2025 NSERC Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan

Eligibility

To be considered eligible for support, as of the application deadline date, you must:

• be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
• not have Japanese nationality or be a permanent resident of Japan
• hold or expect to hold a doctoral degree (according to the conferred or convocation date) prior to the proposed start date of the postdoctoral fellowship
• not hold, or have held, a JSPS – Standard or JSPS – Short-term postdoctoral fellowship
• have obtained your doctoral degree no more than six years before the start date of the fellowship.

Note: In the event of parental leave, the total amount of time taken for this type of leave will be subtracted from the time elapsed since the completion of your doctoral degree. Supporting documentation will be required.

Summary

The  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) has established the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan. A limited number of promising early career researchers are given the opportunity, through this fellowship, to conduct research at Japanese universities and in designated research institutions and laboratories. NSERC is the Canadian nominating authority for the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan.

Streams

JSPS – Standard postdoctoral fellowship: includes airfare and a monthly allowance for one to two years. Application deadline is February 1.

JSPS – Short-term program: includes airfare and a monthly allowance for one to 12 months. Application deadline is April 1.

Application

If you are interested and eligible to apply for this fellowship, contact schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca to obtain the application form and instructions.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the  Secure Submissions for NSERC’s Scholarships and Fellowships site. Documents must be submitted in portable document format (PDF) as a single document.

NSERC reviews and forwards recommended applications to JSPS. Selection priority is given to applications proposing research in one of the fields of research that NSERC supports. JSPS reviews and selects recipients for the award.

JSPS will notify you directly by email of the results of your application within three months of receiving the recommended applications from NSERC. If your contact information changes after submitting your application to NSERC, you must inform NSERC by sending an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

For help identifying or connecting with prospective supervisors in Japan, please contact University of Calgary International through uci@ucalgary.ca

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Application deadlines

JSPS – Standard Postdoctoral Fellowship (24 months) Application Deadline

JSPS – Short-term Postdoctoral Fellowship (12 months) Application Deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at fellowships@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

For more information about these fellowships, contact schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.

You may also refer to the  Japan Society for the Promotion of Science website for further details on the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan.