JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists
(Nihon Gakujutsu Shinkoukai Tokubetsu Kenkyuin)
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) aims to foster creative researchers who will play major roles in future scientific research activities. To that end, JSPS provides young capable researchers with opportunities to concentrate on their research as they proactively choose research themes in a freewheeling atmosphere in the early stages of their research lives. JSPS offers a special program under which fellowships are granted to 1) young Japanese postdoctoral researchers (PD) who wish to conduct research activities at Japanese universities or research institutions on a non-employment basis and 2) graduate students (DC) who are conducting research in Japanese university doctoral programs.
This program has been upgraded every year since its establishment in 1985, and the total number of fellows (including continuing researchers) reached 4,832 in 2005.
In 2002, the Superlative Postdoctoral Fellow (SPD) program for distinguished researchers was created with the aim of developing and securing young researchers with top-level world class research capability, by providing more benefits than established programs. In addition, in 2003, one condition was added for the application for PD fellowships: for their program work, accepted candidates should select a research laboratory different from their graduate school laboratories.
<Research Fellow Acceptance History>
|
Classification |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
|
ＤＣ |
2,200 |
2,420 |
2,440 |
2,860 |
2,924 |
2,966 |
3,106 |
2,800 |
3,000 |
3,420 |
|
ＰＤ |
900 |
1,070 |
1,240 |
1,450 |
1,490 |
1,554 |
1,579 |
1,544 |
1,364 |
1,364 |
|
ＳＰＤ |
− |
− |
− |
− |
− |
− |
12 |
24 |
36 |
48 |
<Acceptance data>
1.Acceptance data for JSPS Research Fellows in 2005 (new acceptance/nationwide>
(As of April 1, 2005)
|
Classification |
Ｓ Ｐ Ｄ |
Ｐ Ｄ |
Ｄ Ｃ |
Total |
|||||||||
|
Fields |
Number Of applicants |
Number Of accep- tances |
Acceptance rate |
Number of applicants |
Number of accep- tances |
Acceptance rate |
Number of applicants |
Number of accep- tances |
Acceptance rate |
Number of applicants |
Number of accep- tances |
Acceptance rate |
|
|
Humanities/ Social Sciences |
− |
4 |
− |
1,697 |
159 |
9.4 |
1,559 |
285 |
18.3 |
3,256 |
448 |
13.8 |
|
|
Mathematics/ Physics |
− |
3 |
− |
1,175 |
110 |
9.4 |
2,259 |
437 |
19.3 |
3,434 |
550 |
16 |
|
|
Chemistry |
− |
0 |
− |
388 |
45 |
11.6 |
1,318 |
251 |
19 |
1,706 |
296 |
17.4 |
|
|
Biology |
− |
4 |
− |
1,429 |
155 |
10.8 |
2,292 |
443 |
19.3 |
3,721 |
602 |
16.2 |
|
|
Total |
− |
11 |
− |
4,689 |
469 |
10 |
7,428 |
1,416 |
19.1 |
12,117 |
1,896 |
15.6 |
|
1. Acceptance Data for JSPS Research Fellows from Waseda University (new acceptances) (As of February 1, 2006)
|
Year of application |
Number of applicants |
Number of acceptances |
Acceptance rate (%) |
|
2006 |
234 |
27 |
11.5 |
|
2005 |
257 |
42 |
16.3 |
|
2004 |
258 |
34 |
13.2 |
|
2003 |
246 |
39 |
15.9 |
|
2002 |
254 |
31 |
12.2 |
For information in Japanese on application guidelines for JSPS Research Fellowships, please visit the JSPS website: http://www.jsps.go.jp/j-pd/main.htm
(Reference data)
Excerpt from 2006 application guidelines
JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists: application guidelines
March, 2005
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
1. Purpose
In order to foster creative researchers who will play important roles in future scientific research activities in this country it is very important to provide opportunities for prominent young researchers to concentrate on their research as they proactively choose research themes in a freewheeling atmosphere in the early stages of their research lives.
