The OIST Graduate School offers education and research opportunities through a system of undergraduate and graduate placements as Research Interns. The OIST Internship in Japan program is for at least two months and at most six months. Placements give the opportunity to gain experience in a particular laboratory or to learn a specific technique.

Interns work under the direction of a Professor at OIST and contribute to the research activities of OIST. The specific assignment of duties is at the discretion of the PI and is subject to change. Places for research Interns are awarded twice a year on a competitive basis, with the application period months in advance.

Due to COVID-19, arrivals of students residing outside of Japan is subjected to international travel restrictions and quarantine requirement at the time of arrival. As the situation is subject to change, while OIST will provide the best support possible, there are cases where internships must be delayed, postponed or even canceled.

OIST Internship in Japan Details

• Host Institution: OIST Graduate School in Japan.
• Field of research: Available Faculty and research projects for interns.
• Number of awards: Not specified.
• Duration: 2 to 6 months.
• Target group: Open to all nationalities.

OIST Internship in Japan Benefits

This internship program in Asia provides successful applicants with:

• living allowance, commuting support where necessary, and accommodation either on campus or nearby. Successful applicants will receive a Living Allowance of 2,400 JPY per day (weekends excluded) while at OIST.
• one direct round-trip travel for Research Interns between the home university or institution and the research unit or other facility where the internship will take place (primarily in Okinawa). The travel dates must be as close as possible to the term of the placement. Travel for successful applicants is arranged by the OIST Graduate School.
• the Student Support Section of the Graduate School will provide support for Research Interns at OIST with matters such as housing, visa acquisition, insurance procedures, and local registration. OIST regrets that support for dependents, family members, and persons other than the student is not available.

OIST Internship in Japan Eligibility

Those eligible to apply for the OIST Internship in Japan Program include:

• Excellent students enrolled in Undergraduate or Master’s programs in universities, colleges, junior colleges, and vocational schools in Japan or overseas, or recent 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.

Graduate School funded internships are highly competitive and are only awarded to outstanding applicants who are in the final 2 years of their academic program or are recent graduates within the past year before the application deadline. In some cases, additional internship positions may be offered directly by OIST faculty to other outstanding applicants, particularly for those with highly-developed skills relevant to the group’s research.

You may also be eligible for the:

1. World Trade Organization Internship Program;
2. World Bank Group Young Professionals Program;
3. UNICEF Internship Program For All Nationalities.

How to Apply for the OIST Internship

Interested applicants who would like to apply for the OIST Internship must follow the instructions below:

1. Applications to the OIST Internship in Japan must be made through the online application form. Please click on the apply button below to start the form. You will need to open an account in order to apply to the program
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 the @oist.jp domain.)
6. Following the final confirmation of internship offers, all necessary arrangements will be made, in cooperation with the interns. Your cooperation is required for the timely completion of logistics to begin the internship, including possible visa preparations and other necessary Japanese government documentation.

Required Documents

1. Statement of purpose: The Statement of Interest form is provided on the online application form. Please write a 400-word (2500 characters) statement including the following points:
   • How do 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: Scanned copies of your current academic transcript and any other transcript from your past degree (BSc, MSc, etc.). An English explanation is required for transcripts that are not written in English.
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 on the form. The program does 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, and checked faculty projects availability, please apply to the program through the application form by clicking on the apply button below. For the Spring 2024 Internship, the application deadline is October 15, 2023. Results will be announced in late December 2023. Please visit the official page for more detail on the OIST Internship in Japan. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.