JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan – Short-Term Programme for African Researchers 2027

The programme therefore accommodates researchers at both the doctoral-training and early postdoctoral stages.

Applicants should also have a strong research background and be able to demonstrate the potential to undertake meaningful cooperative research with their Japanese host.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must satisfy the detailed eligibility conditions of the applicable JSPS call.

In general, applicants must:

1. Be a citizen or permanent resident of an eligible ASEAN member country or African country.

2. Be from an eligible country with diplomatic relations with Japan, subject to the specific JSPS rules.

3. Have an appropriate research background for the proposed cooperative research project.

4. For postdoctoral applicants, have obtained a doctoral degree outside Japan within six years of 1 April of the year in which the fellowship begins, subject to the applicable provisions concerning maternity or parental leave.

5. For pre-doctoral applicants, be enrolled in a doctoral programme outside Japan and be scheduled to obtain a Ph.D. within two years from the time their research begins in Japan.

6. Have a strong research record appropriate to their career stage.

7. Have a Japanese host researcher who is willing to supervise and collaborate on the proposed research.

8. Have an eligible Japanese host institution capable of providing an appropriate research environment.

9. Prepare a suitable cooperative research plan describing the objectives, significance and activities to be undertaken during the fellowship.

10. Not already hold a Japanese resident card with a mailing address in Japan at the relevant application deadline, subject to the programme rules.

11. Not have previously been awarded and started a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan under the programmes specified by JSPS. The Short-Term (PA) fellowship is awarded only once per researcher.

12. Follow the nomination procedure established by the relevant overseas nominating authority.

Eligible African Countries

JSPS currently lists the following African countries as eligible for the Short-Term (PA) programme:

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Cabo Verde, Republic of Seychelles, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Applicants should confirm their eligibility against the current JSPS programme information before beginning the application process.

Research Fields

The programme is unusually broad in terms of academic discipline.

JSPS states that all fields of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences are included.

This means that potential applicants may come from areas such as:

• Agricultural Sciences
• Biological Sciences
• Environmental Sciences
• Food and Agricultural Research
• Entomology and Plant Protection
• Medicine and Health Sciences
• Engineering
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Mathematics
• Computer and Information Sciences
• Economics
• Education
• Law
• Political and Social Sciences
• Languages and Cultural Studies
• Other humanities and social science disciplines

The proposed project must, however, be appropriate for cooperative research with the selected Japanese host researcher and institution.

Fellowship Duration

The Short-Term (PA) fellowship provides funding for 1 to 12 months.

The fellowship is intended to be a continuous research stay in Japan rather than a programme that can be divided into several unrelated visits.

During the fellowship, researchers conduct the approved cooperative research under the guidance of their Japanese host.

The actual fellowship period will depend on the approved application and the conditions of the particular award.

Fellowship Benefits

The JSPS Short-Term (PA) fellowship provides substantial financial support for researchers undertaking their research stay in Japan.

Successful fellows may receive:

1. Round-trip international airfare in accordance with JSPS regulations.

2. Monthly maintenance allowance of JPY 362,000 for researchers who hold a Ph.D. by the time the fellowship begins.

3. Monthly maintenance allowance of JPY 200,000 for fellows who have not yet obtained their Ph.D. by the fellowship start date.

4. JPY 200,000 settling-in allowance for fellows whose approved fellowship tenure is three months or longer.

5. Overseas travel insurance during the applicable period.

6. Research support allowance of up to JPY 70,000 × the number of months of tenure to support cooperative research-related expenses. This research support allowance is applied for by the Japanese host researcher through the host institution.

The financial amounts are subject to JSPS programme conditions and may be changed for budgetary reasons.

Important Note About the Monthly Allowance

The higher JPY 362,000 monthly allowance applies to fellows who have submitted their Ph.D. diploma or doctoral degree certificate before the fellowship begins.

If the required doctoral certificate has not been submitted by the start of the fellowship, the monthly maintenance allowance is initially JPY 200,000.

If the doctoral certificate is submitted after the fellowship has begun, the higher amount may apply from the month following submission, but amounts already paid are not retroactively increased.

The Japanese Host Researcher

Having a suitable Japanese host is one of the most important parts of this fellowship.

The host researcher is not simply a contact person. The host is expected to provide an appropriate research environment and guide the cooperative research activities during the fellowship.

The Japanese host researcher must satisfy JSPS requirements concerning affiliation and research status.

Eligible host institutions can include:

• Universities and inter-university research institutes
• MEXT-affiliated research institutions
• Colleges of technology
• Other institutions designated by the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Applicants should therefore identify a Japanese researcher whose expertise closely matches their proposed research rather than approaching institutions without a clear research connection.

Why the Research Proposal Matters

The purpose of the fellowship is to support cooperative research, so applicants should be able to explain clearly what they intend to accomplish during their time in Japan.

A strong research plan should establish:

1. The research problem or scientific question.

2. The objectives of the proposed research.

3. Why the research is important.

4. The methods or research activities to be undertaken.

5. Why collaboration with the Japanese host is valuable.

6. What expertise, facilities, equipment or techniques available in Japan will contribute to the project.

7. What the researcher expects to accomplish during the fellowship period.

8. How the collaboration could contribute to future research activities after the fellowship.

Applicants should avoid presenting the fellowship simply as an opportunity to travel to Japan. The application should demonstrate a genuine and feasible research collaboration between the applicant and the Japanese host.

