MIRAI – Collaboration between Swedish and Japanese universities

The program is open for applications until May 15, 2025

Funds can be applied for a 5-12 month-long research stay at one of the japanense partner universities in MIRAI. Doctoral students and early-career researchers employed at Uppsala University are eligible to apply. Early-career researchers must have obtained their doctoral degree in 2021 or later.

Why should you apply?

Participating in this program offers the opportunity to:

• Funding covers round-trip airfare to Japan and monthly allowance
• Opportunity to deepen your research skills at a leading Japanese partner university within the MIRAI-network.
• Build long-term academic collaborations with researchers in Japan
• Gain new perspectives and inspiration by engaging with Japan’s research culture and academic community
  

Eligibility:

• Doctoral students, or early career researchers who have obtained their doctoral degrees in 2021 or later.
• Applicants must be employed at UU at the time of the application and remain employed during the entire mobility.
• Applicants must be registered and have its tax domicile in Sweden and be covered by social insurance in Sweden.
• The mobility must take place at one of the MIRAI partner universities in Japan.
• Research endeavors should contribute to at least one of the MIRAI Global Challenges Teams
• The stay must be a minimum of 5 months and cannot exceed 12 months. The mobility period must be continuous and cannot be divided into shorter stays. The mobility should be completed by 31 December 2026 at the latest.

During the mobility period, researchers will pursue their individual research projects while being integrated into a research group at the host university. PhD students should incorporate the mobility into their ongoing doctoral project, and postdoctoral and other early career researchers are expected to continue their research.

Funding Details

The candidate should continue to receive their salary/compensation (without any deductions) from UU during the whole duration of stay. The funding for the mobility is hence not intended to cover salary but rather additional costs during the mobility. All selected applicants sign an abroad contract (URA) for employee, which will be administered locally by their respective department. While the URA contract states maximum amounts, each URA contract is customized and calculated individually depending on the needs of the candidate. The employee is covered by an URA insurance through Kammarkollegiet.

Funding is available in standard amounts from the URA contract as follows:

• Monthly subsistence allowance: 6,318 SEK per month (subject to revision by the Swedish Agency for Government Employers).
• Travel expenses: Up to 20,000 SEK for round-trip economy-class flights to and from Japan (must comply with UU travel policies).
• Housing: Accommodation costs (rent) in Japan are reimbursed based on actual expenses, up to a maximum of 10,000 SEK per month.
• Expenses for accompanying family: Up to 30,000 SEK for accompanying family members (spouse/partner and/or dependent children), which may be used for travel costs and/or to cover maintenance allowance.
• Visitor fees: If the host university charges fees for office space or other facilities, up to 3,000 SEK per month may be covered.

Other conditions:

• Any additional costs above the granted stipend should be covered by the candidate.
• An interrupted stay entails a repayment obligation, details will be regulated in the URA contract
• The candidate should not receive any other form of external financing to fund the mobility.
• Upon completion of their stay in Japan, the UU candidate should return to Sweden. No travel report in Primula is required upon arrival from travels. The monthly maintenance allowance provided in the URA agreement replaces any subsistence allowance.
• The Japanese host university expects to assist with housing as well as provide a workspace, access cards, and necessary facilities.
• The selected candidate is required to submit a report describing the outcomes of the mobility and how it has contributed to their research and professional development. The report must be submitted no later than January 31, 2027.

Additional considerations

Applicants are strongly advised to review the visa requirements for Japan. As visa processing can take time, it is important to include this in the planning of the mobility period. Additional information is available on the MIRAI website.

Please note that the URA contract is arranged by the local HR officer at your department. As this process may take time, applicants are responsible for contacting their HR officer to understand the expected processing time and requirements. This should be taken into account when planning your mobility.

Application Requirements

Each applicant is expected to contact relevant research groups individually to discuss the opportunities to undertake the mobility period at that university. The MIRAI contact persons can be used to establish contacts with research groups. Applicants must submit the following documents:

1. Completed application form
2. Letter of invitation from the host university in Japan
3. Curriculum Vitae (CV) and publication list (maximum 4 pages with font size in 12 or larger)
4. Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages with font size in 12 or larger), outlining the purpose of the mobility, the proposed plan, and expected outcomes and impacts.

The Head of Department must sign the application to confirm approval of the mobility and justify why the project is of strategic value to both the applicant and the department, as well as acknowledge any additional costs beyond the granted amount and confirm that the URA contract will be administered locally.

Selection criteria

The selection will be based on the following criteria:

• Motivation and commitment to participate in the program.
• The potential of the mobility to develop the applicant’s skills and research interests, and/or stimulate new research ideas.
• Balanced distribution between disciplinary domains/disciplines/faculties at UU.

The selection will strive to allow for as many researchers as possible to participate in the exchange, hence you may be offered funding for a shorter period than you applied for (but not shorter than 5 months).

Application Submission

The application with all documents submitted via email in PDF format. The tile of the email should be “MIRAI Mobility Application for NAME”. Completed applications should be submitted to fanny.lagerberg@uu.se

Application deadline: May 15, 2025

Selection results will be communicated to applicants in June. The mobility should be completed by December 31, 2026 at the latest.

Download the application form for MIRAI Long-term mobility 2025-2026 Word, 210 kB.

For questions, please contact Fanny Lagerberg.

The program is open for applications until April 25, 2025

This program allows researchers employed at Japanese universities and other research institutions to invite fellow researchers from other countries to Japan to participate in cooperative activities at their research institutions.

The program duration is 14-60 days.

JSPS will offer a round-trip air ticket, maintenance allowance, research support allowance and overseas travel insurance.

Host researchers in Japan should apply through their home university.

Periods for arrival in Japan: October 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026

Application Deadline: April 25, 2025

Read more here

The program is open for applications until April 25, 2025

This program provides opportunities for postdoctoral researchers from overseas to conduct, under the guidance of a host researcher, cooperative research with leading research groups in Japanese universities and other research institutions. All fields of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences are included under this program. Candidates must have obtained their doctoral degree within six years of the date the fellowship goes into effect.

The program duration is 12-24 months.

JSPS will offer a round-trip air ticket, maintenance allowance (JPY362,000 per month) and miscellaneous (a settling-in allowance of JPY200,000, overseas travel insurance, etc).

Host researchers in Japan should apply through their home university.

Periods for arrival in Japan: September 1 – November 30, 2025

Application Deadline: April 25, 2025

Read more here

Application deadlines: October 1, 2025 ((The application portal opens on two months before the deadline)

The tax-free scholarships are intended tomake it easier for foreign senior researchers to work in Sweden.

The scholarships are granted for a period of a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 12 months, starting during the calendar half-year (July 1 alt. January 1) that follows closest to the time of application.

Disclaimer: info is in Swedish and part of the application has to be written in Swedish

Read more here