Two summer research programs had until 2002 been carried out under two schemes by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)—one titled "MEXT Research Experience Fellowship for Young Foreign Researchers" and the other "MEXT/NSF Summer Program"—were transferred to JSPS and combined into this program entitled the "JSPS Summer Program."

The MEXT Research Experience Fellowship for Young Foreign Researchers was inaugurated in 1993 as a pilot program implemented by The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI). From 1995, it came under the auspices of MEXT. SOKENDAI now partners with JSPS in carrying out the JSPS Summer Program.

On the hand, the MEXT/NSF Summer Program was initially implemented under the title "Summer Institute Program" by the Science and Technology Agency through a collaboration between the Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the US.

When the program was taken over by MEXT as part of the Japanese government's administrative reorganization, national laboratories became its main host institutions. Since its transfer to JSPS in 2003, host institutions have been expanded to include national, private, and public universities along with national laboratories and other institutions.

About SOKENDAI（JSPS Summer Program）click here.

All fields of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences are included under this program. The candidate must either be majoring or conducting research in a related field.

1) To have a nationality of the UK, France, Germany, Canada or Sweden (Permanent residents or others with equivalent status may apply if approved by the nominating authority in one of the above countries.)
2) Be enrolled in a university graduate program or hold a doctorate degree when the program goes into effect, which must have been received within six years prior to April 1 of the said year (not required to hold full-time position.)
3) Have received in advance acceptance from their host researchers
4) Aspire to become a researcher in future
* Note: Those who have previously been awarded a fellowship under a JSPS Fellowship Programs are not eligible.
* As for the US, we don't have an open call for the Summer Program 2019.

• ReaD&Researchmap
  This database provides scientific information on researchers in Japan.

The host researcher must be a researcher who is employed full-time or classified as being employed full-time (excluding assistant professors, and research assistants) at a university or research institution that is eligible to apply to MEXT for funding under the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific-Research Program (KAKENHI).
Eligible host institutions include the following:
(1) Universities and inter-university research institutes
(2) The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)-affiliated institutions that conduct scientific research
(3) Other institutions designated by the Minister of MEXT
Note: Full-time employment classification is determined by the regulations of the host institution.

*See the List of Eligible Host Institutes (PDF)

＊（If you wish to research at SOKENDAI）List of Researchers of SOKENDAI

• International travel (Round-trip airfare)
• Maintenance Allowance (534,000 yen)
  *JSPS will cover the following expenses separately from the allowance: hotel room charges at Narita and Tokyo, and meals and accommodation charges at SOKENDAI.
• Insurance
• The Research Support Allowance at the host Institution (158,500 yen)

• In Principle, Fellows must stay in Japan continuously during the fellowship tenure. If for an unavoidable reason, you must leave Japan, please be sure to ask JSPS's permission. The duration of stay in another country must be within one week, regardless of the reason for departure.
• If a participant should leave Japan during the program without obtaining JSPS’s advance approval or not attend any of the program components such as the orientation, his/her fellowship may be terminated.
• During your tenure, you are to concentrate on your research related to this program.
• Before departing Japan, you will be requested to submit a report on the research work you carry out under this program. The format and instructions for submitting the report will be provided.

• Obtaining host’s informal acceptance
  To facilitate the selection process, applicants should obtain in advance of applying the informal acceptance of their Japanese host researchers.
• Lodging Arrangements
  As the allowance provided to Fellows under the program is to cover their subsistence and lodging costs over the entire 2 months period, Fellows are strongly advised to ask their hosts in advance to arrange public domicile, e.g. at international students' lodges or dormitories of the host institution, for them.
• Pre-departure consultation with host
  Before coming to Japan, Fellows should discuss with their host researchers both their research plan and life in Japan. It is also requested to receive instructions from your host on how to get to your host institution from SOKENDAI and on when you should arrive.
• Change of fellowship tenure
  ♦ In principle, neither a shortening or lengthening of the fellowship tenure is allowed, except in some cases when due to unavoidable circumstances the fellow must return home early. In such cases, the unused portion of the fellow’s allowances must be returned to JSPS.
  ♦ With approval of the host researcher, there are cases when the period of a fellow’s stay in Japan may be extended to a total of 90 days inclusive of the two months of the program. Bear in mind, however, that the maintenance allowance will not be paid during the extended period either before or after the fellowship tenure. If the fellow’s stay exceeds 90 days, his/her return or roundtrip air ticket will be cancelled.　Fellows who change the length of their stay must inform both JSPS and the nominating authority in their home country.
• Form of Joint Research
  If it is thought that a disagreement may occur with regard to intellectual property rights on outcomes (e.g., patents, software) of the joint research, the Fellow, Host and host institution should negotiate and establish an agreement on their disposition in advance.
  That the Fellow understands the collaborative research is to be conducted under the guidance of the Host should be confirmed by the Host in advance. If this should not be the case, the Fellow and Host should discuss and agree upon the form of collaboration in advance.
  When applying for patents or other intellectual property rights, you should first notify your host institution’s administrative office of (1) that you intend to make such application and (2) that the subject research was conducted under this JSPS Fellowship Program. You are advised to confirm in advance the rules and regulations governing patents and other intellectual property rights on research results obtained in Japan or during your fellowship tenure.
• Others
  The fellowship will be withdrawn and benefits cancelled if a Fellow should either
  ♦ be found to have made a false statement in his/her application documents,
  ♦ the Fellow leaves Japan without JSPS's permission, or does not participate in program components such as the orientation,
  or
  ♦ when JSPS determines it necessary to cancel a fellow’s invitation or withdraw his/her fellowship.