Application Process

The Short-Term (PA) programme is different from JSPS programmes that use a general open call.

Step 1: Confirm Your Eligibility

Check that your country, academic status, doctoral status and research experience satisfy the current JSPS requirements.

Step 2: Identify a Japanese Host Researcher

Search for Japanese researchers whose expertise closely matches your research interests.

The best potential host is one whose current research, laboratory facilities or research group complements the proposed project.

Step 3: Establish Contact With the Host

Contact the prospective Japanese researcher and introduce your research background, research interests and proposed cooperative project.

Explain why their expertise and research environment are relevant to the proposed work.

Step 4: Develop the Cooperative Research Plan

Work with the prospective host to develop a realistic research plan that can be completed during the proposed fellowship period.

Step 5: Confirm the Appropriate Nominating Authority

JSPS does not accept direct open applications for the Short-Term (PA) programme.

Applications are made through designated overseas nominating authorities.

For African researchers, JSPS identifies different routes for North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and certain E-JUST-affiliated researchers.

Step 6: Follow the Nominating Authority's Instructions

Application procedures and deadlines may differ between nominating authorities.

Applicants should therefore contact the authority responsible for their country and follow its specific instructions.

Step 7: Prepare the Required Documents

Depending on the nomination route, applicants may need to provide documents relating to:

• Curriculum vitae
• Research achievements
• Academic qualifications
• Research plan
• Recommendation
• Proposed host researcher
• Japanese host institution
• Cooperative research objectives

The exact documentation should be confirmed with the relevant nominating authority.

Step 8: Submit Through the Required Route

The completed application must be submitted through the applicable overseas nominating authority rather than directly to JSPS as an individual open applicant.

How the Nomination System Works

The Short-Term (PA) programme operates through overseas nomination rather than an open call in Japan.

JSPS currently identifies the following nomination routes:

ASEAN: JSPS Bangkok Office, with the application process supported by the ASEAN University Network (AUN).

North Africa: JSPS Cairo Research Station.

Sub-Saharan Africa: JSPS Nairobi Research Station.

E-JUST: A separate route is listed for researchers affiliated with the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST).

Because the procedures and application periods can vary by nominating authority, applicants should contact the appropriate authority for their region before preparing their final submission.

Application Deadline

15 October 2026 is the deadline associated with the current overseas nomination route referred to for this opportunity.

However, applicants should confirm the deadline directly with the relevant JSPS overseas nominating authority, because JSPS states that application procedures and application periods can vary by nominating authority.

This is particularly important for African applicants because different African regions are handled through different nomination routes.

Applicants should not rely solely on a general deadline displayed on third-party websites.

Important Information for Applicants

This is a research fellowship, not a Master's scholarship. Applicants should already be involved in doctoral-level or postdoctoral research and should have a defined research project.

A Japanese host researcher is essential. Applicants should establish a genuine research connection with a suitable Japanese researcher before proceeding with the nomination process.

There is no ordinary open application route for Short-Term (PA). JSPS states that fellows are selected through recommendations from overseas nominating authorities.

The fellowship covers a maximum of 12 months. Applicants should design a research plan that is realistic for the proposed period.

The programme is not limited to science and engineering. JSPS explicitly includes the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

The fellowship is highly collaborative. Applicants should clearly demonstrate how the proposed research will involve meaningful cooperation with their Japanese host.

The financial support is subject to programme conditions. Applicants should verify the current terms and amounts before making financial plans.

The host institution and nominating authority may have earlier internal deadlines. Applicants should not wait until the final JSPS-related deadline before beginning the process.

Who Should Apply?

This fellowship may be particularly relevant to:

• Doctoral researchers who have not yet completed their Ph.D. but expect to do so within the required period.
• Early-career postdoctoral researchers who obtained their Ph.D. within the applicable eligibility period.
• Researchers from eligible African and ASEAN countries.
• Researchers with a clearly defined research project.
• Researchers who have identified a Japanese academic whose expertise complements their own.
• Researchers who want to gain experience working within a Japanese research environment.
• Researchers seeking to establish long-term international research collaborations.

Potential Research Outcomes

A successful research stay can provide opportunities to:

• Conduct experiments or other research activities in Japan.
• Work with Japanese research groups.
• Gain exposure to research methods and facilities.
• Develop international research collaborations.
• Exchange knowledge with Japanese researchers.
• Build academic networks across Africa, ASEAN and Japan.
• Strengthen future collaborative research proposals.
• Develop research outputs from the cooperative project.

The specific research activities and outputs will depend on the approved research plan and the agreement between the fellow and Japanese host.

How to Apply

Applicants should begin by identifying the Japanese host researcher and confirming their eligibility for the programme.

They should then contact the appropriate overseas nominating authority for their country or region to obtain the current application instructions and deadline.

The official JSPS programme information should be used to confirm the current eligibility rules, eligible countries, financial support, nomination route and application procedure.