Can I apply by email?
No, application via email is not possible. Please submit your application through the "Interfolio" portal. The members of the selection committees use Interfolio to evaluate all applications.
What is the status of my application?
Due to the large number of applications (over 600 Visiting Scholar candidates per year), we are not able to respond to inquiries regarding the status of individual applications or topics already covered in this FAQ or elsewhere on the website. Please check the corresponding application website and emails you received from OIST/TSVP for an estimate on when the decisions will be announced.
Is a host unit/research group at OIST required?
Visitors through the Visiting Program do not require a host unit at OIST. They can interact freely with any group, researcher, or student at OIST. The same is true for Thematic Programs, which do not require a coordinator or existing contact at OIST.
Only visitors through the Experimental Visiting Scholar Program (EVSP) need a host lab in order to get access to experimental facilities (please submit a letter of support from that unit's PI in the application).
Do I have to know someone at OIST to apply?
It is not necessary to already have contacts at OIST. However, "Benefit to OIST, e.g. through interactions with and across OIST Units" is a selection criterion. Therefore, it is advisable to check which research units at OIST work on similar topics and consider how you could interact with them, and possibly start collaborations.
Can I apply if I visited OIST before as Visiting Scholar, as participant of a Thematic Program, etc.?
Yes, previously accepted candidates may apply for another visit. Thematic Program proposals may also be resubmitted, and new proposals can be submitted by coordinators of previous proposals/programs.
Can I apply even though I did not finish my PhD yet?
Applicants should hold a Ph.D. in a relevant field and be independent researchers, i.e., should have an academic standing equivalent to senior postdoc, junior group leader, or faculty member at a research-intensive institution.
If you are interested to visit OIST as a student, please take a look at the OIST Research Internship and other programs for students: https://admissions.oist.jp/oist-research-internship-program-description
Can I apply without a current affiliation?
Yes, it is possible to apply as an independent researcher, i.e. without currently being affiliated with an institution. However, note that Visiting Scholars are not OIST employees and do not receive a salary.
Can I apply if I am looking for a postdoc position?
If you are looking for a postdoc or other permanent position, we recommend to check for announcements on the research unit websites and the OIST Careers page instead.
When are selection results announced?
(Experimental) Visiting Scholars: We expect to inform applicants of the selection results no later than 31 December.
Thematic Programs: Invitations to submit full proposals will be sent no later than October.
Domestic Visitors: Regular selection meetings are held only in January and July with results announced soon after. Depending on the timing of your application, the announcement may be quite late (more details below).
Important Note: Not all shortlisted candidates/programs will be invited to OIST. All visits are subject to the availability of funding and housing, as well as a security background check. All visitors and participants are required to follow the Code of Conduct.
Do visitors receive a salary?
Appointment as Visiting Scholar and Thematic Program Coordinator may be taken while on leave or sabbatical from another university. In exceptional situations, successful candidates may be able to apply for an increased monthly payment, where this is necessary to facilitate the visit, and they can provide evidence of their need - however, this is not a salary and Visiting Scholars are not considered OIST employees. (Note that accommodation is free of charge for all visitors through the program)
[Visiting Scholars] Can I visit for less than 3 months?
Visits of less than 3 months may be approved where special circumstances prevent a longer visit. Please describe those circumstances in the application.
If your planned visit is of only a few weeks, and you plan to mainly interact with one unit, please consider contacting/visiting that unit directly.
Researchers in Japan can visit through the Domestic Visitor program, which allows for several short visits over a period of usually 3-6 months.
[Experimental Visiting Scholars] How should I submit the letter/statement of support?
Only visitors through the Experimental Visiting Scholar Program (EVSP) need a host lab in order to get access to experimental facilities. If lab access is not required, please do not apply to this program!
When uploading an application in the Interfolio portal, there will be an opportunity to send an email to the relevant OIST Principal Investigators (PIs) directly from Interfolio (one: potential host, two: another OIST PI). After that, the PIs can upload their letter/statement of support by responding to that email.
Note the difference between
- Letter of Support from potential host (PI at OIST): their willingness to support the applicant and further details (see application page)
- Statement of support of a few sentences from a different PI at OIST whose unit the applicant would like to interact with
[Domestic Visitors] How should I submit statements of support?
- Researchers from OIST's domestic partner institutes are exempt and do NOT require statements of support.
- For all others, statements of support of a few sentences from two OIST Principal Investigators (requested through Interfolio) are required. Full letters of support are NOT necessary!
When uploading an application in the Interfolio portal, there will be an opportunity to send an email to the relevant OIST Principal Investigators (PIs) directly from Interfolio. After that, the PIs can upload their letter/statement of support by responding to that email.
[Domestic Visitors] When will I be informed of the selection result?
While application is possible at any time, regular selection committee meetings are held twice per year in July and January.
Please make sure that you can receive emails from tsvp [at] oist.jp and noreply [at] interfolio.com.