Funding opportunities
In this section we gather funding opportunities from other actors that may be suitable for Japanese-Swedish collaborative projects. Please note that you apply directly through the funding agency responsible for each call and not through the MIRAI consortium.
Also, the applicants and countries vary depending on each call. Please share this possible grant information through your own network and consider together for considering various approaches to gain external research fundings.
Active funding information is being posted on the NEWS article section in this website.
Mobility Scholarships for Junior Researchers
JSPS Summer Program 2025
For master’s students, doctoral candidates, and recent PhD graduates who wish to spend two summer months in Japan.
Application deadline: January 3, 2025
Read more and apply here
JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan (Standard)
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, and 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
SSF (Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research) & JSPS Postdoctoral Opportunities 2025
The SSF & JSPS exchange program aims to encourage young doctors to collaborate with leading Japanese research groups for one to two years. Applicants must be Swedish citizens or hold permanent residence in Sweden. Funded by JSPS, SSF nominates up to two candidates, with JSPS making the final selection.
Application deadline: January 14, 2025!
* The exchange must start no earlier than July 1, 2025 and no later than November 30, 2025.
Click here for more details
Mobility Scholarships for All Researchers
JST ASPIER: Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem
JST ASPIRE program aims to maintain and improve Japan’s scientific and technological capabilities, to connect top researchers in Japan and advanced STI countries and regions through international joint research, and to accelerate talent circulation across the world. Research fields include AI & Information, Biotechnology, Energy, Materials, Quantum, Semiconductors, and Telecommunications. JST will evaluate the submitted proposals and provide funding to the Japan based researchers in the selected projects. For proposals to be eligible, the counterpart researchers in the partner countries/regions must have received or will receive funding from a local funding agency (FA).
The call will open in March 2025.
JSPS Invitational Fellowships for Research in Japan (Short-term)
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, and 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
Deadline: April 25, 2025
Read more here
Sweden-Japan Foundation Scholarships 2025
Scholarships for studies, research, or internships in Japan (minimum 3 months). These scholarships are primarily intended for studies in technology, natural sciences, economics, law, medicine, and commerce. Students and young researchers are eligible to apply.
Application deadline: January 31, 2025
Read more and apply here
Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation (SJSF)
Provides grants and scholarships to organizations, institutions, and individuals in the Nordic countries and Japan for research, development, and education in natural sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, humanities, as well as journalism and culture.
Application deadline: March 1, 2025
Read more and apply here
Vulcanus in Japan Program 2025/2026
The program offers industrial internships in Japanese companies for citizens of an EU member state who are studying engineering, high technology, or other scientific subjects. The program lasts 8 months, from August 2025 to March 2026.
Application deadline: January 20, 2025
Read more and apply here
Wenner-Gren Foundations
Visiting researcher grants
The tax-free scholarships are intended tomake it easier for foreign senior researchers to work in Sweden.
Who can apply?
Swedish researcher (all subjects) hosting a foreign researcher. The foreign senior researcher must have completed the doctoral degree earlier than five years before the time of application (=last date of application), i.e. the degree is more than five years old (cf. Postdoctoral scholarships for education in Sweden). The applicant can only submit one application for visiting researcher at each application time. Applicants who, at the time of application, have support from the foundations for a guest researcher cannot apply for another guest researcher.
Scope of the scholarships
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.
Application deadlines:
There are two (2) deadlines throughout the year when applications are assessed:
• March 10, 2025 at 23.59
• October 1, 2025 at 23.59
Notification of dividends is usually given after two months. Opens yearly
More information about the application’s conditions, content and procedure can be found at: https://www.swgc.org/gastforskarstipendier
(Disclaimer: info is in Swedish and part of the application has to be written in Swedish)
Travel grants
The tax-free scholarships are intended as a contribution to short-term active participation abroad in international congresses, symposia, workshops and courses. Funds may not be used for research stays abroad.
Who can apply?
Swedish researcher who at the time of application (last day of application) has completed a doctorate, is under the age of 40 and is active in Sweden, or foreign doctorate researcher who at the time of application has been in Sweden for more than 1 year and is under the age of 40.
Application deadlines:
There are two (2) deadlines throughout the year when applications are assessed:
• March 10, 2025 at 23.59 (for trips taking place between July 1 of the current year and June 30 of the following year)
• October 1, 2025 at 23.59 (for trips taking place between January 1 and December 31 of the following year)
Notification of dividends is usually given after two months. Opens yearly
More information about the application’s conditions, content and procedure can be found at: https://www.swgc.org/reseanslag
(Disclaimer: information is in Swedish and part of the application has to be written in Swedish.)
Other Opportunities
International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-2033) by UNESCO
Application deadline: December 31, 2024.
Read more and apply here