National Parliamentary Fellowships Program: Japan

What is the National Parliamentary Fellowships Program

The National Parliamentary Fellowships Program (NPFP) is offered by the Australian National University (ANU) in conjunction with Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE) that allows up to two fellows to participate in a three month foreign policy- focused research stay in Tokyo, Japan.

What does the fellowship involve

Fellows will spend up to three months in Japan between September and November. During this time they will assist a Japanese Diet member in developing policy advice, attend public policy hearings and attend relevant events offered through leading Japanese research institutes. Throughout the fellowship, participants will be affiliated with a faculty mentor at one of ANU’s partner universities in Tokyo.

Successful applicants will be enrolled in a six-unit postgraduate academic course at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Under this course they will be required to:

• Attend pre-departure briefings and a reception in Canberra,
• Participate in regular meetings with the faculty mentor in Japan,
• Attend Australian Embassy functions in Tokyo,
• Write an online article about their research topic,
• Submit a formal report on their experience to ANU and the partner research institute within one month of returning to Australia, and,
• Submit a 4,000-word research paper on an agreed upon research topic.

Who can apply:

NPFP is aimed towards recent graduates and current postgraduate students of Australian universities with an interest in Japan and Australia-Japan relations. To be eligible you must meet the following criteria:

• Be an Australian citizen;
• Be a graduate of, or enrolled in a postgraduate program at, an Australian university, and in excellent academic standing (A- levels, graduated with distinction) by the time of the fellowship;
• Be under the age of 35 at the time of the application period;
• Have a strong interest and demonstrated previous research or professional experience in international relations, particularly vis-à-vis Japan, or in Japan’s economic policy or security affairs;
• Hold an Australian passport that has at least six months validity when the fellowship commences; and
• Have English fluency and advanced Japanese language skills

Is there any funding available:

NPFP participants will receive an economy round trip airfare from Australia to Japan, accommodation in Tokyo and a monthly stipend of AUD $640. Participants must cover other costs.

How to Apply:

Selection for NPFP is highly competitive.

To apply for the Japan fellowship, candidates are required to submit:

• An application form, including statement of purpose and proposed research topic,
• Current resume,
• Most recent academic transcript, and
• Contact details for two references, with at least one of them being academic. Selection will be based upon the following criteria:
• Academic history and performance
• Relevance and importance of proposed research topic
• Previous academic or professional experience in Japan
• Background in international relations or policy studies
• Personal motivation; involvement in university and community activities

Please refer to the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy for further details. Applications are to be submitted by the end of July.

See other Japan opportunities

• New Colombo Plan (Australian undergraduate students)
• Monbukagakusho Scholarship (open to all nationalities)
• The National Library of Australia Japan Grants
• Walter Mangold Trust Scholarship (Victorian undergraduate exchange students)
• Euan Crone Asian Awareness Scholarship (Australians)