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International Postdoctoral Programs at the NIH

JSPS Fellowships

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) has, for many years, in collaboration with the Fogarty International Center of the NIH, offered two-year fellowships to Japanese citizens who wish to conduct postdoctoral research at the NIH.  These fellowships are open to doctoral degree recipients who hope to come to the NIH and to those already training at the NIH as postdoctoral fellows.  Applications to the program are accepted annually with a June deadline and are reviewed by a panel of NIH investigators.

NIH Collaborative Postdoctoral Programs with International Partners

The NIH partners with several countries/regions to offer competitive postdoctoral research programs. The aim of these programs is to offer recent doctoral degree recipients from the participating countries the opportunity to pursue postdoctoral training at the NIH and then return to research positions in their home countries. Although the specific details vary from country to country, all programs have the following elements in common.

  • The program consists of two phases: Phase I is a postdoctoral research training experience completed at the NIH; in Phase II the fellow returns to a funded research position in his/her home country.
  • Prior to submitting their applications, individuals wishing to participate in the program must identify a researcher at the NIH who is willing to host them for a two- or three-year research experience to complete Phase I
  • Program applicants are selected through a competitive application process, with the review managed by the home country.
  • During the fellow's stay at the NIH, the home country funds regular trips home to enable the fellow to maintain contact with the home scientific community.
  • Upon completion of Phase I, the fellow returns home to a research position of several years duration (Phase II).

 The eligibility criteria, number of application cycles per year, application deadlines, and other logistic details depend on home country/region.

These collaborative postdoctoral research programs fall into two categories, depending on the source of the funding for Phase I. 

Several new programs for which partial funding of Phase I is provided by the home country have recently been negotiated.  (A letter confirming the commitment of the NIH host to cover any remaining costs must be submitted with the application.)  These programs include the following:

For most programs, funding for the postdoctoral experience is provided by the NIH host. These programs have been termed Research Career Transition Programs. Again, written confirmation of the availability of  Phase I support must be submitted as part of the application.  Programs of this type for which information is currently available are:

During Phase I of each of these programs, participants are supported at the NIH as Visiting Fellows or Supplemental Visiting Fellows. They have full access to the services of the Office of Intramural Training & Education, which include orientation programs, an Office of Postdoctoral Services, and a Career Counseling Center. Additional career/professional development and social activities are organized by the NIH Fellows Committee (FelCom) and its Visiting Fellows Subcommittee. Program participants are encouraged to serve on both. Finally, many individual NIH Institutes and Centers organize scientific retreats and symposia.

Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the participating agency in their home country/region.

Questions?