The OIST Visiting Scholars Program brings independent researchers to the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University in Onna, Japan. Scholars pursue independent work and interact across OIST Research Units during an in-person stay that usually lasts 3–12 months.
The program accepts research across all fields represented by the call and expects each visitor to give a general-audience TSVP Talk during the first month. The live application page currently says applications are not open, although the FY2027 poster lists a September 15, 2026 deadline.
Benefits & funding
- OIST provides one round-trip airfare between the visitor’s home institution and OIST.
- Fully furnished on-campus housing is provided.
- Visitors receive a daily allowance at OIST per-diem rates.
- OIST provides office space, administrative and logistical support, and access to computing resources, the library, and research facilities.
- The appointment is not salaried; exceptional salary support may be requested only when it is necessary for the visit and the recipient can document the need.
Eligibility
- Applicants must hold a PhD in a relevant field and be independent researchers with standing equivalent to at least a senior postdoctoral researcher, junior group leader, or faculty member at a research-intensive institution.
- Current students are not eligible.
- No nationality or residency restriction is stated.
- The standard Visiting Scholars route is for independent research without laboratory access or fieldwork; researchers who require laboratory facilities must use the Experimental Visiting Scholars route.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
PhD
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Application process
- 1Review the OIST Research Units and identify the groups relevant to the proposed visit; an existing OIST host is not required for the standard route.
- 2Prepare a CV with publications, a 1–2-page account of prior and proposed research naming relevant OIST units, and a title and abstract for a general-audience talk.
- 3When the call reopens, submit only through the Interfolio link published on the official application page; email applications are not accepted.
- 4Monitor the official page because it currently provides no active form or exact reopening date.
Program timeline
Current status
The live application page says the Visiting Scholars application is not open.
Deadline printed on the FY2027 open-call poster.
Sep 15, 2026
OIST expected to notify applicants no later than this date.
Dec 31, 2026
Selected visitors’ intended stays should begin within this window; each visit usually lasts 3–12 months.
2027-04 to 2028-03