UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme

The application period for the 2009 fellowship programms has closed.
Application forms and full details for next year's fellowship programmes
will be available in January 2010.

Introduction
Field of Research
Eligibility and Conditions
Accommodation
Starting Date and Deadline for Applications
To Apply

1. Introduction

In April 1996, the UN Secretary–General inaugurated UNU-IAS as an in–house community of scholars mandated to research issues located at the intersection between societal and natural systems. The Institute’s mission is to advance knowledge and to promote learning for policy making to meet the challenges of sustainable development. As an advanced studies institute, UNU-IAS is forward-looking and multidisciplinary.

Since October 2000, UNU-IAS offers Postdoctoral Fellowships for recent PhD graduates to provide them the opportunity to put the knowledge and expertise acquired during their doctoral research to practical policy-relevant use. So far, nearly 40 fellows from some 20 countries have passed through the Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme. Of those completing the programme about one third have been women, and developing country participants have outnumbered developed country participants.

About two Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded each year for a period of ten months, starting in September.

The fellowship programme provides the successful applicant with a unique opportunity to:

develop and advance their research under the supervision of a UNU-IAS faculty member and contribute to the overall research agenda of the Institute,
widen their research interests and professional networks by working in the international and multi-disciplinary context of UNU-IAS, and with its wider network of Japanese universities and research institutes, as well as international collaborators,
become exposed to the workings of the international and multilateral policy process and the broader UN system, and
link with other UNU-IAS and UNU PhD and Postdoctoral fellows.

The fellows are resident at UNU-IAS in Yokohama, Japan for the full term of the fellowship. This gives them the opportunity to gain from the broader research programme of lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences arranged by UNU-IAS. The Institute's close links with Japanese affiliated professors and visiting professors from key universities and think tanks in Japan also allows fellows to link into the broader Japanese academic and research community.

2. Field of Research

The purpose of the UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowship is to provide young scholars and policy-makers, especially from the developing world, with a multidisciplinarily context within which to pursue advanced research and training that is of professional interest to the applicant and of direct relevance to the research agenda of UNU-IAS. Research proposals for UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowships should therefore relate clearly to one of the current research areas of the Institute, as well as aim to be policy relevant. Research proposals are invited in the following four areas:

3. Eligibility and Conditions

Applicants must have obtained a Ph.D. (or at least successfully defended their doctoral dissertation), in an area broadly associated with the UNU-IAS thematic focus, prior to the application deadline. Language proficiency in English is essential. Applicants from developing countries and women are particularly encouraged to apply.

UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded for a period of 10 months. The starting date of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme is 1 September. Successful applicants are required to be in Yokohama by this date. Residency in Yokohama for the full duration of the fellowship is required.

Fellows are provided with their own desk in a dedicated study room in the Institute, administrative support and desktop computing. Fellows have access to the UNU Library in Tokyo which includes an excellent collection of UN documents. They also have access via the UNU Library to various Japanese university libraries and computer databases. A limited range of other, more specialized computer hardware and software may also be available.

The fellowship provides for a monthly stipend of JPY290,000 from which a monthly usage charge for accommodation is deducted (see below). A one-time only installment of JPY 80,000 will be granted to each fellow at the beginning of the programme for adjustment expenses and incidental costs. UNU-IAS provides fellows with a return air ticket between his/her country of residence and Narita Airport.

Eligibility for a second 10-month appointment may be considered based on the fellow’s performance.

4. Accommodation

Postdoctoral Fellows will be provided accommodation by UNU-IAS (within 30 minute walk from the Institute). The accommodation is furnished and includes kitchen and bathroom facilities. Usage charges other than utilities (electricity, water, gas, telephone, etc.) are as follows:

Single room apartment (for one person) JPY80,000 or more per month
Twin room apartment (for couples) JPY130,000 or more per month

5. Starting Date and Deadline for Applications

The UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme begins on 1 September and the selected fellows are required to be in Japan by this date.

The deadline for application for the 2010 Fellowships will be announced in January 2010.

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6. To Apply

(1) Interested and eligible candidates are invited to complete the application form. Application forms can be downloaded as Portable Document Format (.pdf) file, and completed electronically or printed and completed by hand. The preferred method of submission is electronically by email. (2) An essential part of the application form (1) is a research proposal (2) outlining the intended work at UNU-IAS.

In addition to the application form (1) and the research proposal (2), the following documents must be submitted (Note: When the document is in another language, please attach an English translation):

    (3)     Application letter that clearly outlines how candidate’s qualifications and
              research proposal meet the requirements and objectives of the fellowship.
    (4)     Certified copies of academic transcripts (Master’s and Ph.D. courses if applicable)
              and  a copy of the doctoral degree certificate
    (5)     Evidence of English language proficiency (only required if Ph.D. dissertation
              was not submitted in English) e.g. TOEFL score, certificate of proficiency.

Lastly, the applicant is also responsible for arranging for two supporting letters of reference (6) to be sent directly to UNU-IAS by the referees before the application deadline. One should be from the candidate’s PhD dissertation advisor or other supervisory faculty member.

Above documents can be scanned and sent by email at the stage of application. Short-listed candidates may be requested to submit the originals.

Applicants are evaluated on the following criteria:

(i)     The research objectives of the applicant and the quality of the research
         proposal;
(ii)    the relevance of the research proposal to the ongoing or planned research
        activities of the applicant's selected Research Programme at UNU-IAS;
(iii)   the applicant's academic merit and the potential for successful research while
        at UNU-IAS.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the relevant Research Programme representatives while preparing their application to discuss research options and programme fit.

Short-listed candidates will be contacted for a telephone interview.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme
United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies
6F, International Organizations Center
Pacifico-Yokohama
1-1-1 Minato Mirai
Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-8502
Japan

Email: fellowships@ias.unu.edu
Fax: +81-45-221-2303