⅰ) That the collaboration will contribute to advancing science in Japan and counterpart country. ⅱ) That the collaboration can be expected to advance research in the subject field. ⅲ) That the applicant (host researcher) and candidate have established contact in advance and created a concrete activity plan. ⅳ) That the plan can be carried out within the period of the candidate’s fellowship tenure ⅴ) That the plan has as its objective lectures, discussions or other exchange activities with not only the host institution but also through visits to other institutions as well. That the plan also provides for fostering young researchers through exchanges and other activities. ⅵ) That, as much as possible, preference is not given to the candidate’s nationality, host institution, or field of specialization.
   Short-term S	ⅰ) While consideration is given to applying items 1) through vi) of the Short-term category, the following are added: ⅱ) The visiting researchers are to be of a Nobel laureate or equivalent level, possessing an exceptionally outstanding record of research achievements, and currently being a leader in his/her field. ⅲ) His/her visit is to contribute to raising the standard of research in the host institution and to elevating Japan’s overall international scientific appraisal. ⅳ) The host institution is to provide an environment for the visiting researcher to smoothly guide research activities, widely participate in joint research, and carry out other exchange activities. Other research institutions that s/he will visit are also to take sufficient steps to accommodate the visit.

   * Research plans that require approval processing within the affiliated institution
   
   Judgments regarding handling are required when the implementation of a research plan includes such
   aspects as the need for a counterpart’s consent or collaboration, for handling personal information, for taking bio-ethics or safety measures, or other researcher aspects that require processing based on laws or regulations. Specific examples of such research would be questionnaire or interview surveys that include private information, surveys of cultural properties either in or outside Japan, the use of donated specimens, analyses of the human genome, genetic recombination experiments, and animal experiments. That is, surveys, research or experiments that require approval by an information-protection committee or ethics committee in or outside the host institution.
   
   (2) Notification of selection results

   ①	Notification of the selection results will be made in writing through the head of the applying institution around the following periods: 1st Recruitment; middle of January 2014 2nd Recruitment; middle of August 2014
   ②	Award letter and accompanying documents will be sent to the successful candidates.
   ③	Individual requests for selection results are not accepted.

10. OBLIGATIONS
    Please bear the following points in mind when submitting an application.

    1)	The host researcher will, in cooperation with the administration of the host institution, prepare a space and arrange facilities needed for the fellow to conduct research activities during his/her tenure. When needed, the host will also assist with immigration processing, securing domicile and other matters related to the fellow’s stay in Japan.
    2)	The fellow and his/her host researcher must submit a research report (using the prescribed forms) within one month of the completion of the fellowship tenure. Short-term S visitors may submit their reports via email.
    3)	When presenting or publishing the content or results of research conducted under the fellowship, the JSPS fellowship should be acknowledged.
    4)	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.Neither may they accept remuneration for any activity related to this fellowship.

11. ABOUT THE PROPER USE OF COMPETITIVE AND OTHER FUNDS

    Appropriate action will be taken in the case of improper conduct, including the misuse of competitive or other funds, misconduct in research or educational activities (e.g., fabrication, falsification or plagiarization), and the violation of human rights (e.g., racial discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual harassment, academic harassment, power harassment, abuse of authority, or neglect). In such cases, the fellowship may be terminated and the fellow made to reimburse JSPS for all or part his/her already-paid research funds and allowances. For instructions on the proper use of competitive funds, see the separate document “About the Proper Use of Competitive and Other Funds.””

12. HANDLING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

    With regard to personal information contained in application materials, it shall be strictly controlled in accordance with the “Law to Protect Personal Information Held by Independent Administration Institutions” and JSPS’s own regulations for protecting personal information. JSPS will use such information exclusively for implementing its programs. (This may involve the provision of personal information to external companies commissioned to electronically process and manage program-related date.)

    If selected for a fellowship, fellows should note that their name, title, affiliated organization and country; research theme, host institution, host researcher’s name and title; and research reports may be given public access. Fellows are also asked to participate in surveys aimed at improving JSPS programs. With particular regard to information related to Short-term S visitors, it may be posted on JSPS’ s webpage, published in other JSPS literature, or circulated to related institutions.

13. NOTES

    1)	Support is not provided for research with military objectives.
    2)	Application is limited to one candidate for each the first and second recruitment under the Short-term S and Short-term fellowship categories and one under the Long-term category during a fiscal year.
    3)	As only one application is allowed par candidate, applicants (host researchers) should verify in advance that no other applications have been submitted for their candidates.
    4)	The same person may not simultaneously be a candidate for both this invitational fellowship and a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship Program for Foreign Researchers.
    5)	The same person may not simultaneously be a candidate for a Long-term and Short-term S, or a Short-term and Short-term S fellowship.
    6)	Incomplete or otherwise flawed applications will be rejected.
    7)	If the applicant (host researcher) is currently conducting international project under a JSPS program or has been selected for such a project over the past 5 years, please describe what, if any, connectivity it has to the project being applied for.
    8)	For more application-related details, please see “Points to Observe in Preparing the Application Form.”(Japanese only)

14. CONTACT

    ADDRESS:	Overseas Fellowship Division, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 5-3-1, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083
    TEL:	03-3263-2480, 9094
    Email:	invitation@jsps.go.jp