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JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027 — Apply Now, Deadline Aug 2026

Faseeh Sultan

July 8, 2026
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JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027 — Apply Now, Deadline August 2026

Japan is inviting young researchers from around the world to conduct collaborative research at some of the country’s leading universities and institutions — and right now, the call for applications is open. The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan FY2027 offers a generous monthly stipend, round-trip airfare, and full research support for postdoctoral researchers in all fields of study. The application deadline for the first round of the Standard Program is 28 August 2026 at 5:00 p.m. (Japan Standard Time).

If you are an early-career researcher who has recently completed your PhD — or are about to — this is one of the most accessible, well-funded, and internationally respected fellowship opportunities available anywhere in the world right now.

Detail	Information
Organization	Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
Country	Japan 🇯🇵
Fellowship Level	Postdoctoral (open to recent PhD holders and final-year PhD students)
Programs	Standard Program + Short-term (PE) Program
Fields	All — humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences
Monthly Stipend	JPY 362,000 (approx. USD 2,400 / verify current rate)
Settling-in Allowance	JPY 200,000 (one-time)
Airfare	Round-trip covered by JSPS
Standard Duration	12 to 24 months
Short-term (PE) Duration	1 to 12 months
Current Deadline	28 August 2026, 5:00 p.m. JST
Open To	Standard: worldwide; Short-term (PE): US, Canada, EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Russia
Official Link	JSPS Fellowship — Application Guidelines

🎓 About the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science has been running international fellowship programs since 1979, beginning with a small cohort of postdoctoral researchers from the UK and West Germany. Over four decades later, it has grown into one of Japan’s flagship mechanisms for attracting global research talent — and for good reason. JSPS is a semi-governmental funding agency under Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and its fellowships carry genuine institutional credibility.

What makes this fellowship stand out among global postdoctoral opportunities is its breadth. Every academic discipline qualifies — from philosophy to particle physics, from history to molecular biology. There is no thematic restriction, no preferred region of origin (for the Standard Program), and no bias toward a particular career stage beyond the requirement that you have completed or are about to complete your doctoral degree.

This is also one of the few funded postdoctoral programs in the world where the application is led by your Japanese host researcher, not by you alone. That structure shifts the burden of institutional bureaucracy to your host — which means if you can identify the right supervisor in Japan and get them on board, the path from application to fellowship is remarkably clear.

🎓 Two Programs — Which One Is Right for You?

JSPS runs two fellowship tracks under this open call. Here’s the key distinction:

Standard Program

Duration: 12 to 24 months
Open to: Citizens of any country with diplomatic relations with Japan (which includes virtually the entire world, plus Taiwan and Palestine)
Stipend: JPY 362,000 per month
Best for: Early-career researchers seeking an extended, immersive research experience in Japan
Learn more about the Standard Program

Short-term (PE) Program

Duration: 1 to 12 months
Open to: Citizens or permanent residents of the US, Canada, EU countries, UK, Switzerland, Norway, and Russia — or researchers who have continuously worked at an institution in one of these countries for at least three years
Stipend: JPY 362,000/month for PhD holders; JPY 200,000/month for enrolled doctoral students
Best for: PhD students or recent graduates in Europe or North America who want a focused short research visit to Japan
Learn more about the Short-term (PE) Program

Here’s what makes this different from most postdoc programs: the Short-term (PE) track actively welcomes PhD students who have not yet graduated — as long as they are expected to receive their PhD within two years of the fellowship start date. That is a rare and genuinely useful provision.

🎓 Benefits and Financial Support

Both programs offer the following:

Monthly stipend of JPY 362,000 (for PhD holders) — paid throughout the fellowship period
Round-trip airfare covered in accordance with JSPS regulations
Settling-in allowance of JPY 200,000 (one-time payment on arrival; applicable to Standard Program fellows and Short-term fellows with 3+ months of tenure)
Overseas travel insurance provided for the duration of the fellowship
Access to a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) through your host researcher — this is an additional research funding mechanism available to cover cooperative research-related expenses (verify on official website)
Full access to the facilities, equipment, and library resources of your host institution

Note: Fellows who already have a mailing address in Japan at the time the fellowship starts will not receive the outbound airfare or settling-in allowance. If you are already based in Japan, confirm your entitlements directly with JSPS before applying.

