JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027 in Japan: JPY 362,000 Monthly Stipend, Airfare and 120 Awards per Open-Call Round

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan – Standard Program offers outstanding early-career researchers from around the world an opportunity to spend 12 to 24 months conducting collaborative research at universities and eligible research institutions in Japan. The fellowship is one of Japan’s major international postdoctoral research programmes and is open across an exceptionally broad range of academic disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Successful Fellows work under the guidance of an eligible Japanese host researcher and join an established research environment in Japan while developing an international collaborative research project. Financial support under the Standard Program includes a JPY 362,000 monthly maintenance allowance, a round-trip international air ticket under JSPS rules, a JPY 200,000 settling-in allowance, overseas travel insurance and access to a separate Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research for eligible collaborative research expenses. For FY2027, JSPS has scheduled two open-call recruitment rounds, with approximately 120 Fellowships planned in each round. The first round deadline was 28 August 2026 at 5:00 PM Japan Standard Time, while the second-round deadline is 23 April 2027 at 5:00 PM JST. This deadline information is important because some third-party posts circulating online state that the application deadline is 15 November 2026. That date does not appear in the official JSPS FY2027 Standard Program open-call schedule. Applicants using an overseas nominating authority may face separate deadlines set by that nominating organization, but those deadlines vary by country and should not be presented as the universal JSPS deadline. The official FY2027 Standard Program should therefore be understood as a host-based, highly competitive international postdoctoral fellowship, not a direct individual online application in which a researcher simply submits independently to JSPS. Official programme information: JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan; JSPS International Fellowships for Research in Japan 2026 About the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science operates several international fellowship programmes designed for researchers at different stages of their careers. These include programmes for: • Pre-doctoral researchers • Postdoctoral researchers • Early-career researchers • Experienced international researchers • Short-term research visitors The Standard Program, however, is specifically designed to give young overseas postdoctoral researchers an opportunity to conduct collaborative research with leading research groups at Japanese universities and other eligible research institutions. The programme emphasizes genuine research collaboration rather than simply providing a researcher with funding to work independently. Before an application is submitted, the overseas candidate and Japanese host researcher are expected to: • Establish contact • Develop a concrete research plan • Agree on the proposed collaboration • Identify an appropriate host institution • Demonstrate how the collaboration will advance the proposed research These factors are explicitly considered during the JSPS selection process. Fellowship Duration The Standard Program runs for: 12 to 24 months. This gives successful Fellows enough time to become meaningfully integrated into the host research environment rather than undertaking only a short academic visit. Depending on the project, a Fellow may therefore spend: • One year • 18 months • Two years conducting research in Japan. The precise tenure is proposed through the application and should match the needs of the research collaboration. FY2027 Number of Fellowships The official FY2027 open-call schedule lists approximately: 120 Fellowship awards in the first recruitment round and another: 120 Fellowship awards in the second recruitment round. Therefore, the frequently advertised figure of “120 awards” is broadly correct for each FY2027 open-call recruitment round, rather than necessarily representing the total number of all Standard Program awards through every application route. JSPS also receives Standard Program applications through overseas nominating authorities in selected countries and organisations. FY2027 First Recruitment Round The first FY2027 Standard Program open-call round had the following schedule: Application deadline from host institution to JSPS:28 August 2026 at 5:00 PM JST Expected results:Late December 2026 Permitted fellowship commencement period:1 April 2027 to 30 September 2027 Approximate number of Fellowships:120 As of September 2026, this first recruitment deadline has already passed. FY2027 Second Recruitment Round Researchers who missed the first round have another opportunity under the FY2027 Standard Program. The second recruitment schedule is: Application deadline from host institution to JSPS:23 April 2027 at 5:00 PM JST Expected results:Early August 2027 Permitted fellowship commencement period:1 September 2027 to 30 November 2027 Approximate number of Fellowships:120 Prospective applicants should note that this is the deadline by which the Japanese host institution must submit the application to JSPS. Universities may impose their own internal deadlines significantly earlier. Candidates should therefore begin identifying a host researcher well in advance. Important Clarification About the 15 November 2026 Deadline A social-media version of this opportunity states: 15 November 2026 as the application deadline. That date does not match the official FY2027 Standard Program open-call schedule published by JSPS. The official deadlines are: • First round: 28 August 2026 • Second round: 23 April 2027 However, JSPS also accepts some applications through overseas nominating authorities, and those organisations establish their own procedures and deadlines. For this reason, a November deadline could potentially refer to a particular nomination route, but it should