Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan (Strategic Program)

For Researchers from Switzerland (Nominating Authority: ETH Zurich)

Program Outline

Offering was ended in FY2022

1. Program Outline

This fellowship program has launched to provide quotas for excellent researchers with high future potential from Switzerland to research opportunity in Japanese universities and research institutions. This program has been carried out in cooperation with the ETH Zurich in Switzerland which Swiss government entrusted the implementation to.

2. Target Fields

Fields of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

3. Fellow Eligibility

ETH Zurich as the Leading House of the program invites doctoral students (with justification and on an exception basis, Master students and postdocs are also eligible) currently working in research groups at Swiss Universities, Universities of Applied Sciences or Research Institutes to submit their application for a research stay in a Japanese group. ※Neither applicants with Japanese nationality nor applicants who have already been selected under JSPS’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Foreign Researchers (Standard, Pathway to University Position in Japan, Short-term, Strategic Program) are not eligible for this program.

4. Host Researcher/Institution Eligibility

Host researchers in Japan must be employed full-time or classified as employed full-time at one of the following institutions:
1) Universities and inter-University research institutes
2) Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)-Affiliated institutions engaged in research
3) Colleges of technology
4) Institutions designated by the Minister of MEXT
For a list of eligible institutions see:  https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-summer/data/list_of_host_institutes_2021.pdf

5. Number of Scheduled Selections

The total length of stay in Japan per year will not exceed 42 man-months for Swiss fellows.

6. Period of Tenure and Arrival in Japan

(1) Tenure under the program is from 3 to 6 months.
(2) Fellows are to arrive in Japan (start their research) by 31 March of the following year when a notice of selection is issued.

7. Support from JSPS

(1) Monthly allowance: \220,000
(2) International air ticket
(3) Overseas travel insurance

8. Obligation of the Fellow and Host Researcher

(INCLUDING MEASURES AGAINST MISCONDUCT AND MISUSE OF FUNDS)

The host researchers, candidates (invited overseas researchers) and host institutions should bear the following ten points in mind when applying for the program, and should observe them if selected for a fellowship. After selection, they will be expected to observe the regulations and procedures stipulated in the Program Guidelines for the JSPS International Fellowships Program. If either the candidates (invited overseas researchers) or host researcher should fail to do so, the fellowship may be withdrawn, allowances (including airfares) stopped, and already-paid allowances (including research grants) reclaimed.

(1) So as to allow the smooth progress of the candidate’s research in Japan, before submitting an application, the host researcher shall fully inform the candidate of conditions at the host laboratory, including his/her status under the fellowship, and will ascertain the candidate’s acknowledgement to accept those conditions.
(2) The host researcher will, in cooperation with the administration office of the host institution, provide a suitable arrangement for the candidate to pursue his/her joint research and other research activities. The host researcher will also assist the candidate, when needed, with immigration processing (including applying for a “certificate of eligibility”), securing domicile and other matters related to his/her stay in Japan.
(3) During fellowship tenures, the host researcher is advised not to commit such acts of discrimination or abuse with regard to his/her candidate, and should be particularly careful of what s/he says or does cannot be interpreted as committing such acts. If a researcher should commit such an unethical act and be punished via measures imposed by the host institution, s/he will be restricted from applying for the JSPS International Fellowships Program for a period of five years starting from the day that the punishment is administered.
(4) During their tenures, candidates shall not, either in or outside the host institution, infringe in any way on the human rights of others, including racial or gender discrimination or other forms of abuse.
(5) As a rule, fellows shall stay in Japan continuously during the tenure of their fellowships and concentrate on their research at the host institution. Candidate may not engage in other work, neither paid nor unpaid, during their tenures. Candidates may, however, suspend their fellowships for the purpose of childbearing or infant nursing. Candidates may not receive any remuneration for their research activities carried out under the JSPS Fellowship Program for Research in Japan.
(6) The host researchers and candidates shall follow the rules established by the host institution and JSPS prohibiting acts of research misconduct, e.g., fabricating or falsifying research results.
(7) The candidate and host researcher must submit a research report using separately prescribed format before the deadline set by JSPS.
(8) When presenting or publishing the content or results of research conducted under the fellowship, the JSPS fellowship should be acknowledged.
(9) The host institution shall inform both the host researcher and the candidate of the rules that it and JSPS have established to prevent research misconduct and misuse of research funds and of the penalties for violations.
(10) The host institution shall take first responsibility for the candidate’s actions, so must be proactive in preventing any discrimination, misconduct or misuse on the part of the candidate during his/her tenure. If any such problems should occur, the host institution will endeavor to resolve them.
  * Regarding paragraph (6) above, please see the separate document "Regarding the Appropriate Use of Research Funds"

9. 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 Administrative 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 data.)
If selected for a fellowship, candidates (invited overseas researchers) should note that their name, nationality, title and affiliated organization, research theme, fellowship tenure, host institution, host researcher’s name, their title and research reports may be given public access. For researchers located within the European Economic Area which embodies the EU, their agreement is to be obtained to follow the above-stated “handing of personal information” in line with the “General Data Protection Regulation.”

10. Notes

(1) Should JSPS determine that any information in an application to be falsified, plagiarized or otherwise flowed, the applications will be rejected or, if already awarded, the fellowship withdrawn.
(2)

JSPS does not support any research project related to military affairs.

(3)

In Japan, export controls (*) are carried out under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (Act No. 228 of 1949) (hereinafter referred to as “Foreign Exchange Law”). Therefore, in principle, in order to export (provide) cargo and technology regulated by the Foreign Exchange Law, it is necessary to obtain permission of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Starting with the Foreign Exchange Law, Fellows must follow all of Japan’s pertinent laws and ordinances, guidelines, and directives. If research is conducted in violation of these laws and ordinances, measures and penalties prescribed in them may be enforced along with the termination of the Fellow’s research funding or his/her scheduled allocation of research funding.

How to apply

1. Application Procedure

Under the program based on the Leading House Asia at ETH Zurich's nominations. The Leading House Asia at ETH Zurich issues application calls,receives and screens applications, and makes nominations to JSPS. For details, please refer to the Leading House Asia at ETH Zurich contact Ms.
Elise Nardin, program manager for the Leading House Asia, by email: (elise.nardin@sl.ethz.ch).

2. Notification of selection results

JSPS notifies the selectees via ETH Zurich and reports the selections to the host institutions.

Schedule * Subject to change

Date

Phases

April

ETH Zurich headquarters issues call for application.

June

ETH Zurich receives applications.

From late June to September

ETH Zurich screens applicants and nominates applicants to JSPS. JSPS inquiries to host institutions as to whether they will accept nominees.

October

JSPS notifies the selectees via ETH Zurich and reports the selections to the host institutions.

By 31 March of the following year

Fellows arrive in Japan, start their research.


〔Program Flow Chart〕
Program Flow Chart

(1) ETH Zurich recruits and selects nominees.
(2) ETH Zurich refers nominees to JSPS.
(3)(4) JSPS inquiries to host institutions as to whether they will accept nominees; host institutions reply.
(5) JSPS notifies the selectees via ETH Zurich and reports the selections to the host institutions.
(6) Fellow, host researcher and the administrative office of the host institution do the required procedures.JSPS pays fellows' allowances.