UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme

In April 1996, the UN Secretary–General inaugurated UNU-IAS as an in–house community of scholars mandated to research issues located at the intersection between societal and natural systems. The Institute’s mission is to advance knowledge and to promote learning for policy making to meet the challenges of sustainable development. As an advanced studies institute, UNU-IAS is forward-looking and multidisciplinary.

Since October 2000, UNU-IAS offers Postdoctoral Fellowships for recent PhD graduates to provide them with the opportunity to put the knowledge and expertise acquired during their doctoral research to practical policy-relevant use. So far, over 40 Fellows from some 20 countries have passed through the Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme. Of those completing the programme about one third have been women, and developing country participants have outnumbered developed country participants.

Around two Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded each year for a period of 12 months, starting in September.

The Fellowship Programme provides the successful applicant with a unique opportunity to:

• develop and advance their research under the supervision of a UNU-IAS faculty member and contribute to the overall research agenda of the Institute;
• widen their research interests and professional networks by working in the international and multi-disciplinary context of UNU-IAS, and with its wider network of Japanese universities and research institutes, as well as international collaborators;
• become exposed to the workings of the international and multilateral policy process and the broader UN system; and
• link with other UNU-IAS and UNU-ISP PhD and Postdoctoral Fellows.

The Fellows are resident at UNU-IAS in Yokohama or UNU-IAS OUIK in Kanazawa, Japan for the full term of the fellowship. This gives them the opportunity to gain from the broader research programme of lectures, seminars, workshops and conferences arranged by UNU-IAS. The Institute's close links with Japanese affiliated professors and visiting professors from key universities and think tanks in Japan also allow Fellows to link into the broader Japanese academic and research community. 

2. Field of Research

The purpose of the UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowship is to provide young scholars and policy-makers, especially from the developing world, with a multidisciplinary context within which to pursue advanced research and training that are of professional interest to the applicant and of direct relevance to the research agenda of UNU-IAS. Research proposals for UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowships should therefore relate clearly to one of the current research areas of the Institute, as well as aim to be policy-relevant. Research proposals are invited in the following areas:

Science and Technology for Sustainable Societies
Sustainable Urban Futures
Biodiplomacy Initiative
Sustainable Development Governance
Traditional Knowledge Initiative
Marine/Coastal Governance and Urban Biodiversity (UNU-IAS OUIK)  

3. Eligibility and Conditions

Applicants must have obtained a PhD (or at least successfully defended their doctoral dissertation), in an area broadly associated with the UNU-IAS thematic focus, prior to the application deadline. Language proficiency in English is essential. Applicants from developing countries and women are particularly encouraged to apply.

UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded for a period of 12 months. The starting date of the Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme is 1 September. Successful applicants are required to be in Yokohama or Kanazawa by this date. Residency in Yokohama or Kanazawa for the full duration of the fellowship is required.

Fellows are provided with their own desk in a dedicated study room in the Institute, administrative support and desktop computing. Fellows have access to the UNU Library in Tokyo which includes an excellent collection of UN documents. They also have access via the UNU Library to various Japanese university libraries and computer databases. A limited range of other, more specialized computer hardware and software may also be available.

The fellowship provides a monthly stipend of JPY300,000- 360,000 (depending on experience) from which a monthly usage charge for accommodation is deducted (see below). A one-time-only settle-in-allowance of JPY 80,000 will be granted to each Fellow at the beginning of the programme for relocation, adjustment expenses, ground transportation and incidental costs. UNU-IAS provides Fellows with a return air ticket between his/her country of residence and Narita Airport. Settle-in-allowance and air tickets are, however, not provided for Fellows already residing in Japan before the commencement of the fellowship.

Eligibility for a second 12-month appointment may be considered based on the Fellow’s performance.

4. Accommodation

Postdoctoral Fellows will be provided accommodation by UNU-IAS. Usage charges other than utilities (electricity, water, gas, telephone, etc.) are as follows:

            Single room apartment (for one person)              JPY80,000 or more per month
            Twin room apartment (for couples)                     JPY130,000 or more per month

5. Starting Date and Deadline for Applications

The UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme begins on 1 September and the selected fellows are required to be in Japan by this date.  The deadline for applications for the 2013 Fellowships is 28 February 2013.

More information : HERE