To that end, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) has been (a) awarding Research Fellowships to candidates who are in doctoral courses or postdoctoral positions, have superb research capability and wish to commit themselves to research at a university or a research institute and (b) providing them with research grants.
Moreover, from the point of view of fostering and securing young researchers with world top-level research ability, JSPS accepts particularly prominent postdoctoral researchers for superlative research fellowships (SPD) and provides them with research grants.
2. Eligible fields of study
All fields of humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
3. Eligibility for application
Those who are under the age of 34 as of April 1, 2006 (under age the of 36 for those who are in or have completed a doctoral course in medical science, dentistry, or veterinary science) and qualify under any of the following criteria:
(1) DC Research Fellowship (candidates in a doctoral course)
Doctoral course students of whom the following are true as of April 1, 2006:
(a) Studying in at least the first year of a doctoral course in a two-segment system (master’s and doctoral)
(b) Studying in at least the third year of a 5-year doctoral program
(c) Studying in at least the first year in a three-year doctoral program
(d) Studying in at least the second year of a doctoral course in medical science, dentistry, or veterinary science.
Note 1: Sections (a) to (c) above include those who plan to proceed to a doctoral course during the year 2006.
Note 2: Those who as of April 1, 2006 will stay in their doctoral course longer than the standard term of study are required to apply as (2), described below.
Note 3: Foreign students in Japanese graduate schools are eligible to apply.
(2) PD Research Fellowship (those who have completed a doctoral course)
(a) Those who have acquired a doctorate. (Regarding the fields of humanities and social science, this includes those who have been in a program longer than the standard term of study and withdrew from school with the required credits acquired by March 31, 2006 and have ability corresponding to that of those who have acquired a doctorate.)
(b) Those who are expected to acquire a doctorate by March 31, 2006.
(c) Those who as of April 1, 2006 will stay in graduate school longer than the standard term of study.
Note: The above also applies to foreigners who have a permanent visa.
4. Reapplication by ex-research fellows
Those who have been accepted for a research fellowship once cannot apply again (herein referred to as ‘reapplication’). However, ex-DC research fellows can apply for PD research fellowships unless their situation corresponds to any the following:
(a) After being informally accepted as a DC Research Fellow, the applicant changed status to PD Research Fellow, and the period since the change exceeds one year.
(b) After being informally accepted for a PD or SPD Research Fellowships in the past, the applicant for some reason could not complete his/her degree and thus had to change status to DC Research Fellow.
(c) The period of the research fellowship extends beyond April 1, 2006 (except in cases where the student stopped or extended the period due to maternity, and said student has less than one year of her research period remaining as of April 1, 2006).
Note: Even in cases where the applicant is reapplying and has been informally accepted but fails to acquire a doctor’s degree by March 31, 2006 (for humanities and social sciences, this includes cases where the applicant stayed in school longer than the standard term of study and did not withdraw from the course), the applicant will not be accepted.
5. Planned Number of Research Fellowship Acceptances
Approximately 1400.
6. Period of fellowship
(1) Research Fellow DC-1: Three years from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2009.
(2) Research Fellow DC-2: Two years from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2008.
(3) Research Fellow PD: Three years from April 1, 2006 to March 31; 2009.
(4) Research Fellow SPD: Three years from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2009.
7. Fellowship Amounts (Planned amount of grants for the year of 2005)
(1) Research Fellow DC-1: 200,000 yen per month
(2) Research Fellow DC-2: 200,000 yen per month
(3) Research Fellow PD: 364,000 yen per month
(4) Research Fellow SPD: 446,000 yen per month
8. Research Grants
Research Fellows are eligible to apply for Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (kaken-hi) or experimental research expenses (shiken-kenkyu-hi). After the screening of JSPS Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Committee, research grants of up to 1.5 million yen per year will be provided.
SPD Research Fellows are eligible to apply for Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (kaken-hi) or experimental research expenses (shiken-kenkyu-hi), and after the aforementioned screening, a research grant of up to 3 million yen per year will be provided.
9. Screening and notification of results
The JSPS Research Fellowship Examination Committee will conduct the first screening (screening of application materials) and the second screening (interview).
