Internship: Life, Physical, Engineering Sciences
Japan Summer Science Undergraduate Research Program, Edward O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies, Harvard
summer 2018 – early decision application deadline 5 December 2018, regular application deadline 7 January 2018

The Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies (RIJS) provides opportunities for Harvard College students in life, physical/natural, engineering and applied sciences to conduct research in a leading science laboratory in Japan for at least 8 weeks. This is a non-credit, independent science research internship designed to prepare outstanding students for postgraduate fellowships, graduate/doctoral study, and post-baccalaureate research positions in the private sector. Based on your research interests and skills, the program will try to find and match you to an appropriate laboratory in Japan. Prior to submitting your application, please review the principal investigators (PIs) and their projects at these institutions. Hiroshima University, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tsukuba University International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine, University of Tokyo International Research Center for Neurointelligence. Please do not contact the PIs directly yourself. If you are unable to find a PI/project that interests you from this list, please contact Professor Takao Hensch (giselle_grenier@harvard.edu) or Professor John Doyle (doyle@physics.harvard.edu). They may be able to suggest a PI/project outside of this list. Self-arranged Internships: Due to limited positions available, however, we invite students to arrange an internship in Japan on their own and apply to the Program for funding support only. Self-arranged internships must meet the minimum 8-week requirement. It is highly recommended that students who are looking to self-arrange their internships start the search process as early as October/November. While students can seek advice from various entities at Harvard, students who have successfully self-arranged in their internship in the past have taken the initiative and contacted the PIs at various Japanese research universities themselves. Requirements: Applicants must be in good academic standing and return in the fall as full-time students. Graduating seniors are ineligible to apply. Additional Information: Applicants who are placed into the program will receive a grant package put together by the RIJS and the host institution, which includes round-trip discount airfare, housing accommodation, and a small subsidy for some meals. Maximum grant package value is $5,000. To Apply: Application instructions are linked from the bottom of the program page https://rijs.fas.harvard.edu/undergraduate/science. Early decision application deadline is Wednesday, December 5, 2018 by 5:00pm EST on CARAT. The regular application deadline is Monday, January 7, 2019 by 5:00pm EST on CARAT. Early Decision: If this program is your first choice and you would definitely accept an offer, you may consider applying early. We offer Early Decision to students who are ready to commit to the program and would like early notification of their status. If accepted, you will be required to withdraw from all pending applications. This option is best suited for either students who have already secured a self-arranged internship and are seeking funding only, or students who have extensively consulted with Harvard science faculty/advisor and are committed to conducting research in Japan. (posted 11/2018)