OIST Research Internship Program in Japan

Overview

The OIST Graduate School offers education and research opportunities through our Research Intern program in STEM fields. The duration of the internship is typically from 2 to 6 months. These short-term placements allow students to gain experience in a particular laboratory or to learn a specific technique. Interns will work under the direction of a Professor and contribute to the research activities of OIST.

Support

OIST will provide the following support for successful applicants.

Internship Allowance

• JPY 2,400 per working day (Non-taxable and weekends excluded)  

Commuting Allowance

• OIST Shuttle Bus Pass

Travel Expenses

• One direct round-trip air ticket (travel date will be closest date to the term of placement)

Accommodation

• Furnished apartment on or off campus

Other Support

OIST will also assist in visa acquisition, insurance procedures, and local registration. This will only be provided for the student. Therefore, this does not pertain to the dependents and family members of the student.

Research areas of OIST training provided by the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology

• Nonlinear and Non-equilibrium Physics
• Quantum Systems
• Evolutionary Genomics
• Fluid Mechanics
• Femtosecond Spectroscopy
• Computational Neuroscience
• Neural Computation
• Biodiversity and Biocomplexity
• Electronic and Quantum Magnetism
• Mathematics, Mechanics, and Materials
• Embodied Cognitive Science Unit
• Neural Coding and Brain Computing Unit
• Sensory and Behavioral Neuroscience
• Continuum Physics
• Igor Goryanin Biological Systems
• Theoretical Physics
• Immune Signaling
• Organic Optoelectronics
• Coordination Chemistry and Catalysis
• Membranology Unit
• Quantum Dynamics
• Membrane Cooperativity
• Neuroimaging
• Protein Engineering and Evolution
• Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit
• Information Processing Biology
• Developmental Neurobiology
• Ecology and Evolution
• Physics and Biology
• Marine Biophysics
• Quantum Gravity
• Light-Matter Interactions for Quantum Technologies
• Quantum Materials Science
• Biological Complexity
• Numerical simulations of laminar and turbulent complex flow.
• Marine Climate Change
• Plant Epigenetics
• Theory of Quantum Matter
• Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics
• Quantum Wave Microscopy
• Cellular Biology
• Nonlinear Analysis Unit
• Representation Theory and Algebraic Combinatorics Unit
• Biological Physics Theory
• Experimental Quantum Information Physics
• Cellular and Molecular Synaptic Function
• Chemistry and Chemical Bioengineering
• Memory Research Unit
• Cognitive Neurorobotics
• Shocks, Solitons, and Turbulence Unit
• Gravity, Quantum Geometry and Field Theory
• Human Developmental Neurobiology
• Neuronal Rhythms in Movement
• Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit
• Neurobiology Research
• Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy
• Cell Signaling
• G0 Cell Unit
• Neuronal Mechanisms for the Critical Period
• Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Engineering
• Bioinspired Soft Matter
• Integrated Community Ecology Unit

Regulations

Applicants who intend to import biological or hazardous material for their research are urged to insure that such import is in compliance with all regulations of their home country, any country of transit, and of Japan, and to complete all necessary paperwork for importation well ahead of time.

Detailed regulations pertaining to matters of payment, intellectual property rights, attendance, health and safety, and other matters have been drawn up and will be made available to successful applicants.

Apply to Research Internship

Students in Bachelor and Master program or recently graduated interested in joining the OIST PhD program may undertake educational activity at OIST as a Research Intern. A research internship at OIST provides students with experience working in a research environment under the direction of OIST faculty.

Research Intern places are awarded twice a year on a competitive basis. Selection is highly competitive, and depends on suitability of the intended research, academic background, available funding and space. Not all available positions will necessarily be filled.

OIST strives to create and maintain an inclusive, equitable, and diverse environment that does not discriminate against gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, medical condition, race, ethnicity, ancestry, culture, national origin, religion, or marital status. Applications from women and other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged.

Application Procedure

1. Applications to the program must be made through the online form.
2. You can only submit your application after at least one recommendation letter is received in the application system.
3. You will receive an auto-notification that your application has been received. (Please check your settings to ensure you can receive emails from @oist.jp domain.)
4. Following the application period, applications will be screened and selection will be completed.
5. The result announcement will be posted on your application platform 3 months after the application deadline. You will receive a notification when the result is posted. (In some cases, applicants’ email services/settings prevent receipt of our notifications. Please confirm that your inbox is able to receive emails from @oist.jp domain.)
6. Following final confirmation of internship offers, all necessary arrangements will be made, in cooperation with the interns. Your cooperation is required for timely completion of logistics to begin the internship, including possible visa preparations and other necessary Japanese government documentation.

Eligibility

Those eligible to apply for the OIST Research Internship Program include excellent students who are in the final 2 years of the undergraduate or Masters programs in universities, colleges, junior colleges, and vocational schools in Japan or overseas, or graduates of such institutions. Currently enrolled students must have approval from their home institution. Academic background of applicants should be appropriate to their desired host unit(s) at OIST.

Research Interns who belong to a Japanese university/institution are required to prepare and bring their own insurances when accepted to the OIST Research Internship program. Acceptable insurances are the combination of Gakkensai and Gakkenbai, or other insurances with similar coverage.

Application Deadline

October 15th, 2024, 23:59 (JST UTC+9)

*The period of the internship must be between 2 and 6 months consecutively.
*Starting from the Spring 2025 Internship, the minimum period must be 3 months.
*Selection results for the Research Internship Program will be announced via the Navii system.
*The schedule is tentative and subject to change.

Required Application Materials

You will need to open an account in order to apply to the program. Be sure to remember your username and password. You may complete the application all at once or in multiple sessions. Please fill out and submit the following materials to apply for the program:1) Statement of purpose

The Statement of Interest form is provided on the online application form.

Please write a 400 words (2500 characters) statement including the following points:

• How does OIST and your desired research unit(s) fit with your current expertise and skill set? If you are interested in multiple research units, please explain your interest and fit for each briefly within one single statement.
• What do you hope to accomplish at OIST?
• How does a research internship at OIST fit into your overall career plans/aspirations?

2) Academic Transcript and Diploma

Scanned copies of your current academic transcript and any other transcript from your past degree  (BSc, MSc, etc.)

Diploma (BSc, MSc, etc.) in PDF format (if applicable)

• A scan of an unofficial transcript or other record of grades may be uploaded to the application website.
• English explanation is required for transcripts that are not written in English.
• If you have not graduated and do not have a diploma yet, please upload a certificate of enrolment from your institution (which preferably indicates your expected graduation date)

3) Recommendation Letter

A letter of reference from an academic or research professional familiar with your work is required. Each applicant is required to have at least one and no more than three letters of recommendation from appropriate recommenders. The application system will ask your recommenders directly for the letter(s), using the email contact details that you provide in the web application form. Please obtain the consent of your referee before submitting their details in the form. We do not accept any letters via email from applicants. Applicants will be automatically notified within the application system when OIST receives a recommendation letter.

4) ID Photo

Upload a recent photo, showing your face from the front in standard passport orientation.Once you have obtained/ prepared all the documents above, please apply to the program through this APPLICATION FORM

Note: We recommend using a computer when preparing the online application. If you prefer using a mobile device, please make sure to have the latest operating system for the application to work properly.