CNEAS Visiting Fellows Call for Applications
(Fellowship Term, from October 2026 to September 2027)
The Center for Northeast Asian Studies (CNEAS) at Tohoku University (Sendai, Japan) is now accepting applications for its Visiting Fellowship Program. This program aims to foster collaborative research with distinguished scholars in Northeast Asian Studies who hold full-time positions at overseas research institutions. Selected fellows will receive travel support to and from Japan, a stipend to cover living expenses, access to CNEAS’s research facilities, and opportunities to engage in joint research with CNEAS faculty and staff.
The Center provides Visiting Fellows with the following:
1) One round-trip economy-class ticket will be provided between the successful applicant’s place of work and Sendai. Please note that fellows are required to travel directly from their place of work to Sendai at the start of the fellowship, and return directly upon its completion. Stopovers or deviations from this route will not be covered by CNEAS. Fellows are welcome to bring family members, but all related expenses must be borne by the fellow. Shipping and customs clearance fees for personal luggage are also the responsibility of the fellow.
2) The salary is approximately 400,000 yen to 600,000 yen (before tax and withholding) per month, depending on the applicant’s present status.
3) The Visiting Fellow must join the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mutual Aid Association, which contains health insurance and pension programs.
4) Successful Visiting Fellows will be provided with their own desk, bookshelf and internet connection. They may also use the university library and have full access to the university-subscribed electronic journals.
5) Fellows may stay in university accommodation during the fellowship period, subject to availability. Please note that housing fees apply. If university housing is not available, fellows will need to arrange private accommodation—with search support from Tohoku University's International Support Center—at their own expense.
Fellowship Periods and Posts
This call for CNEAS Visiting Fellows is for the term from 1st October 2026 to 30th September 2027 (Term 2026-2027).
The minimum fellowship period is 4 months and maximum is 6 months during October 2026 to September 2027.
For the 2026-2027 term, there are 6 posts of an average 4 months stay available.
After the selection process, CNEAS reserves the right to decide the precise period of stay for the nominated applicants at the Center. Nominated applicants cannot extend the timing of the period of stay beyond Term 2026-2027.
Obligations
1) Researchers accepted as visiting fellows are required to give at least one lecture on their research topic during their stay in CNEAS, and are also required to write a short essay on their studies for our Center newsletter. They may be requested to present their talk in a seminar or symposium organized by CNEAS. The researchers are also welcome to contribute to Northeast Asian Studies, an interdisciplinary journal of the Center.
2) At least one publication of the paper (or chapter)/book related to the submitted research proposal within two years by the affliation of Tohoku University. The Fellow will automatically become a Research Affiliate of CNEAS for two years after the end of the contract of the Fellows.
Eligibility
Applicants are required to satisfy all of the following conditions:
1) Researchers affiliated with universities or academic institutions must obtain approval from the appropriate authority at their home organization before applying for the CNEAS Visiting Fellowship.
2) Researchers are required to submit two letters of recommendation by referees who are familiar with the applicant’s research and who work in similar disciplines/fields.
3) Researchers must hold a PhD degree. This fellowship is not available to individuals currently pursuing graduate degrees or post-doctoral studies.
4) Prior to applying, researchers must contact one of the permanent research staff of CNEAS (host scholar) in advance and receive his/her agreement on the acceptance of hosting them as visiting researchers.
5) Researchers may neither hold Japanese nationality nor hold permanent job posts in Japan.
6) Researchers must be under 70 years old at the time of appointment.
7) Researchers who have academic achievements in Northeast Asian Studies, whether in the humanities, social sciences or natural sciences, are expected to participate in collaborative research organized by CNEAS, contribute to the Center’s digital archives, and present at lectures and symposia at the University.
Application Procedures
Please download and fill out the Application form. The completed Application Form should be submitted through this Google Form. The applicant should request two (2) letters of reference be sent directly to internationalcneas@grp.tohoku.ac.jp with the Fellowship Applicant’s name in the subject line. In case of difficulties with the Google form application, documents may also be sent to internationalcneas@grp.tohoku.ac.jp.
The deadline for applications for the 2026-2027 visiting fellowship is December 22nd 2025. Applicants will be notified of the results by email by the beginning of April 2026. Please note that individual inquiries regarding the selection results, whether by email, fax, or telephone, will not be answered prior to this date.
Flyer ( PDF file 2300 KB)
