UNITED NATIONS – NIPPON FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIP ON OCEAN AFFAIRS AND THE LAW OF THE SEA

Application Deadline: September 14, 2025

LOCATION: USA

The United Nations–Nippon Foundation Fellowship provides Government officials and other mid-level professionals from developing States with advanced training on ocean affairs and the law of the sea, as well as related disciplines, including marine science in support of management frameworks. Upon completion of the Fellowship, Fellows are expected to return to their home countries and use their in-depth knowledge and extended experience to assist in formulating comprehensive ocean policy and in implementing the legal regime set out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and related instruments, including through designing, implementing, and/or evaluating specific improvement projects.

ELIGIBILITY:

Candidates wishing to be considered for a Fellowship award must ensure that they meet all the following criteria:

You must be between the ages of 25 and 45;

You must have successfully completed a first university degree, and demonstrate a capacity to undertake independent advanced academic research and study.

You must be a mid-level professional from a national government organ of a developing State, or another governmental or non-governmental agency in such a State, which deals directly with ocean affairs issues, and your professional position must allow you to directly assist your nation in the formulation and/or implementation of policy in this area. This includes marine sciences and the science-policy linkage. Your “Nomination and Recommendation Form” should be completed by a Government official or other official who can attest to the nature of your work with respect to the Government’s ocean affairs and law of the sea-related activities, and indicate how an Award would directly contribute to these activities;

Your proposed research and study programme must contribute directly to your nation’s formulation and/or implementation of ocean affairs and law of the sea policies and programmes; and

You must be free of all non-Fellowship obligations during the entire Fellowship period unless otherwise authorized by the Division.
 

Satisfaction of the above criteria must be clearly demonstrated by the candidate through the application forms and confirmed by a Nominating Authority. The Programme is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its participants. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided, upon request, to applicants with disabilities to support their participation in the Programmes.

Applications are welcome only when a call for applications is open.

The 9-month Fellowship Programme is composed of two consecutive phases that provide Fellows with advanced and customized research and training opportunities in their chose fields:

Phase One: 3-month Research and Training, which is normally undertaken between March/April and June at DOALOS at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Phase Two: 6-month Advanced Academic Research and Study, which is normally undertaken between July and December at one of the prestigious participating Host Institutions and under the guidance of subject matter expert(s) who have recognized in-depth expertise in the Fellows’ chosen field of study.

The deliverables of the Fellowship Programme are:

A 100-page written thesis

A presentation of the research

An ocean governance matrix

In addition, a number of assignments will be completed in the context of the training curriculum delivered during phase one of the programme.

For further details on the curriculum of the programme, please see this documentPDF and for full details of the programme requirements, please see this documentPDF.

BENEFIT:

Fellows will receive a stipend each month during their Fellowship, both during their time in New York and, for United Nations–Nippon Foundation Fellows participating in the 9-month programme, during their time at the second-phase host institution. The stipend is paid from the date a Fellow departs from their home country and ends on the date of completion of the Fellowship, including a maximum travel time of up to two days by the most direct air route, in accordance with United Nations travel rules.

The stipend paid to Fellows while outside their home country is a monthly allowance intended to cover the cost of lodging, board and other essentials such as local transport. The stipend is normally payable in the local currency of the host country. The stipend is not a salary or honorarium and is not intended to cover the Fellows’ continuing expenses at home for either themselves or their families.

APPLY

FULLY FUNDED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, TOKYO INTERNATIONAL GRADUATE PROGRAM (C)

Application Deadline: October 12, 2025

LOCATION: Japan

With a diverse group of 18 academic departments participating in this program, students should be able to find a department in which to further their research, acquire broader knowledge and understanding, and conduct advanced long-term research in a field that best matches their interests and background. Qualified international students, who may have little or no knowledge of the Japanese language, can enroll in the Institute of Science Tokyo’s Master’s, Doctoral, or Integrated Doctoral Education Program and pursue an advanced degree in Japan. 

ELIGIBILITY:

Master’s Program / Integrated Doctoral Education Program:

Persons who have successfully completed 16 years of education outside Japan or who are expected to do so by the day before the enrollment date

Persons who have graduated from a university or college in Japan or who are expected to do so by the day before the enrollment date.

Persons who have successfully completed 3 years or more of education at a university or college outside Japan and obtained a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree or who are expected to do so by the day before the enrollment date

Persons who have successfully completed 15 years of education and are individually assessed and recognized by the relevant School at Science Tokyo as having an outstanding academic record

Persons whose countries do not require 16 years of education prior to completing an undergraduate-level education but who satisfy both conditions noted below and are individually assessed and recognized by the relevant School at Science Tokyo as having academic ability equivalent to or higher than that of graduates of a Japanese university

Persons who have spent at least one year as a research student or research fellow at a university or research institution in or outside Japan after successfully completing undergraduate-level education

Persons who are at least 22 years old by the day before the enrollment date

Doctoral Program:

Persons who have successfully obtained a degree equivalent to a master’s degree or a professional master’s degree at a university or college outside Japan or who are expected to do so by the day before the enrollment date

Persons who have obtained a master’s degree or a professional master’s degree in Japan or who are expected to do so by the day before the admission date

Persons who do not meet eligibility conditions (1) or (2) but are individually assessed and recognized by the relevant School at Science Tokyo as having academic abilities equivalent to or higher than that of a master’s degree or professional master’s degree holder and are at least 24 years old by the day before the enrollment date

If you wish to apply for the following scholarships, you must submit an additional application form apart from the IGP application form. Please apply using the scholarship application form URL below. Please note that you will need to use the token issued at the time of the IGP application form. Scholarship Application Form URL: https://forms.office.com/r/AVu0HA74Ui Application period: Monday, August 4, 2025 to Sunday, October 12, 2025

BENEFIT:

Japan Student Services Organization (“JASSO”): The Monthly scholarship amount is JPY48,000.

ADB-JSP: This scholarship is for the master’s degree programs only. The scholarship provides a monthly allowance of JPY 147,000 per month, a book allowance of JPY 100,000 per year, a thesis allowance of JPY 50,000 per year, travel expenses, medical insurance, and others. This scholarship is for only the FALL INTAKE.