not be advertised as the general JSPS Standard Program deadline unless the relevant nominating authority specifically confirms it. Difference Between the Standard Fellowship and Other JSPS Programmes This distinction is particularly important because JSPS operates several programmes with different deadlines. For example, the FY2027 Short-term Program (PE) currently has an official first-round deadline of: 25 September 2026 at 5:00 PM JST and approximately 20 Fellowships are planned for that round. That is a different programme. The Short-term PE programme should not be confused with the: Standard Program which lasts 12–24 months and has approximately 120 places per FY2027 open-call round. Fields of Research One of the strongest features of the JSPS Standard Fellowship is its disciplinary breadth. JSPS states that applications can be submitted in: All fields of the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. This makes the fellowship relevant to researchers working across areas such as: • Anthropology • Archaeology • History • Languages • Literature • Philosophy • Political science • International relations • Economics • Sociology • Law • Education • Psychology • Mathematics • Physics • Chemistry • Engineering • Computer science • Informatics • Biology • Agriculture • Environmental sciences • Medicine • Dentistry • Pharmacy The FY2027 review structure similarly covers disciplines including humanities, social sciences, mathematical and physical sciences, chemistry, engineering, informatics, biology, agriculture/environmental sciences, medicine, dentistry and pharmacy. Who Is the Fellowship Designed For? The Standard Program is intended for: Young overseas postdoctoral researchers who want to conduct collaborative research in Japan. Applicants should normally be at an early stage after completing their doctorate. The fellowship is not intended primarily for: • Undergraduate students • Master’s students • Researchers without an expected PhD by the fellowship start • Senior professors looking for short visiting appointments Other JSPS programmes may serve some of those categories. Doctoral Degree Requirement For the Standard Program, an overseas candidate must normally have: Obtained a doctoral degree within six years of the date the Fellowship begins or: Be expected to receive the PhD before the Fellowship begins. The candidate’s employment status is not decisive. JSPS explicitly states that whether the applicant currently holds a full-time position is not considered for this eligibility requirement. This means applicants may potentially include: • Postdoctoral researchers • Research associates • Lecturers • Researchers between appointments • PhD candidates close to graduation provided all other requirements are satisfied. Applicants Who Have Not Yet Completed Their PhD A candidate does not necessarily need to hold the doctorate when the application is submitted. Researchers expected to obtain the doctoral degree before the Fellowship begins may apply. If selected, they must submit documentation confirming the doctoral degree before their fellowship starts. This can make the programme particularly valuable to final-stage PhD candidates planning the transition directly into postdoctoral research. Maternity and Parental Leave Adjustment JSPS also recognizes career interruptions connected with: • Maternity leave • Parental leave The six-year post-PhD eligibility period can be adjusted by subtracting qualifying periods of maternity or parental leave when calculating the time elapsed since the doctorate was awarded. This provision helps prevent researchers from being disadvantaged simply because they temporarily interrupted their academic careers for family responsibilities. Nationality Requirement Standard Program candidates must generally be citizens of a country that: Has diplomatic relations with Japan. JSPS also treats researchers from: • Taiwan • Palestine as satisfying this requirement. This makes the Standard Program broadly international. It is therefore open to researchers from a very large number of countries across: • Africa • Asia • Europe • North America • Latin America and the Caribbean • Middle East • Oceania provided the nationality requirement and all other eligibility conditions are satisfied. Japanese Citizens and Permanent Residents Persons who are: • Japanese citizens, or • Foreign nationals permitted permanent residence in Japan are not eligible for the Standard Program under the published candidate rules. The programme is specifically designed to bring overseas researchers into Japanese research institutions. Previous JSPS Fellows Applicants should also note an important restriction. Researchers who previously received and started a Fellowship under the: • JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan – Standard • Pathway to University Positions in Japan are not eligible again under the Standard Program. Applicants who were previously selected but did not actually begin the Fellowship should consult the detailed eligibility rules applicable to their circumstances. Financial Support The JSPS Standard Fellowship provides an extensive support package intended to allow researchers to concentrate on their collaborative research in Japan. The main components include: • Monthly maintenance allowance • International airfare • Settling-in allowance • Overseas travel insurance • Potential research funding through KAKENHI Monthly Maintenance Allowance Standard Fellows receive: JPY 362,000 per month. For a 12-month Fellowship, that corresponds to approximately: JPY 4,344,000 in maintenance allowances before considering other benefits. For a 24-month Fellowship, it would correspond to approximat

• Young overseas postdoctoral researcher status • Must establish contact with and secure agreement from an eligible Japanese host researcher before application • Must develop a concrete collaborative research plan with the host researcher • Must identify an appropriate host institution in Japan • Must propose how the collaboration will advance the research • Application must be submitted by the host institution to JSPS (not directly by the candidate)