FAQ regarding Application

Can I apply by email?

No, please submit your application through the "Interfolio" portal. The members of the selection committees use Interfolio to check and rate all applications.

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

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. (Note that accommodation is free of charge for all visitors)

[Visiting Scholars] Can I visit for less than 3 months?

Visits of less than 3 months may also 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?

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

  1. Letter of Support from potential host (PI at OIST): their willingness to support the applicant and further details (see application page)
  2. Statement of support of a few sentences from a different PI at OIST whose unit the applicant would like to interact with