Japan Foundation Indo-Pacific Partnership (JFIPP) Research Fellowship

Deadline: 18-Aug-23

The Japan Foundation (JF) is pleased to announce a new fellowship program, the Japan Foundation Indo-Pacific Partnership (JFIPP) Research Fellowship, with the purpose of building partnerships and intellectual networks in the Indo-Pacific region.

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.

Benefits of the Fellowship

• The Fellowship will cover the following expenses:
  • 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.

Fellowship Period

• The Fellowship can cover between 4-12 months of research. Fellowship period must begin between January 1 and December 31, 2024.
• The Fellowship tenure 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 (Australia, India, or the U.S.A.) for Japan-based fellows.

Field of Research

• The Japan Foundation is accepting applications for policy-oriented projects that contribute 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. These projects should address current and future issues facing the Indo-Pacific region and the wider world today that invite regional connectivity and collaboration.
• Possible topics for the Fellowship might include, but are not limited to, climate change, global health, disaster prevention and recovery, mitigating social and economic disparity, demographic shifts, economic security, energy and food security, maritime cooperation (such as maritime law), cyber security, digital transformation, and green transformation.
• The Japan Foundation welcomes other issues that encourage collaboration across the region.
• JFIPP Fellowship is designed for multi-country research, and in principle, proposals must include at least two countries for research activities other than the applicant’s country of origin. (Fellows are required to have a host institution(s) or local collaborator(s) for each country in which they will stay.)

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must meet all of the following 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.
  • Researchers must hold a Ph.D. or the highest academic degree in their field of expertise. Non-research professionals must have a total of seven or more years of work experience in a field related to their proposed research.

Selection Criteria

• The selection committee will prioritize proposals that meet the following 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.

Details of the Fellowship

• Fellowships are awarded for the period spent outside the country of residence. The total duration of the fellowship cannot be extended beyond the period for which the fellowship was originally approved.
  • The Fellowship will cover the following expenses:
    • Round-trip discount economy class international airfare between the Fellow’s country of residence and the two (or more) countries where the research activities take place will be provided. Fellows are required to purchase a multi-stop airline ticket if there are multiple areas of activity. In case the fellowship is divided into two parts, the two airfares (each a roundtrip/multi-country airline ticket) will be provided. In principle, the Japan Foundation will support two airfares at most.
    • It 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. If deemed appropriate to the research goals, additional stops in other countries may be approved.
    • Accommodation and research allowance will be determined based on a per diem basis below. Please refer to Appendix A for details on the regional categories.
      • Region A: 21,000JPY/day
      • Region B: 18,000JPY/day
      • Region C: 15,000JPY/day
    • A one-time lump-sum payment of 300,000 JPY will be provided for relocation allowance.
    • 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.A., 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.
    • The first payment will be made at the end of the month preceding the month in which the fellowship starts, and any subsequent payments will be made at the end of each month.

For more information, visit JFIPP.