Frequently Asked Questions
(Applicable to Graduate Doctoral Course Scholarship AY 2024 and Onwards)

○Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria stipulate, “Applicants must not be receiving financial support or renumeration from other institutions or organizations. However, this restriction is waived if the external financial support amounts to less than 600,000 JPY per year and the supporting institution approves a co-subsidy arrangement with this scholarship.” How about the following cases?

Can I apply if I am receiving a salary of 100,000 JPY per month as a university RA?

Since your annual salary is 1,200,000 JPY and exceeds 600,000 JPY, you are not eligible to apply.

If I were to turn down the RA position I am currently working for, would I be eligible to apply for your scholarship?

You cannot apply for this scholarship if you are receiving remuneration from other institutions or organizations, except for amounts of 600,000 JPY or less, at the time of application. However, you can apply if you have declined the RA position before applying. Please note that there is no guarantee of selection, so it is recommended to consult with the university office and other relevant parties.

I am applying for the Research Fellowship for Young Scientists of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) for the next academic year. If I am selected for the fellowship after receiving this scholarship, how will my scholarship be handled in the next academic year and thereafter?

Our scholarship is intended to be provided for three years to those who do not receive remuneration from other institutions or organizations, except amount less than 600,000 JPY.
Therefore, if you are selected for both scholarships and plan to apply for the fellowship or other scholarships with intent to decline ours, you will not be eligible to apply for this scholarship.

I am receiving a scholarship loan (more than 600,000 JPY per year) that must be repaid. Can I apply for this scholarship?

Yes, scholarship loans are not included in “financial support or remuneration from other institutions or organizations,” so you are eligible to apply.

I am entering in a doctoral course in September of this year. Can I apply for the scholarship?

You must be a first-year student at the time of application (usually in June), so please apply in the following academic year.

Can foreign nationals apply? Do you accept English application documents?

Yes, foreign nationals are also eligible to apply. The application documents may be written in English.

○Change Reporting Obligations

What should I do if I drop out of graduate school after being selected as a scholarship recipient of the Foundation?

First, please submit a change report. Scholarship payments will be suspended after the date of withdrawal. Any overpayment of scholarship funds must be returned. You must submit a final results report covering the period up to the date of withdrawal.

What should I do if I am a scholarship recipient of the Foundation and I go abroad for study or training in the middle of my scholarship?

If your stay is for a few months, you do not need to contact us. However, if you are receiving financial support from other institutions or organizations for more than one year and wish to return home and continue for the remainder of the term, please consult with the office.

If I planned to complete the doctoral course in 3 years but completed it in 2.5 years, what should I do?

First, please submit a change report. The scholarship will be discontinued if you are no longer enrolled in the doctoral course after completion.

○Annual Reporting Obligations

Can I do research on a different topic from the one I planned to do when I entered the doctoral course?

Please consult with your supervising professor to ensure that you can complete your research as a doctoral dissertation.

I am in the third year of a doctoral course, but I have not been able to complete a doctoral dissertation, and I depend on a scholarship for my living. What should I do?

The Foundation does not offer fourth-year scholarships.

What happens if I cannot submit an annual results reports at the end of the first and second year and a final results reports upon completion of the course?

Failure to submit annual results reports and change reports may result in suspension of the Foundation’s scholarship or a request for return of the scholarship.