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The 2007 Matsumae International Foundation Fellowships

APLICABLE FOR THE PERIOD OF APRIL 2007 THROUGH MARCH 2008
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: JULY 31, 2006

The Fund of the Matsumae International Foundation is based on donations from many Japanese people who have responded with goodwill to Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae's call. While many donations are kindly offered by enterprises and groups, most of the donators are individuals who are sympathetic with the Founder's ideals, and maintain regular contributions to the Fund from their limited incomes.

Successful applicants are urged to seriously consider and understand the goodwill of those persons, and ensure that the provided fellowships are utilized effectively.

1. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants of non-Japanese nationality who meet all of the following general eligibility requirements are invited to submit the required application documents.

1. Applicants must hold a Doctorate degree, or have a minimum of two years of research experience after receipt of a Master's degree, or be recognized by the Foundation as possessing equivalent academic qualifications.
2. Applicants must not be over 40 years of age at the time of application.
3. Applicants must have sufficient conversational ability in English or Japanese to prevent insurmountable difficulties during their research activities in Japan.
4. Applicants should not have been in Japan previously. Application must be submitted from the applicant's home country. Under no circumstances will an application be accepted from a person already in Japan.
5. Applicants who have firm positions and professions in their home nations should apply from their countries, and should return to their countries on completion of their research activities in Japan.
6. Applicants who have previously been invited by the Matsumae International Foundation are not eligible for this fellowship program.

2. FIELDS OF STUDY
Fields of study such as natural science, engineering and medicine are given first priority.

3. PERIOD AND NUMBER OF FELLOWSHIPS
Between April 2007 and March 2008, applicants are free to choose the length of period of fellowship stay from six months to three months. The fellowship grant is restricted to the period indicated in the Grant Letter. The number of fellowships is about 20 persons.

4. HOST INSTITUTION IN JAPAN
Applicants are free to select host institutions (university research laboratories, national research institutions or the corresponding facilities of private industry) in which to carry out their research. However, applicants are cautioned that they are obliged to obtain acceptance from such host institutions prior to submitting their applications. The Foundation cannot give counsel or advice to an applicant who does not submit appropriate information concerning his/her host institution in Japan.

5. APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applicants should obtain the latest issue of the Fellowship Announcement from the Foundation.
The Foundation cannot entertain requests for waivers of the eligibility requirements and other conditions, listed in the Fellowship Announcement, and will not respond to such requests.
Applicants cannot submit applications from inside Japan.
The Foundation never receives applications by Fax or E-mail.
The Foundation receives applications ONLY by mail/postal-service or other delivery service.
Applications must be received by the Foundation by July 31, 2006, at the latest.

6. APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
All of the following documents (#1~#8) - A4 in size - should be submitted on one occasion by the applicant to the Foundation.

All documents must be type-written in English. Documents written in any language other than English will be ignored.

Submitted applications which do not contain all of the required documents will be automatically rejected.

The Foundation will not be responsible for costs incurred in submitting an application, and reserves the right to request additional documents if necessary.

All documents received become the property of the Foundation, and will not be returned.

* #1 A completed Application Form together with the applicant's photograph. Applicants should use Form specified by the Foundation, or an exact photocopy. (Hand-made Form is not accepted.) The FORM is made of two pages. Applicants should ensure that every item in the application Form, without exception, is properly filled in, and should sign and date the Form in the spaces provided.
* #2 A description of the Research Project. This should include detailed information on the purpose, methodology, and content of the research, and the schedule of the project. The research project must be discussed in detail with the host institution, and the planned content must be consistent with the research facilities at the host institution.
* #3 Complete List of Publications. This should include full details of the publication: when and where published, co-authors' names (where applicable), size and number of pages, etc. Please indicate in red the title of any publications on the list which are submitted as requested in item "#4".
* #4 Reprint(s) of what the applicant considers to be his or her most important publication(s) written in English. If unavailable, a brief abstract written in English by the applicant.
* #5 Personal History.
* #6 A letter of recommendation from the applicant's employer and/or supervisor testifying to academic ability and achievements, and confirming the availability of study leave covering the grant period.
* #7 A certified copy of the applicant's university graduation certificate, and a document testifying to the applicant's academic records in the entire course of study issued by the university concerned. (Both documents should be in English.)
* #8 A letter with signature by the host scientist and/or head of host institution confirming the period of stay and the availability of research facilities and materials. (the format is free. E-mail copy is not accepted.)