(1) The results of the first screening will be announced around early November 2005. In certain cases applicants who pass the first screening will be exempt from the second screening and will be informally accepted, of course depending on the results of the screening of application materials.
(2) The second screening will be conducted for those who successfully pass the first screening around early December 2005, and the results will be announced by early January 2006.
(3) For particularly high achievers among those who passed the first screening for PD Research Fellowships and were exempt from the second screening and were informally accepted, SPD Research Fellowship candidate interviews will be conducted around early December 2005.
10. Responsibilities and commitments of Research Fellows
(1) Research Fellows must carry out their research in accordance with the research plan stated in their applications, except in the case of discontinuation of fellowship for maternity. Changes in research plans will not be admitted except when there are extenuating circumstances. In some cases the qualification for a Research Fellowship might be revoked when it is recognized that the Fellow has not been concentrating on the research or there is some problem with the progress of the research.
(2) In principle Research Fellows cannot have any status other than Research Fellow except in cases where DC Research Fellows have graduate student status.
(3) When a Research Fellow takes a full-time job, the Research Fellow status will be revoked. When one begins a full-time job, one must report that to JSPS immediately.
(4) In cases where a DC Research Fellow withdraws from the doctoral course (or takes a leave from school except a period of discontinuation of fellowship for maternity), the Research Fellow status will be revoked. (For the humanities and social sciences, except in cases of staying in school longer than the standard term of study and withdrawing from the graduate school with the required credits). Such cases must be reported to JSPS immediately.
(5) Research Fellows must submit a research report at the end of each year and at the end of the fellowship period, except in the case of a one-year period of discontinuation of fellowship for maternity.
(6) Those who were accepted for SPD Research Fellowships must submit the required documents in addition to the aforementioned commitment since the evaluation of research progress will be conducted at the end of each year and at the time of expiration of the fellowship period. If JSPS deems it necessary, one is required to report one's progress. However, JSPS does not pay travel expenses for this occasion.
(7) Information such as the names, research themes, host researcher’s names and research reports of those who have been accepted as Research Fellows will be publicized.
11. Other
(1) Submission of documents at the time of acceptance
When one has been informally accepted as a JSPS Research Fellow, one must submit the documents designated by JSPS by a given date. Should one fail to submit the required documents on time, one cannot receive the fellowship.
(2) Status after acceptance
(a) When a DC Research Fellow has completed his/her graduate school and acquired a doctor’s degree (including the case where students of Humanities or Social Science stayed at their graduate school for longer than the standard time of study and withdrew after acquiring the required credits), the status will change from DC to PD for the rest of the fellowship period, starting in the next month.
(b) When those who were informally accepted as PD or SPD Research Fellows did not acquire a doctor’s degree by the time of acceptance (including the case where students of Humanities or Social Sciences stayed in their graduate school for longer than the standard time of study and did not acquire the required credits), the PD or SPD status of will change to DC and the period of fellowship will be two years. Those who reapply cannot be accepted.
(c) In the case of (b) above, when a Research Fellow acquired a doctor’s degree during the period of a fellowship (including the case where students of Humanities or Social Sciences stayed in their graduate school for longer than the standard time of study and withdrew after acquiring the designated credits), the DC status will change again to PD (even if one has changed from SPD to DC, the status will be just PD) starting from the next month and the period of fellowship will be extended from two years to three years.
(3) About grants
(a) If someone who has been given a grant from another organization such as the Japan Student Services Organization is accepted as a JSPS Research Fellow, that person should decline the JSPS Fellowship.
(b) When foreign students who have been given grants from other organizations such as the Japanese government (MEXT) or the Japan Student Services Organization are accepted as JSPS Research Fellows, they should decline the JSPS Fellowships.
(4) About taxation on research grants
Research grants provided for Research Fellows are considered earned income and are subject to taxation.
(5) Part-time employment
Since Research Fellows are obliged to concentrate on their research, in principle they are not allowed to have part-time jobs.
(6) Related information
Application data for the past several years is published on the JSPS website: http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-pd/pddc.htm