I am an Independent Scholar – am I eligible to apply?
Applicants need not be necessarily based at a UK HEI or other research institution at the time of applying, nor have a UK employment contract for the duration of their fellowship in Japan.
Does the 'Head of Department' reference need to be written by the HoD in Japan, or by the host researcher I'll be working with?
It can be either - whoever you and your proposed HI think would be best placed to advise on your proposal and suitability.
By the time I start the fellowship I will have finished my PhD/left my current institution. Should I apply as an independent scholar?
No, you should apply using your current institution, as you will need them to approve your application and to provide you with a reference.
Is the money awarded to successful Fellows paid direct to them, or to their Host Institution?
The funds come from JSPS Tokyo and can only be remitted to a bank account in Japan. If the fellow does not have a bank account in Japan, we recommend they nominate funds to be received by the host researcher at first.
My application form is complete, but the ‘submit’ button isn’t appearing. What can I do?
Your application may appear complete on the Summary page, however you will need to check that your referee and/or Head of Department have completed their pages and marked them as complete. Once this has been done, and all the other pages have been completed, the ‘submit’ button should appear.
Will there be any changes to the application process in 2021 because of the Coronavirus pandemic?
In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, the JSPS has advised that they may consider applying flexibility to some of the application criteria. If there is a particular aspect you would like to discuss, please get in touch with [email protected] in the first instance and we will be happy to help.