RFAs: Japan Foundation Indo-Pacific Partnership Research Fellowship Program

This program is designed to promote international research and collaborative activities on common policy issues that require cooperation and engagement within and beyond the Indo-Pacific region, with the purpose of contributing to the maintenance and strengthening of a free and open international order in the Indo-Pacific region, bringing about peace and prosperity to the entire region.

The program aims to encourage a new generation of researchers, experts, and practitioners who share the same concerns to build a new platform for intellectual cooperation, and to support the formulation of new policy proposals, visions, and initiatives from the Indo-Pacific region with a long-term, future-oriented perspective to contribute to resolving the issues.

Goals

• Addresses shared global challenges;
• Addresses the needs of the Indo-Pacific over time;
• Promotes Indo-Pacific collaboration and cross-national teams;
• Develops new perspectives on and policies for regional cooperation.

Benefits

• Round-trip discount economy class international airfare (only for Fellow)
• Accommodation and research allowance
• A one-time lump-sum payment for relocation expenses
• Additional allowance for dependent family members that accompany the fellow overseas for a minimum of 3 continuous months
• Overseas travel insurance

Funding Information

• A one-time lump-sum payment of 300,000 JPY will be provided for relocation allowance.
• The Fellowship can cover between 4-12 months of research. Fellowship period must begin between February 1 and December 31, 2026.
• The Fellowship period may be divided into two blocks, if necessary, but must be completed within 15 months of the start of the fellowship.
• At least half of the fellowship tenure period must be in Japan for non-Japan-based fellows or in one of the other three countries (India, Australia, or the U.S) for Japan based fellows.

Eligible Expenses

• Round-trip discount economy class international airfare between the Fellow’s base country and the two (or more) countries where the research activities take place (hereafter “country of activities”) will be provided.
• If the fellowship is divided into two parts, two airfares (each a round-trip/multi-country airline ticket) will be provided. In principle, the Japan Foundation will support two airfares at most.
• Itineraries may consist of one multi-country trip; two single-country trips; two multi country trips; or a combination of one single-country trip and one multi-country trip.
• Accommodation and research allowance will be determined based on a per diem basis.
• Additional allowance will be provided for dependent family members that accompany the fellow overseas for a minimum of 3 continuous months, at a rate of 10% of the regional per diem for one dependent, or 20% for two or more dependents.
• Insurance:
  • For travel to Japan by non-Japan-based Fellows, the Japan Foundation will provide overseas travel insurance for the duration of their stay in Japan.
  • For travel to India, Australia and the U.S., Fellows are required to arrange travel insurance on their own, and reimbursement will be determined according to the regulations of the Japan Foundation, depending on the destination and the duration of the stay.
  • Insurance for travel to countries other than the above four countries is the responsibility of the Fellow.
  • Insurance for any accompanying family members is also the responsibility of the Fellow.
• Payment Method and Schedule:
  • The Fellowship allowances and expenses, in principle, will be transferred to a bank account. Fellows must have a bank account in their name that can receive remittances from Japan (Japan Foundation headquarters) for the fellowship or be able to open one before accepting the fellowship funds.
  • In principle, one-time lump-sum payment will be remitted one month prior to the start date of the Fellowship, and the first payment of the allowance will be remitted at the end of the month prior to the start date of the fellowship. Any subsequent payments will be made at the end of each month on a monthly basis.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be citizens of Japan, Australia, India, or the U.S.A., or must have at least five years of strong and serious professional experience at an institution in one of these four countries.
• Applicants must hold a Ph.D., the highest academic degree in their field of expertise, or a Master’s Degree with five or more years of professional work experience in a field related to their proposed research.
• If the proposed project requires language proficiency, the applicant may be required to provide additional documentation to prove adequate language proficiency to complete the project.

Application Requirements

• Submit the following application documents:
  • Executive Summary
  • Project Statement Form
  • Information on Applicant and Project Proposal
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Confidential Reference Letters (At least two are required)

For more information, visit Japan Foundation.