Fellowships / Job Openings

IDE is not accepting applicants of this program at present.
Information of the next application procedures will be released in June 2010.


*IDE accepts and screens the application for VRF program two times in a year. (June and December)
At the screening in June, applicants who desire to do research between April and March in the following year are acceptable. In December, applicants with research plan between July and March in the following year are accepted. Please note that length of this fellowship is basically 6 months.

IDE-JETRO is a quasi-governmental Japanese research institution that conducts economic and related studies on developing regions at basic and comprehensive levels. The IDE Visiting Research Fellows (VRF) Program is designed to provide visiting researchers with opportunities to:

1. Exchange views, research data and other materials with IDE research staff members on economic, social and political issues relevant to developing countries or regions;
2. Participate in IDE research projects; and
3. Conduct in-depth research on the history of development in Japan for comparison with developing countries and regions.

The VRF Program consists of two types of fellowships:

This fellowship is designed for applicants affiliated with institutions in developing countries and regions.

The length of this fellowship is basically 6 months, as agreed between the fellow and the IDE.

Fellows of this type are provided with: (1) a round-trip air ticket; and (2) a monthly stipend of 470,000 Japanese yen (for professor or equivalent) or 410,000 yen (for assistant professor or equivalent). In addition, the IDE covers the traveler’s insurance premium for the fellow.

A successful applicant should:

1. Hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in a relevant field;
2. Have more than five years of experience in research in economic, social or political issues related to the developing economies;
3. Be employed by a university, research institute, or government in a developing country;
4. Be eligible for a sabbatical during the proposed period of the fellowship to conduct the research in Japan;
5. Be in good health;
6. Have sufficient command of English and/or Japanese to conduct and publish research results;
7. Be no older than fifty-five at the time of application.

Each fellow is required to:

1. Make a brief presentation on the proposed research plan to the IDE research staff members and other VRFs;
2. Complete and submit research results by the expiration date of the fellowship;
   The output will be published as a book in the VRF Monograph Series, also available on the IDE website.;
3. Give a presentation on the research results to the IDE research staff and other VRFs;
4. Participate, when requested, in IDE research group activities, held regularly for discussing issues relevant to the developing world;
5. Participate in other IDE activities such as seminars, lectures, workshops, symposia as well as contribute to journals or other publications of the IDE;
6. Cooperate with other Japanese organizations, when requested by the IDE, to assist with relevant research activities;

Seminars on Japanese affairs and VRF study tours are held occasionally. In the seminars, Japanese and non-Japanese experts give lectures on various aspects of the Japanese economy and society as well as their development. During study tours, fellows are exposed to various aspects of contemporary Japanese economy and society .

Fellows will be provided with an individual research room, personal computer (MS-Windows) accessible to internet, photocopier and access to IDE/JETRO library.
Personal assistant or secretarial services will not be offered.

• Fellows will be requested to secure their accommodation by themselves during the stay in Japan.
• In case Fellows come to Japan accompanied by their family, IDE will not offer financial assistance and any other support for their travel and stay in Japan.
• Fellows will not be allowed to leave Japan without permission from IDE.
• Fellows will not be allowed to receive any subvention from other institutions while keeping with their position as the VRF.

For an applicant desires to do research at the IDE between July 2010 and March 2011, all documents must reach the IDE by December 11th, 2009;

Please note that length of this fellowship is basically 6 months and it must be terminated before 31 March 2011.

The application will be considered in the Selection Committee, and the results will be informed to all applicants in March 2010 at the latest.

1. Application Form (1 copy)
2. Statement of Proposed Research (1 copy)
3. Three Letters of Reference (one of which should be written by a representative of the organization to which the applicant belongs).

All documents should be typed, and submitted in their prescribed forms. All materials, as well as any other inquiry concerning the VRF Program, should be addressed to the International Exchange and Training Department, IDE-JETRO.

International Exchange and Training Department, IDE-JETRO
3-2-2 Wakaba, Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba 261-8545 Japan
E-mail: vrfide@ide.go.jp   
TEL: +81-43-299-9560   
FAX: +81-43-299-9728

※Manager of Personal Information: Director-General, International Exchange and Training Department, IDE-JETRO.　
TEL: +81-43-299-9560