🎓 Eligibility Criteria

For the Standard Program — Candidate Eligibility:

Citizen of a country with diplomatic relations with Japan (including Taiwan and Palestine)
As of 1 April of the fellowship fiscal year, have obtained a doctoral degree within the past six years — or be expected to receive a PhD by the fellowship start date
Not a Japanese citizen or a foreigner with permanent residence in Japan
Not a previous recipient of a JSPS Standard Fellowship or the Pathway to University Positions in Japan fellowship
Time taken for maternity or parental leave is deducted from the six-year eligibility window

For the Short-term (PE) Program — Candidate Eligibility:

Citizen or permanent resident of: the US, Canada, EU countries, UK, Switzerland, Norway, or Russia — or a researcher who has continuously worked at an institution in one of these countries for at least three years
PhD obtained within the past six years (as of 1 April of the fellowship fiscal year), OR currently enrolled in a doctoral programme and expected to complete the PhD within two years of the fellowship start date
Not a previous recipient of JSPS Short-term (PE), Short-term (PA), Standard (P), or Pathway to University Positions fellowships
Not currently holding a resident card with a mailing address in Japan at the JSPS application deadline

English language: No specific English language test requirement (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.) is stated in the JSPS fellowship guidelines. The fellowship is conducted at a Japanese host institution and the language of research supervision will depend on your host researcher and institution. If your research field requires Japanese language proficiency, discuss this with your prospective host before applying.

🎓 Who Should Apply / Who Shouldn’t

✅ This fellowship is a strong fit if you:

Hold a PhD or are in the final stages of your doctoral degree
Have a genuine research interest that connects with work happening at a Japanese university or institution
Are in the early years of your postdoctoral career (within 6 years of PhD)
Want a fully supported international research experience with no tuition component — just research
Are from the US, Canada, EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway, or Russia (Short-term PE) or from virtually anywhere in the world (Standard)

❌ This may not be right if:

You have not yet started your PhD — this is a postdoctoral fellowship, not a scholarship for PhD study
You have previously received a JSPS fellowship under any of the eligible tracks
You are a Japanese citizen or a permanent resident of Japan
You do not yet have a Japanese host researcher willing to sponsor your application — this is a non-negotiable prerequisite

🎓 Fields of Research

This is one of the fellowship’s strongest features: all fields of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences are eligible. There is no restricted list. Whether your research sits in:

Linguistics, philosophy, history, or literature
Economics, sociology, political science, or education
Mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology
Engineering, medicine, environmental science, or computer science
Any interdisciplinary or emerging research area

…you are eligible. The quality of your research proposal and the strength of your host researcher’s application are what matter.

You can browse JSPS’s review section classifications in the FY2027 Review Section Table to identify where your field sits within the selection process.

🎓 Required Documents

The application is submitted by your host researcher in Japan through the JSPS Electronic Application System. However, you as the candidate are responsible for preparing:

FORM2 — the candidate’s application form (download from the FY2027 Application Guidelines page)
A research plan describing what you intend to study in Japan and why
A Letter of Recommendation from your recommender (sample format available on the official page)
Your doctoral degree certificate or diploma — or a prospect certificate if you have not yet graduated (submitted before the fellowship start date, not at application stage)
Your CV / academic profile (as part of FORM2)

Note: FORM1 (the host researcher’s form) is filled out by your Japanese supervisor through the JSPS Electronic Application System — this is their responsibility, not yours.

🎓 Step-by-Step Application Process

Identify a Japanese host researcher. This is the most important step and the one most applicants underestimate. Browse faculty profiles at Japanese universities in your field, read their recent publications, and reach out with a specific, well-researched email. Your host researcher is not just a formality — they are a co-applicant.
Download your program’s FORM2 from the JSPS Application Guidelines page. Fill it in carefully, including your research plan and academic history.
Obtain a Letter of Recommendation from a recommender (usually your PhD supervisor or a senior colleague). Use the sample format provided by JSPS.
Coordinate with your host researcher — they submit FORM1 through the JSPS Electronic Application System. Be aware that host institutions often have their own internal deadlines that are one month or more earlier than JSPS’s deadline. Confirm this with your host as soon as possible.
Your host’s institution submits the application to the JSPS president by the deadline — 28 August 2026, 5:00 p.m. JST for the FY2027 Standard (1st round).
Await selection results. JSPS will notify successful candidates through their host institutions.

Practical tip: Finding the right host researcher is the single biggest factor in whether your application succeeds. A Japanese professor who knows JSPS’s system, has hosted JSPS fellows before, and has active funding will make the entire process significantly smoother. Look for JSPS alumni pages and published fellow lists to identify experienced hosts in your field.

