Fellowships / Job Openings
Visiting Research Fellows Program
Overview of Visiting Research Fellows (VRF) Program
As of January 22, 2020.
IDE-JETRO is not accepting applications for this program.
1. Outline of VRF Program
IDE-JETRO is a quasi-governmental Japanese research institution that conducts economic and related studies on developing regions at basic and comprehensive levels. IDE-JETRO invites such as overseas researchers and economic planning representatives to encourage international research cooperation with IDE research staff members on economic, social and political issues relevant to developing countries or regions.
The IDE Visiting Research Fellows (VRF) Program is designed to provide visiting researchers with opportunities to exchange views, research data and other materials related to their research projects.
The VRF Program consists of two major group categories. One is IDE-Supported Fellowship Program and the other is Self-Supporting Fellow’s Program. For more details, please follow the instruction listed below.
2. Intended Research Field
Research into economics, law, political and social issues relevant to developing countries or regions.
3. Eligibility Criteria
To apply for VRF Program, all conditions should be fulfilled.
- Be affiliated with a university, research institute, or government in overseas.
- Hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in a relevant research field; such as economic, social, law, statistics or political issues related to the developing economies. Or Have more than five years of experience in research, survey, education or development plan under the related field of economic social development.
- Have sufficient command of English and/or Japanese to conduct and publish research results.
- Gain two letters of reference (one of which should be written by a representative of the organization to which the applicant belongs (In case that intended duration of Fellow’s staying in Japan is less than three months, submitting two letters of reference is optional and can be omitted).
- Appoint a host researcher out of IDE researchers who takes care of Fellows from an academic viewpoint.
4. Required Activities While Visiting
Each fellow is required to:
- give a lecture/presentation at least one time during stay as VRF of IDE-JETRO at ; an internal seminar, a public seminar, a research meeting, a workshop etc.
- carry out various research activities in accordance with proposed research which Fellows plan to do voluntarily：
The followings are the examples for various research activities.
- Participate in IDE research meetings, held regularly for discussing issues relevant to the developing world;
- Participate in other IDE activities such as seminars, lectures, workshops, symposia.
- Write report(s) /paper(s) on research results to contribute to journals or other publications of IDE-JETRO; such as VRF Monograph Series, Discussion Paper, and so on.
5. Expense Coverage
【IDE-Supported Fellowship Program】
Fellows of this type are provided with:
- a round-trip air ticket
- a monthly stipend of 470,000 Japanese yen (for professor or equivalent) or 410,000 yen (for associate professor or equivalent).
- a traveler's insurance.
【Self-Supporting Fellow's Program】
IDE-JETRO does not bear any cost for self-supporting fellows such as living expenses.
6. Facilities and Services
Fellows will be provided with an individual research room or a booth constructed of partition panels, a desktop PC, photocopiers at IDE-JETRO and access to IDE-JETRO library. Personal assistant /secretarial services for individuals will not be offered.
7. Consideration
- 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-JETRO will not offer financial assistance and any other support for their family’s travel and stay in Japan.
【IDE-Supported Fellowship Program】
- Fellows will not be allowed to leave Japan without permission from IDE-JETRO even for research purposes. During the period of leaving Japan, a stipend will be deducted for any reason.
- Fellows will conduct research activity under research cooperation at IDE-JETRO during the stay, therefore fellow will not be allowed to receive any subvention from other institutions while keeping with their position as the VRF.
Recruitment for Visiting Research Fellow Program on FY2020
【IDE-Supported Fellowship Program】
1. Visit Duration
2. Application Deadline, Forms and Method
＜Application Deadline＞
No later than March 9, 2020 (JST=GMT+9)
＜Notification of Results＞
The end of May 2020(Tentative)
＜Application Method＞
Download Application Documents shown below. All documents should be typed, and submitted to the Research Exchange and Training Division, IDE-JETRO by e-mail.
Applications shall be submitted to:
E-mail：vrfide 
（Please put "Application IDE VRF FY2020" in the subject line.）
All documents must be sent by Application Deadline.
＜Application Documents＞
- Application Form for IDE-Supported Fellowship Program
- Statement of Proposed Research
- Two Letters of Reference (one of which should be written by a representative of the organization to which the applicant belongs, letters valid within 6 months).
＜Additional Explanation＞
IDE-JETRO welcomes applications for the VRF Program from a lot of researchers outside Japan.
- As for selection process, although IDE-JETRO accepts applications from outside researchers, IDE-JETRO will unify the applications into the ones which are submitted by IDE researchers. To be specific, an applicant, who wishes to apply for the VRF Program, is requested to specify and designate a particular researcher, who belongs to IDE-JETRO, as a host researcher, so that IDE-JETRO can ask the possible host researcher to apply for the Program on behalf of the applicant in the form of recommendation as a candidate.
- Therefore, if there is a particular IDE researcher whom the applicant wants to be your host researcher when you submit the application forms, please specify the name of the possible host researcher in the application form.
- If there is not a particular IDE researcher whom the applicant wants to be your host researcher when you submit the application forms, Research Exchange and Training Division will try to find and select an appropriate host researcher instead of the applicant. However, please note that in the case Research Exchange and Training Division is not able to find and select an appropriate host researcher for the applicant, there is a possibility that IDE-JETRO may decline the application from the applicant before entering the screening process.
- Please find information on researchers of IDE-JETRO from our website: https://www.ide.go.jp/English/Researchers.html
【Self-Supporting Fellow's Program】
IDE-JETRO accepts applications for Self-Supporting Fellows anytime and the length should be more than 1 week up to 1 year. The application will be considered by IDE researchers in the Selection Committee and then final evaluation will be performed.
Application documents are common to "IDE-Supported Fellowship Program". For detailed conditions and procedures, please contact us at vrfide
Inquiry by via email
Any other enquiry concerning the VRF Program should be emailed to: vrfide
Please put "Inquiry IDE VRF Program" in the subject line.
Handling of Personal Information
With regard to your personal information, it shall be strictly controlled in accordance with the "Law to Protect Personal Information Held by Independent Administrative Institutions" and IDE-JETRO’s own regulations for protecting personal information. IDE-JETRO will use such information exclusively for implementing Visiting Research Fellows Program. VRFs should note that their name, title, affiliated organization and country, research theme and research reports may be given public access.
※Chief Handler of Personal Information：Director, Research Exchange and Training Division, IDE-JETRO TEL: +81-43-299-9562