UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program

Benefits & funding

• Program-provided accommodation at an off-campus residence near the Hongo and Yayoi campuses.
• Economy-class airfare to Tokyo for participants traveling by air, or round-trip train tickets for domestic participants.
• A stipend of JPY 280,000 for food, leisure, required short-distance program travel, travel between home and the departure airport, and travel between Narita or Haneda Airport and the residence.
• An additional travel allowance for participants commuting to campuses other than Hongo and Yayoi.
• Seminars, Japanese-language courses, cultural events, excursions, and the Amgen Scholars Asia Symposium.
• Participants must arrange and pay for their own private health and travel insurance.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be undergraduates enrolled at a college or university in the program-defined Asia region that awards a bachelor’s degree or equivalent; this is an institution-location requirement, not a nationality or residency rule.
• The published Asia definition covers Eastern Asia, South-Eastern Asia, Central Asia, Southern Asia, and Western Asia: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Georgia, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Macao SAR, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.
• Applicants must have completed at least their first undergraduate year before the program begins.
• Applicants must not graduate before the program starts and must resume undergraduate study for at least one semester or quarter after it ends.
• Applicants need a strong academic record, an interest in pursuing a PhD, and sufficient English. Applicants who are not native or first-language English speakers must meet one published threshold: TOEFL iBT 72, IELTS 5.5, Cambridge English FCE, TOEIC 1095, TOEIC Listening and Reading 785, or TOEIC Speaking and Writing 310. The program page permits evidence that the degree is taught primarily in English in place of a test score.
• Full participation is required, including laboratory work, program activities, presentations, and the Asia Symposium; participants cannot take courses or hold a job during the program.

Application process

1. 1
   Select one research project from the host-laboratory list.
2. 2
   Create an account in The Admissions Office system and locate the UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program application.
3. 3
   Complete the personal, education, statement-of-purpose, and questionnaire sections, then upload a portrait, identification, an official English transcript, English evidence where required, and a CV of no more than 500 words.
4. 4
   Nominate two recommenders in the system; at least one must be a faculty member at the applicant’s current institution. Both letters must be submitted before the deadline.
5. 5
   Review the application carefully and submit it online. Submitted applications cannot be changed.

Program timeline

1. Online application opened for the 2026 cycle

   Nov 1, 2025

2. Application and recommendation deadline

   Feb 1, 2026 at 15:00 JST

3. Screening results

   Mid to late March 2026

4. Residence check-in

   Jun 3, 2026

5. Eight-week UTokyo research program

   Jun 4, 2026 to Jul 31, 2026

6. Amgen Scholars Asia Symposium

   Aug 4, 2026 to Aug 6, 2026

7. Residence check-out

   Aug 7, 2026