Fellowships for Advanced Social Science Research on Japan (US)

Awards support research and writing on modern Japanese society and political economy, Japan’s international relations, and U.S.-Japan relations. The program encourages innovative research that puts these subjects in wider regional and global contexts, is comparative and contemporary in nature, and contributes to scholarly knowledge or to the general public’s understanding. Appropriate disciplines include anthropology, economics, geography, history, international relations, linguistics, political science, psychology, and sociology. Awards must lead to a product, such as an article, monograph, book, e-book, digital material, translation, edition, or other scholarly resource.

You should have advanced Japanese language skills and plan to conduct research that will require using data, sources, documents, onsite interviews, or other direct contact in Japanese. You may undertake your project in Japan, the United States, or both, and may include work in other countries for comparative purposes. Projects may be at any stage of development.

Funding Information

• Anticipated Funding Approximately: $180,000
• Award Amounts: up to $60,000
• Estimated Number and Type of Award Approximately: 3 grants
• Period of Performance: 6 to 12 months. Projects must start between January 1, 2026, and September 1, 2027.

Eligibility Criteria

• You must be one of the following to be eligible:
  • A U.S. citizen residing domestically or abroad
  • A foreign national who has lived in the United States or its jurisdictions for at least the three years prior to the application deadline
• Foreign nationals who take up permanent residence outside the United States any time between the application deadline and the end of the period of performance will forfeit their eligibility. Leaving the U.S. on a temporary basis is permitted.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Organizations are ineligible to apply.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.