7. SCREENING AND NOTIFICATION OF RESULT OF AN APPLICATION
1. Applications are examined by the Screening Committee of the Foundation on the basis of academic value and the degree or perfection of the research projects.
2. It generally takes several months to complete examination of applications, after which the results will be sent directly to the applicants by the end of December, 2006.
3. The Foundation will send a Grant Letter to successful applicants.
4. The Foundation does not issue announcements concerning the progress of applications under examination, nor will the Foundation respond to inquiries concerning the status of such applications.
5. When the decisions of the Screening Committee are announced, the Foundation will neither announce the reasons for the decision nor respond to individual concerning those reasons.

8. FELLOWSHIP DETAILS
The following financial support is provided to successful applicants for research stay in Japan. No support to his/her family or dependents is available.

Stipend for research and stay:
..........200,000 yen is provided monthly for the purpose of payment of tuition, expenses for research materials, meals, transportation, etc.

Insurance:
..........(1) Personal accident insurance with death benefit and medical treatment, and (2) Sickness insurance with death benefit and medical treatment.

Air transportation:
..........An economy-class round-trip air ticket is provided between the airport nearest the Fellow's home residence and Tokyo via most direct routing. (Except for persons whose transportation is provided by another organization. )The provided air ticket cannot be converted to cash, nor can cash be provided by the Foundation for purchase of an air ticket by any individual or organization other than the Foundation.

Lump sum on arrival:
..........300,000 yen is provided to assist with the cost of lodging, local travel expenses, etc. (Except for persons whose transportation is provided by another organization.)

The above fellowships are provided for successful applicants only, and intended for necessary living expenses and research activities in Japan. Under no circumstances is any part of the fellowships transferable to any other persons or other items.

9. WITHDRAWAL OF FELLOWSHIP
In the event that any of the offenses described below is ascertained, the Matsumae International Foundation reserves the right to terminate its grant, rescind the fellowship Status of the offender, and immediately inform all concerned parties (immigration authorities, host institution, etc.) of the situation.

1. (1) Facts which are inconsistent with the rules and regulations set forth in the Fellowship announcement, the grant letter, and/or related documents.
(2) False statements or unilateral modification of statements in application forms, the grant letter, and/or related documents.
(3) Failure of the recipient to notify the Foundation of past, current or anticipated grants or benefits from other institutions which duplicate in whole or in part those of the Matsumae International Foundation.

2.?@In the event a successful applicant is unable to complete fellowship stay in Japan during the period of April 1, 2007 through March 31, 2008, due to circumstances with which the Foundation is not concerned, the grant validity will automatically expire.

EXAMPLES:
* (1) Should the recipient fail to notify the Foundation of past stay and study in Japan under a fellowship grant from another institution, and the Foundation learns of that fact after his/her arrival in Japan, the Fellowship will be immediately rescinded.
* (2) Should the recipient fail to notify the Foundation that he/she has accepted a grant from another institution, and the Foundation learns of the fact after his/her arrival in Japan, the Fellowship will be immediately rescinded.
* (3) In the event that the recipient notifies the Foundation of his/her acceptance of a grant from another institution, the Foundation will carefully examine the content of that grant and reserves the right to withdraw its Fellowship.
* (4) Should the recipient, after the host institution has formally been fixed, change it without prior consultation with the original host institution and the Foundation, the Fellowship may be rescinded.
* (5) Should the recipient change the period of stay in Japan, the Fellowship will be rescinded.
* (6) Should the recipient misrepresent his/her conversational ability in English or Japanese and, for that reason, be refused by his/her host scientist after his/her arrival in Japan, the Fellowship will be immediately rescinded.

SERVICES FOR FELLOWS
* Study Tour:
To promote deeper understanding of Japan, the Matsumae International Foundation organizes a Study Tour during the invitation period in Japan.

* Research Report:
Each year, the Foundation issues a "Research Report' containing summaries of research activities or results which are kindly submitted by the fellows.

* Continued Contact:
In order to keep in touch with fellows after their return home, the Foundation issues a periodic "Newsletter" and an annual "Fellowship Directory."

Please address all correspondence to:

THE MATSUMAE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
4-14-46 , Kamiogi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 167-0043 JAPAN
Fax: +81-3-3301-7601
Email: contact@matsumae-if.org  

Reference:
http://www.mars.dti.ne.jp/~mif/