Nichibunken Academic Encouragement Award

The Nichibunken (International Research Center for Japanese Studies) is a research institute located in Kyoto, Japan. It was established in 1987 by the Japanese government to promote the study and understanding of Japanese culture from an international and interdisciplinary perspective. The centre serves as a hub for scholars from around the world to conduct research on various aspects of Japanese culture, including history, literature, art, religion, and social sciences.

This award will allow a doctoral student to undertake a year of research at the  International institute of Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) in Kyoto and will include the following provisions:

• Up to 90 days pursuing research at Nichibunken to include airfares (economy class), accommodation and per diem allowances in accordance with regulations of the National Institutes for the Humanities. No salary will be paid.
• Free use of the Visiting Researchers' Room, Library, computers, and other facilities at Nichibunken for their research activities.
• Accommodation at Nichibunken House (fees apply).
• A faculty member to mentor and assist research (Please inform Nichibunken if you have any preferred faculty member).
• Assistance to awardees whose nationality require them to apply for a visa to stay in Japan.

For full details please refer to the Nichibunken Academic Encouragement Award｜International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) webpage.

Eligible Programmes 

• Any MPhil/PhD programme with a research topic relating to Japanese culture

Candidate Criteria 

• The scholarship is open to UK/EU and Overseas applicants.
• Current students only (not beginning their studies in 2024)

Please note that applicants must be able to arrive in Japan on or after April 1, 2025 and depart on or before March 31, 2026. The length of stay shall be up to 90 days including the dates of arrival and departure. Please note that arrival and departure during the year-end and New Year period (December 29-January 3) are not permitted.

Candidate Assessment 

• Candidates will be assessed based on their academic merit and personal statement by a Selection Panel.
• The assessment of your application will be based on the information provided in your scholarship application. Selectors will be looking at the degree results, statement and other relevant information.

Scholarship Application Deadline

• Scholarship applications must be received no later than 12:00 PM (midday UK local time) on 15th September 2024. 
• You must submit a complete application of your programme as soon as possible and then submit an application for this scholarship in order to be considered. Please note that complete applications for admissions can take up to 4 weeks to be considered by the Department, although this duration can vary depending on the time of the year. You should be prepared to wait up to 6 weeks in busy periods. 
• You will need to have an unconditional offer for your programme by the time the Scholarship Panel meet.
• Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

Scholarship Application Procedures

To apply for this scholarship, please contact scholarships@soas.ac.uk to receive an application form. You will need to complete this and return it to the Scholarships Team by 12pm (midday UK local time) 15th September 2024.

Notification 

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by the end of October 2024. 

Enquiries 

For any enquiries regarding the studentship application procedure, please email scholarships@soas.ac.uk.