🎓 Important Dates

Milestone	Date
FY2027 Standard (1st Round) — Call Open	Currently open
Application Deadline (FY2027 Standard 1st)	28 August 2026, 5:00 p.m. JST
Internal Host Institution Deadlines	Varies — confirm with your host (often 1+ month before JSPS deadline)
FY2026 Applications	Closed
Short-term (PE) Deadline	Check Short-term (PE) Application Schedule

Bookmark this page and check back for updates — additional rounds and short-term call schedules are posted on the official JSPS website.

🎓 Why Apply — Why Japan and Why JSPS

Japan is home to some of the world’s most respected research environments — particularly in engineering, materials science, robotics, medicine, and the humanities. Universities such as the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Osaka University, and Tohoku University consistently rank among Asia’s best, with research output that is globally competitive across almost every discipline.

Beyond research output, what Japan offers a postdoctoral fellow is something harder to quantify: a research culture that values precision, depth, and sustained focus. For a young researcher, spending 12–24 months embedded in a Japanese university laboratory or humanities centre is not just a career line on a CV — it is a genuinely formative experience.

And the JSPS name carries real weight. A JSPS fellowship on your academic record signals to future employers and grant committees that you have been selected through a rigorous, internationally recognized process. Past JSPS fellows have gone on to faculty positions, leading research institutes, and senior roles in government science bodies across dozens of countries.

This is one of the few postdoctoral fellowships in the world where your field does not restrict your eligibility — which makes it especially powerful for researchers in the humanities and social sciences, who often find that major fellowship programmes skew heavily toward STEM.

🎓 FAQ

Q: Do I need to speak Japanese to apply or to conduct my research? A: No Japanese language proficiency is required by JSPS as a formal condition of eligibility. The language of research supervision depends on your host and institution. Many Japanese research environments operate in English, particularly in STEM fields. Discuss this directly with your prospective host before applying.

Q: Can I apply if I haven’t finished my PhD yet? A: For the Standard Program, you must be expected to have your PhD by the fellowship start date. For the Short-term (PE) Program, you can apply if you are currently enrolled in a doctoral programme and expect to complete within two years of the fellowship start date.

Q: What countries are eligible for the Standard Program? A: Any country that has diplomatic relations with Japan — which includes most countries in the world. Taiwan and Palestine are also explicitly included. Check the JSPS guidelines if you are uncertain about your country.

Q: What countries are eligible for the Short-term (PE) Program? A: The US, Canada, EU member states, UK, Switzerland, Norway, and Russia. Researchers from other countries who have worked continuously at an institution in one of these countries for at least three years are also eligible.

Q: Can I choose my own research topic? A: Yes — your research plan is proposed by you (in FORM2) and carried out under the guidance of your Japanese host researcher. There is no externally mandated topic list.

Q: What is the application process if I am already in Japan? A: If you already have a mailing address in Japan at the fellowship start date, you will not receive the outbound airfare or settling-in allowance. Contact postdoc-standard@jsps.go.jp to clarify your situation before applying.

🎓 Official Sources and Contact

JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship — Official Page

Application Guidelines (Open Call) — FY2027

Standard Program — About the Program

Short-term (PE) Program — About the Program

JSPS Electronic Application System

Standard Program contact: postdoc-standard@jsps.go.jp

Short-term (PE) contact: postdoc-short@jsps.go.jp

Overseas Fellowship Division, International Program Department, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi Business Center Building, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan

Phone: +81-3-3263-3444

🎓 Summary Table

Detail	Standard Program	Short-term (PE) Program
Organization	JSPS	JSPS
Country	Japan 🇯🇵	Japan 🇯🇵
Level	Postdoctoral	Postdoctoral / Final-year PhD
Duration	12–24 months	1–12 months
Monthly Stipend	JPY 362,000	JPY 362,000 (PhD) / JPY 200,000 (student)
Airfare	Round-trip covered	Round-trip covered
Settling-in Allowance	JPY 200,000	JPY 200,000 (3+ months only)
Eligible Countries	All with diplomatic ties to Japan	US, Canada, EU, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Russia
PhD Required	By fellowship start date	Within 2 years of start date (students)
Fields	All	All
IELTS Required	Not stated in guidelines	Not stated in guidelines
Deadline	28 August 2026, 5 p.m. JST	Check Short-term (PE) schedule
Official Link	Apply Here	Apply Here