Japanese Studies Funding Opportunities
Japanese Studies Dissertation Writing Fellowship
Open to: University of Chicago PhD candidates writing dissertations on topics related to Japanese studies
Sponsored by: The Committee on Japanese Studies
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies
Important Dates: Announcements made by end of spring quarter; applications due in early May
Contact: The Center for East Asian Studies, Sarah Arehart
View Dissertation Grant Flyer
This fellowship provides funds for dissertation writing on a topic relating to Japanese studies. Research for the dissertation must be completed, and priority is given to those who have a chapter or two completed. Formal admission to candidacy is required. Students who have been admitted to candidacy may apply in the spring for funding that will begin the following autumn. A student can receive only one dissertation writing fellowship from the Center. In order to be eligible, applicant must have applied for and achieved PhD candidacy by June 15th of the application year.
Japanese Studies Pre-dissertation Research Grant
Open to: University of Chicago graduate students engaged in pre-dissertation research
Sponsored by: The Committee on Japanese Studies
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies
Important Dates: Announcements made by end of spring quarter; applications due in early May
Contact: Center for East Asian Studies, Sarah Arehart
View Pre-Dissertation Grant Flyer
This grant supports pre-dissertation research in Japanese studies. The funds are intended to enable University of Chicago graduate students to lay the foundations for their research plans - for example, to survey holdings in archives, to identify and meet with scholars or other advisers with whom a student plans to work in Asia. A student can hold this grant only once during his/her graduate school career.
Foreign Student Special Research Grant
Open to: University of Chicago graduate students who are non-U.S. citizens
Sponsored by: The Committee on Japanese Studies
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies
Important Dates: Application due in early May
Contact: Center for East Asian Studies, Sarah Arehart
This grant provides financial support for advanced graduate students conducting dissertation research and writing. To be eligible, an applicant must be an international student in the Humanities or Social Sciences, not eligible for other fellowships at University of Chicago, and able to demonstrate such ineligibility.
Conference Travel Grant: Japanese Studies
Open to: University of Chicago students traveling to present papers
Sponsored by: The Committee on Japanese Studies
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies
Important Dates: Rolling application
Contact: Chair of the Japan Studies Committee, Michael Bourdaghs
This grant provides modest support for students traveling outside the Chicago metropolitan area to present a paper on a topic relating to Japanese studies. The grant takes the form of reimbursement for certain expenses. To apply, send an email to the Chair of the Japan Studies Committee, Michael Bourdaghs, with the following information: name and date of the conference, title of the paper you are presenting, and a budget listing expenses.
Professional Training Grant: Japanese Studies
Open to: University of Chicago advanced graduate students
Sponsored by: The Committee on Japanese Studies
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies
Important Dates: Rolling application
Contact: Center for East Asian Studies, Sarah Arehart
The professional training grant is intended to fund participation in organized courses and workshops that offer training in specific skills essential to the student's dissertation research or professional profile and not available at the University of Chicago. This training may include but is not limited to: specialized language training courses (kambun, komonjo, kuzushiji) and language pedagogy. Applicants should submit a letter of application that describes the training sought and its justification; a letter of acceptance from the workshop or program the student plans to attend; and a budget detailing the amount of funds requested. Fundable expenses include tuition, housing, and travel expenses. Non-reimbursable expenses include meals, books, miscellaneous expenses, and other materials.
Toyota Centennial Research Assistantship
Open to: University of Chicago advanced graduate students
Sponsored by: The Committee on Japanese Studies
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies
Important Dates: Applications due in early May
Contact: Center for East Asian Studies, Sarah Arehart
View Toyota Research Assistantship Flyer
The Toyota Research Assistantship provides a sizeable stipend and salary for one academic year for students in a program of study substantially focused on aspects of Japanese history, literature, society, or culture. The Awardee will assist in the teaching of the East Asian Civilization course for one quarter and work with a faculty member on one other course or East Asia-related project. The Assistantship does not cover tuition or fees.
Japanese Studies Teaching Fellowship
Open to: University of Chicago advanced graduate students
Sponsored by: The Committee on Japanese Studies
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies
Important Dates: Applications due in early May
Contact: Center for East Asian Studies, Sarah Arehart
View Japanese Studies Teaching Fellowship Flyer
These fellowships are designed for advanced graduate students who have been admitted to candidacy the opportunity to teach original courses of their own design relating to Japan or Japanese language. Typically, these courses draw upon the applicant's dissertation research. Applicants are expected to have had substantial teaching experience as teaching assistants or teaching interns. Fellowships provide $3,500 salary and $500 for research materials. All recipients will need a faculty sponsor to advise them during the progress of the course.
