Award Profile:

PhD dissertation research candidates, graduate students enrolled in professional schools such as law, business, journalism, international relations, public administration, and fine arts or graduates from the above-mentioned professional schools within 3 years of the time of application, are eligible to apply. Non-Japanese studies specialists or first-timers to Japan must show the feasibility of their proposals and indicate how a Japanese experience will relate to their career plans.

Grant Period:

12 months

Grants may begin at any date from July 2017 through March 2018. Awards for PhD dissertation grantees may be extended for a maximum of six months in two three-month iterations, depending on availability of funds and subject to satisfactory justification and progress. Applicants who think their work will require more than one year should include justification in their research proposals.

Pre-Departure Orientation:

No Pre-Departure Orientation

Accepted Degree Levels:

Master's
Doctoral

Foreign Language Proficiency:

Required - Intermediate
2 years of college-level study, or the equivalent, prior to commencing the grant

Additional Information: At least 2 years of college-level study is required prior to commencing the grant.  Higher level proficiency may be necessary depending on the requirements of the proposed project. Japanese Studies specialists who plan to conduct advanced research must have the necessary language skills.

Fulbright Proposal Types:

Independent Study/Research: Yes

Graduate Degree Enrollment: No

Affiliation:

Applicants should identify appropriate host institutions for their projects and include affiliation letters with their Fulbright applications. The Fulbright Commission will confirm final affiliations for candidates awarded Fulbright Grants.

Ineligibility:

Candidates living in Japan may apply only if they are studying Japanese language full-time, and have not otherwise been studying or conducting research or been employed in the immediate past in Japan. Applicants with completed doctorates at the time of the start of the award are not eligible.

Fields of Study:

Social science and humanities applications will be considered in the following six areas:

1) Japan Studies: Projects on Japan’s society and culture in the social sciences or humanities

2) Pacific Rim Relations: Studies of the political and economic relations between Japan, the U.S., and a third country or region such as Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific island nations, North America, Australia, or New Zealand. Grantees may spend up to two months, typically toward the end of their grants, in a third country if the research justifies it and the Fulbright Commission in Japan approves.

3) Critical Issues of Contemporary Society: The study of contemporary social issues in Japan and the U.S. Subjects of particular interest include the impact of rapid technological development, risk or crisis management, ethical and other issues related to the exploding telecommunications industry, environmental issues, urbanization, the family, issues relating to an aging society, public law, criminology and journalism.

4) Transnational Issues of Global Society: Subjects of particular interest include health policy, international trade, labor and mobility, migration, environmental policy, energy and demographic issues.

5) Education: Studies related to educational systems of Japan and the United States with particular focus on contemporary issues. A comparative perspective is strongly encouraged.

6) Applications will also be accepted in the fields of architecture, creative writing, design, painting, and sculpture.

Japanese Language Proposal:

Applicants must submit a 1-page Statement of Grant Purpose in Japanese in addition to the 2-page English language version. When preparing these statements offline, the Japanese language version should be appended after the English version, so that there will be up to three pages for the two statements.  The statements should be uploaded into the Embark application system as a single PDF document.

Institutional Review Board Clearance:

For all levels and types of projects, if the proposed research project entails "human subject" issues, candidates should be aware that gaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval after arrival in Japan will be virtually impossible. Candidates should explore obtaining IRB approval from their current universities if at all possible, as this process is not as common or thoroughly developed in Japan.

Citizenship:

Persons holding dual Japan-U.S. citizenship or permanent Japanese residency must give up their Japanese citizenship or permanent resident status if they are selected for and accept a Fulbright Grant to Japan.

Dependents:

Dependent support is available

Website:

http://www.fulbright.jp/eng/index.html

Award Profile:

This grant introduces recent American graduates to various regions of Japan to pursue language study and independent research at local universities. The main purpose of the research project is to serve as a vehicle for immersion and engagement with the local community. All grantees are placed outside Tokyo. Successful applicants will be chosen who demonstrate maturity, flexibility, and independence.

Grant Period:

10 months

Grantees must arrive in Japan in September 2017 to participate in the orientation program. They must also participate in a mid-year conference.

Pre-Departure Orientation:

No Pre-Departure Orientation

Candidate Profile:

Applications will be considered from graduating seniors who will receive Bachelor’s degrees between December 2016 and August 2017. Future career and academic objectives are important considerations and should be addressed in the Personal Statement of the application.

Applications from At-Large candidates will not be accepted.

Accepted Degree Levels:

Bachelor's

Foreign Language Proficiency:

Required - Intermediate
2 years of college-level study, or the equivalent, prior to commencing the grant

Additional Information: At least 2 years of college-level study is required prior to commencing the grant. Higher level proficiency may be necessary depending on the requirements of the proposed project. 

Fulbright Proposal Types:

Independent Study/Research: Yes

Graduate Degree Enrollment: No

Affiliation:

The Fulbright Commission arranges all affiliations, taking the student’s background and previous experience in Japan into consideration. All candidates will be placed in academic institutions outside of Tokyo.  

Preliminary contact with institutions is strongly discouraged, with the exception of candidates applying in the hard sciences and the creative arts.  Applicants with projects in the hard sciences and the creative arts should include affiliation letters from Japanese universities outside of Tokyo with their Fulbright applications.  Applicants in other fields should not include affiliation letters.

Grantees do not enroll as degree students at Japanese universities. They structure their own programs, combining language study, selected course study according to their Japanese proficiency, and individual research under the guidance of an assigned professor. Fellows with prior experience in Japan will be strongly discouraged from returning to the locales of their prior studies or residence.

Fields of Study:

Though applications in all disciplines will be considered, preference will be given to social science and humanities applications in the following five areas:

1) Japan Studies: Projects on Japan’s society and culture in the social sciences or humanities.

2) Pacific Rim Relations: Studies of the political and economic relations between Japan, the U.S., and a third country or region such as Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific island nations, North America, Australia, or New Zealand. 

3) Critical Issues of Contemporary Society: The study of contemporary social issues in Japan and the U.S. Subjects of particular interest include the impact of rapid technological development, risk or crisis management, ethical and other issues related to the exploding telecommunications industry, environmental issues, urbanization, the family, issues relating to an aging society, public law, criminology and journalism.

4) Transnational Issues of Global Society: Subjects of particular interest include health policy, international trade, labor and mobility, migration, environmental policy, energy and demographic issues.

5) Education: Studies related to educational systems of Japan and the United States with particular focus on contemporary issues. A comparative perspective is strongly encouraged.

Japanese Language Proposal:

Applicants must submit a 1-page Statement of Grant Purpose in Japanese in addition to the 2-page English language version. When preparing these statements offline, the Japanese language version should be appended after the English version, so that there will be up to three pages for the two statements.  The statements should be uploaded into the Embark application system as a single PDF document.

Institutional Review Board Clearance:

For all levels and types of projects, if the proposed research project entails "human subject" issues, candidates should be aware that gaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval after arrival in Japan will be virtually impossible. Candidates should explore obtaining IRB approval from their current universities if at all possible, as this process is not as common or thoroughly developed in Japan.

Citizenship:

Persons holding dual Japan-U.S. citizenship or permanent Japanese residency must give up their Japanese citizenship or permanent resident status if they are selected for and accept a Fulbright Grant to Japan.

Dependents:

Dependent support is available

Website:

http://www.fulbright.jp/eng/index.html