Postdoctoral Fellowship via JSPS

Many young researchers contact me about joining my group as postdoctoral researchers.
I am always happy to discuss possible collaborations with strong candidates whose research interests match our work.

However, I usually cannot promise a directly funded postdoctoral position in advance.
In many cases, the most realistic route is to apply for the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan (Standard) with AIST as the host institution.

This page explains the basic idea, timing and preparation process.

1. What is the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship?

The JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan (Standard) supports excellent early-career researchers from overseas who wish to conduct collaborative research in Japan under a host researcher.

In my case, the host institution is usually AIST: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan.

The fellowship usually supports a stay of 12 to 24 months.
When the research plan is strong and the timing works well, I normally prefer to plan for 24 months.

Official JSPS page:
https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-fellow/

Application guidelines and schedules:
https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-fellow/application.html

2. Important: there are two calls per year

The Standard programme usually has two application rounds per fiscal year.
For example, for FY2027:

Call: 1st recruitment

JSPS deadline: 28 August 2026

Result announcement: Late December 2026

Arrival period in Japan: 1 April 2027 to 30 September 2027

Call: 2nd recruitment

JSPS deadline: 23 April 2027

Result announcement: Early August 2027

Arrival period in Japan: 1 September 2027 to 30 November 2027

These dates change every year.
Please always check the latest JSPS website.

In practice, you must contact me well before the JSPS deadline,
because AIST has its own internal procedures and internal deadlines.

3. AIST internal deadline comes earlier

Applications are not submitted directly by the candidate to JSPS.

For an AIST-hosted application, the application must go through AIST as the host institution.
This means that there is an AIST internal deadline, which is one month earlier than the official JSPS deadline.

AIST also requires an internal screening process called external personnel pre-registration before the JSPS application can be submitted.
This usually takes time, so we cannot start the preparation just before the JSPS deadline.

As a rough guide:

• For a JSPS deadline in late August, the AIST internal deadline may be around late July.

• For a JSPS deadline in late April, the AIST internal deadline may be around late March.

• The AIST internal schedule may change every year.

• Please contact me at least 2–3 months before the expected AIST internal deadline.
  Earlier is better.

If you contact me too late, we may need to aim for the next JSPS call.

4. Basic eligibility

Please check the official JSPS guidelines carefully.
In brief, the candidate must normally:

• be an overseas researcher;

• have obtained a PhD within the period defined by JSPS, or be expected to receive a PhD before the fellowship starts;

• be able to start the fellowship within the arrival period specified by JSPS;

• not be ineligible under JSPS rules, such as previous participation in the same fellowship category.

A PhD certificate is not always required at the time of application, but it must be available before the fellowship starts.

5. Financial support

The support is defined by JSPS and may change.

At present, the Standard fellowship typically includes:

• round-trip international airfare, under JSPS rules;

• monthly maintenance allowance;

• settling-in allowance;

• overseas travel insurance.

Please check the official JSPS page for the latest amount and conditions.

6. Research topics suitable for my group

Your proposal should be closely connected to the research directions of my group.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

• strongly correlated oxides;

• ferroelectricity and superconductivity;

• polar superconductors and Josephson devices;

• freestanding SrTiO3 membranes;

• oxide thin films and devices;

• neuromorphic devices;

• slow electronics;

• physical reservoir computing;

• low-power real-time learning and inference;

• analogue and physical computing using electronic materials.

A proposal that is far from these topics is unlikely to be competitive through my group, even if the candidate is excellent.

The best proposal is not simply “I want to work in Japan”.
It should clearly explain why your background, my group’s research environment and the proposed project fit together.

7. What you should send me first

If you wish to discuss a JSPS application with me, please send:

1. your CV;

2. your publication list;

3. a short summary of your PhD research;

4. your expected or actual PhD award date;

5. your preferred JSPS call and possible starting period;

6. a one-page research idea explaining what you want to do in my group;

7. the name and affiliation of the person who can write your recommendation letter.

Please do not send a generic message.
A short but specific research idea is much more useful than a long general email.

8. Typical preparation flow

A typical preparation process is as follows.

1. You contact me with your CV and research idea.

2. We discuss whether the research fit is strong enough.

3. If we both decide to proceed, we choose the appropriate JSPS call.

4. AIST starts the internal pre-registration and screening process.

5. You prepare the JSPS application forms (FORM 2), especially the research proposal.

6. I prepare the host-side parts (FORM 1) of the application.

7. You arrange a recommendation letter from your current or former supervisor.

8. AIST checks and submits the final application to JSPS.

9. JSPS reviews the application and announces the result.

10. If selected, we prepare your visit to AIST.

Please note that JSPS fellowships are very competitive.
My agreement to support an application does not guarantee selection.

9. Practical advice

A strong application usually has the following features:

• a clear scientific question;

• a realistic two-year research plan;

• a strong link to my group’s expertise and facilities;

• a clear explanation of why AIST is the right host institution;

• evidence that the candidate can carry out the project independently;

• good publications or strong research outputs;

• a convincing recommendation letter.

The proposal should be understandable not only to narrow specialists, but also to reviewers with a broader background in physics, materials science, electronics or information science.

10. Contact

If you are seriously interested in applying for a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship with me as host researcher, please contact me by email with the materials listed above.

Please write a clear subject line, for example:

JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship application inquiry

I cannot reply in detail to every generic inquiry, but I will carefully consider serious applications that are scientifically well matched to my group.