Application deadline: October 15, 2021
The OIST Graduate School offers education and research opportunities through our Research Intern program. The duration of the internship is typically from 2 to 6 months. These short-term placements give students the opportunity to gain experience in a particular laboratory or to learn a specific technique. Interns will work under the direction of a Professor and contribute to the research activities of OIST.
Internships may begin and end at any time during the year, with two application periods.
Support
OIST will provide the following support for successful applicants.
Internship Allowance
- JPY 2,400 per working day (taxable and weekends excluded)
Commuting Allowance
- OIST Shuttle Bus Pass
Travel Expenses
- One direct round-trip air ticket (travel date will be closest date to the term of placement)
Overnight Accommodation
- Furnished apartment on or off campus
Other Support
OIST will also assist in visa acquisition, insurance procedures, and local registration. This will only be provided for the student. Therefore, this does not pertain to the dependents and family members of the student.
Regulations
Applicants who intend to import biological or hazardous material for their research are urged to insure that such import is in compliance with all regulations of their home country, any country of transit, and of Japan, and to complete all necessary paperwork for importation well ahead of time.
Detailed regulations pertaining to matters of payment, intellectual property rights, attendance, health and safety, and other matters have been drawn up and will be made available to successful applicants.
How to apply
Students in undergraduate program or recently graduated interested in joining the OIST PhD program may undertake educational activity at OIST as a Research Intern. A research internship at OIST provides students with experience working in a research environment under the direction of OIST faculty.
Research Intern places are awarded twice a year on a competitive basis. Selection is highly competitive, and depends on suitability of the intended research, academic background, available funding and space. Not all available positions will necessarily be filled.
OIST strives to create and maintain an inclusive, equitable, and diverse environment that does not discriminate against gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, medical condition, race, ethnicity, ancestry, culture, national origin, religion, or marital status. Applications from women and other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged.
Application Procedure
- Applications to the program must be made through the online form.
- You can only submit your application after at least one recommendation letter is received in the application system.
- You will receive an auto-notification that your application has been received. (Please check your settings to ensure you can receive emails from @oist.jp domain.)
- Following the application period, applications will be screened and selection will be completed.
- The result announcement will be posted on your application platform 3 months after the application deadline. You will receive a notification when the result is posted. (In some cases, applicants’ email services/settings prevent receipt of our notifications. Please confirm that your inbox is able to receive emails from @oist.jp domain.)
- Following final confirmation of internship offers, all necessary arrangements will be made, in cooperation with the interns. Your cooperation is required for timely completion of logistics to begin the internship, including possible visa preparations and other necessary Japanese government documentation.
Eligibility
Those eligible to apply for the OIST Research Internship Program include excellent students who are in the final 2 years of the undergraduate or Masters programs in universities, colleges, junior colleges, and vocational schools in Japan or overseas, or graduates of such institutions. Currently enrolled students must have approval from their home institution. Academic background of applicants should be appropriate to their desired host unit(s) at OIST.
Application Deadline
| Application Round | Period of internship | Application Deadline | Result Announcement |
| Round 1 | Between October 1st – March 31st | April 15th, 23:59 (JST UTC+9) | July |
| Round 2 | Between April 1st- September 30th | October 15th, 23:59 (JST UTC+9) | January |
*The period of the internship must be between 2 and 6 months consecutively. Under the current immigration restriction, applicants who require visa for the internship should consider an internship of at least 90 days in order to be eligible for visa application.
*Due to COVID-19, arrivals of students residing outside of Japan is subjected to the international travel restrictions. Under current requirements, foreign residents will have to do 14 days self-quarantine after arriving to Japan. Upon arrival, all students are required to undertake PCR testing prior to starting the program.
Therefore, please note that your departure date for OIST will be:
Foreign residents: about 3 weeks prior to internship start date.
Residents in Japan: about 3 days prior to internship start date.
*Date is subject to change on availability of the unit.Required Application Materials
Once you have obtained/ prepared all the documents above, please apply to the program through this APPLICATION FORM
Note: We recommend using a computer when preparing the online application. If you prefer using a mobile device, please make sure to have the latest operating system for the application to work properly.
Full information / Source on Official Website HERE