To apply, please submit: 1) a letter of intent that explains the rationale and aims of the course and addresses its relationship to other offerings in Japanese studies during the year the course will be taught; 2) a draft syllabus that addresses the aims of the course, its organization by week or class meeting, assigned readings, requirements and grading; 3) a letter of support by the faculty sponsor; 4) a writing sample, preferably the dissertation proposal or chapter.
Awarding of fellowships is contingent on departmental approval of the course.
Rikkyo University Student Exchange Promotion Program
Open to: University of Chicago graduate and undergraduate students
Sponsored by: The Committee on Japanese Studies
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies and Rikkyo University
Important Dates: Applications due November (April admission); early April (September admission)
Contact: Center for East Asian Studies, Sarah Arehart
Awardees will receive a monthly stipend for up to 12 months of study in Japan. Students must be currently enrolled in a regular course of study at the University of Chicago and must return to their home institutions or get a degree from their home institution after completing the approved study period in Japan. Applications can be obtained from the Office of International Affairs.
Monbukagakusho Scholarship to Rikkyo University
Open to: University of Chicago Graduate and Undergraduate Students
Sponsored by: Rikkyo University
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies and Rikkyo University
Important Dates: Timing varies, but usually in early winter quarter. CEAS makes announcement as soon as the notice is received. Two applications must be made (a) to Rikkyo University and (b) for the Monbukagakusho scholarship.
Contact: Center for East Asian Studies, Sarah Arehart
This program exempts government-sponsored international students from tuition fees and supplies them with a monthly scholarship stipend for travel expenses and other costs. The scholarship consists of a monthly stipend, waived tuition to Rikkyo University, and economy-class round-trip airfare to Japan. If the government scholarship is not granted, the applicant will be accountable for the full tuition to participate in the Exchange Student Program at Rikkyo University.
Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) Short Term Student Exchange Promotion Program Scholarship
Open to: University of Chicago Graduate Students
Sponsored by: Rikkyo University
Processed by: The Center for East Asian Studies and Rikkyo University
Important Dates: Timing varies, but usually in early winter quarter. CEAS makes announcement as soon as the notice is received. Two applications must be made (a) to Rikkyo University and (b) for the JASSO scholarship.
Contact: Center for East Asian Studies, Sarah Arehart
This scholarship is available for qualified international students accepted by Japanese universities or graduate schools under the student exchange agreement on a short-term basis from about three months to one year.
Japan Foundation Fellowship
Open to: Anyone studying Japan who is not a Japanese citizen living in Japan
Sponsored by: The Japan Foundation
Processed by: The Japan Foundation
Important Dates: Applications due early November
Contact: The Japan Foundation New York Office
The Japan Foundation is a semi-governmental organization whose objective is to promote international cultural exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. The Japan Foundation sponsors a wide variety of grant programs relating to the exchange of persons, support for Japanese Studies and Japanese-language instruction, exchanges in the arts, and assistance for media-related projects such as publications, translations, and film or video productions. The foundation offers grants for short term research, long term research, and doctoral research.
KCC Japan Education Exchange Kobe College Corporation Graduate Fellowship
Open to: Graduate students
Sponsored by: Kobe College Corporation
Processed by: Kobe College Corporation
Important Dates: Applications due January
Contact: KCC Japan Education Exchange
In 1997 Kobe College Corporation established the Graduate Fellowships Program to fund qualified graduate students for one year of research of study in Japan. Fellowships one year and are not renewable.
The purpose of the program is to support future American educators to become more knowledgeable about Japan. It is expected that recipients of these fellowships will return to the US to teach about Japan. While in Japan, fellowship recipients will be expected to visit Kobe (Jogakuin) College in Nishinomiya to give a presentation on the fellowship topic. Fellows will speak at a key meeting of KCC Japan Education Exchange in the US upon completion of the fellowship year.
Qualifications:
KCC Japan Education Exchange will award fellowships to graduate students who have a record of teaching effectively about Japan, or who show promise to do so in the future. There are no restrictions as to place of study or research in Japan, field of study, or age of applicant. Preference will be given to applicants who have documented interest in Japanese studies, such as the arts, culture, education, language, history, journalism, or business. Preference will be given to those advanced graduate applicants who provide written confirmation of the research or study site in Japan.
Applicants must be US citizens. They must also be enrolled, in good standing, in a graduate program at an accredited higher education institution in the US The fellowship is for teaching/research master's or doctoral degrees only. Students enrolled in professional graduate degree programs are not eligible (i.e., M.B.A., J.D., M.D., etc.). Fellowship recipients must plan to teach in the US after completing their degree, either at the secondary or higher education levels and should have good public speaking skills.
