The FY 2024 JSPS Research Fellowship
for Japanese Biomedical and Behavioral Researchers at NIH (“KAITOKU-NIH”)
◆ Scope and Purpose of the Program
This program is offered at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), in cooperation with the NIH’s Fogarty International Center (FIC), and the NIH Office of Intramural Research. It is designed to support meritorious biomedical and behavioral research projects undertaken in NIH laboratories by young Japanese postdoctoral researchers who intend to hold research positions at Japanese universities or other academic institutions or public institutions in Japan in the future.
◆ Terms and Conditions
1. Number of Fellowships awarded annually
Approximately 8 Fellowships, but possibly fewer depending on application quality and funding availability.
2. Duration and commencement of Fellowship
Duration: 2 years
Fellowships must begin ON either January 1, February 1, or March 1, 2025.
3. Financial terms of the Fellowship
JSPS will provide each Fellow with a monthly stipend of 379,000 yen to be directly deposited into a designated bank account in Japan or the US. JSPS and NIH agreed that the Fellows are designated as a Supplemental Visiting Fellow and each sponsoring NIH institute or center (IC) must provide each Fellow with supplemental funding. The IC also provides health insurance coverage for each Fellow and eligible accompanied family members.
4. JSPS stipulations for eligibility
- Applicants must be Japanese citizens or permanent residents of Japan.
- Applicants must have obtained their doctoral degree, equivalent to a Ph.D., which must have been received on or after April 2, 2019. (i.e. April 2, 2019 to April 1, 2024).
- Applicants who are already working in the United States must be eligible for an extension of their visa.
- Individuals who have previously been awarded a JSPS Overseas Research Fellowships (formerly JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research Abroad) are not eligible.
5. Obligations
If any information in an application is found to be falsified, plagiarized or otherwise flawed, the application will be rejected. After selection, fellows should observe the following points and will be expected to observe the regulations and procedure.
Failure to do so may result in the termination of the fellowship, and return of any already-paid. For details, fellows are requested to read carefully and observe each item in a program guidelines “日本学術振興会海外特別研究員（NIH）の事務手続の手引,” which is to be provided to fellows.
- Fellows must devote themselves exclusively to their research at NIH during the tenure of their fellowship. Fellows may, however, suspend their fellowships for the purpose of childbearing, infant nursing or illness with doctor’s order.
- Fellows must prepare an annual report on their research progress. One in Japanese and English is to be submitted to the JSPS Washington Office, one in English to the Fogarty International Center.
- Fellows may not receive other fellowships, a salary or wages during the period of their tenures in principle. (With the exception of researchers working full time or part-time at a Japanese research institution.)
- Other than a research position at a university, an inter-university research institute, a national laboratory or an independent administrative institution, a special public corporation, an authorized corporation, a non-profit organization, or a prefectural research institution in Japan, applicants must not have employment commitments outside of the fellowship program, including part-time work.
- Fellows may not matriculate a university or graduate school as a student during the period of their tenure.
- Fellows shall not commit inappropriate behavior, such as fabrication, falsification or plagiarizing, in connection with their research activities including their oral presentations and any materials submitted for publication. Fellows are requested to complete a Responsible Conduct of Research(RCR) education designated by the JSPS prior to starting the fellowship. A pledge which states that the fellow has completed a RCR education and will not get involved in misconduct to be submitted to the JSPS.
- Fellows shall use research funds appropriately based on NIH’s and JSPS’s rules and procedures.
6. Deadlines and selection procedures
- Deadline for receipt of electronic applications to FIC (in both Japanese and English): Friday, May 31, 2024 by 5:00pm EDT
- Date in July TBD: An NIH review committee nominates the top 8 applicants to JSPS.
- In late September: JSPS mails out preliminary selection letters to the fellowship awardees and sends the selection results to NIH. ICs at NIH begin to process the paperwork for accepting the awardees.
- On January 1, February 1, and March 1, 2025, the fellowship is started.
7. Note
- JSPS shall terminate the fellowships of individuals who have falsified their applications or who behave improperly during their tenure at NIH.
- Requests to change research plan, host institution, host researcher are as a rule not granted. When change is needed for unavoidable reasons, please consult with the JSPS Washington Office right away.
8. Application format and what to submit
Please submit the following application package. Please send them to the following e-mail address: ficjspsintramural@mail.nih.gov
The application package must adhere to “JSPS “KAITOKU-NIH” Application Guide“.
- FORM A (English version: MS-Word “docx” Format)
- FORM B (Japanese version: MS-Word “docx” Format)
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- Letter of Invitation: Submit only one letter of invitation from your NIH host researcher. The letter must include the following:
- Describe the goal of the lab and how the Japanese scientist’s qualifications enable him/her to work in the lab/branch.
- Describe the applicant’s research project from your perspective as sponsor and how this training will be mutually beneficial to the Japanese scientist and NIH.
- Statement of commitment to provide all of the following compensation and benefits:
- Designation of Supplemental Visiting Fellow (Individuals who receive this fellowship must be designated as Supplemental Visiting Fellow and cannot be Guest Researcher or Special Volunteer.)
- Appropriate stipend amount per NIH stipend tables (In addition to the JSPS stipend the awardee receives, the NIH IC host lab must provide supplemental funding to meet the NIH stipend tables).
- Health insurance premium for fellow and eligible dependents (spouse, and children under age 21)
- Lab space, equipment and resources to conduct research
- *Since FY2017, the NIH IC obligation to support an unsuccessful JSPS applicant has been eliminated. The invitation to work in your lab can be contingent on receiving the award.
- Certificate of PhD degree: Certification must take the form of a certificate of the diploma with the original seal and signature from the university issuing the doctoral degree. It must be attached to the application form. This document must be in either English or Japanese. When the original document is in another language, please be sure to attach an English or Japanese translation (which does not to need be an official translation).
- 5-page Biosketch: Submit the 5-page Biosketch (Curriculum Vitae) of your NIH host researcher. The Biosketch may not exceed 5 pages.
9. Review Criteria
- Quality and feasibility of the proposed research project.
- Applicant’s past scientific record.
- Suitability of the sponsoring laboratory.
- Evidence that the applicant is prepared to do the proposed research.
10. 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, fellows should note that their name, title, affiliated organization and country; research theme, host institution, host researcher’s name and title; and research reports may be given public access. Fellows are also asked to participate in surveys aimed at improving JSPS programs.
11. Duty to cooperate in follow-up surveys
- Fellows must cooperate in follow-up surveys conducted by the JSPS at the end of their fellowship and up to 10 years after the end of the fellowship. The follow-up surveys help us promote scientific research in Japan and improve the fellowship. Please note that cooperating in the follow-up surveys is one of conditions of the fellowship.
- In order to conduct follow-up surveys smoothly, former fellows who ended the fellowship within 10 years must keep the JSPS informed of any change of affiliation or address.
12. For further information please contact
Mili Ferreira, MPH, Program Specialist
e-mail: mili.ferreira@nih.gov
Office: NIH Campus Building 31, Room B2C31 (teleworking as of March 2021)
Fogarty International Center
National Institutes of Health
