25.06.2026
Estonian Research Council in cooperation with the Japanese Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) opened a new call for researcher Exchange program to bring one Japanese scientist per yer to Estonia to do research.
In 2002, the Japanese Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the then Estonian Science Foundation signed an agreement according to which the Estonian Research Council is the JSPS’ cooperation partner and representative organization in Estonia. This created an opportunity for Estonian postdoctoral fellows to apply for a scholarship for research in Japan once a year through ETAG. Until now, Estonia has had the opportunity to send one researcher to Japan for up. Now there ETAG and JSPS are making the cooperation bilateral, and the goal of the new program is to promote international cooperation and mutual understanding through research.
Positively evaluated Estonian R&I institutions can invite one Japanese researcher per year to do research in Estonia for 6-12 months.
GRANT APPLICATION FOR THE YEAR 2027
Brief information about the program:
Period of stay
- 6 to 12 months
- The researcher must depart Japan during the period from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2028
Field of research
All areas of Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences
Eligibility
- At the time of application, be a full-time researcher (tenure not required) who is eligible to receive KAKENHI grants or a researcher who aspires to hold such a full-time position in the future.
The candidate must be a citizen of Japan or a foreign national with permanent residency status in Japan. - Researchers who have obtained a doctoral degree or who are expected to obtain one by 31 March 2027.
Eligible Japanese R&I institutions
- University or Joint research institute
Organization under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) that conducts scientific research
National college of Technology
Other organization designated by the MEXT minister
Eligibility of Estonian R&I institutions and host researchers
- Must formally employ the Japanese researcher (at least part-time) with any type of employment contract legal in Estonia
- The host Institution must be a positively evaluated R&D institution that is a legal entity registered in Estonia. List of evaluated institutions is provided in the Estonian Research Information
System (ETIS) - The Estonian host researcher must hold a doctoral degree or an equivalent qualification and have an updated public profile in the Estonian Research Information System (ETIS) by the submission deadline
The grant amount
The amounts given below ensure the grant for salary that the Estonian R&I institution can pay to a Japanese researcher for conducting research in Estonia. In addition, the R&I institution may pay additional salary from other funds. The costs for research work must be covered by the Estonian R&I institution.
- International airfare: up to 5,000 EUR (Based on actual expenses,including international travel insurance and visa application fees)
- Maintenance allowance: 1,600 EUR/month (Net payout after deducting employee’s unemployment insurance contribution and income tax)
- Family allowance: 500 EUR/month
- Accommodations: up to 1,000 EUR/month (Based on actual expenses, including utility costs and relevant national taxes of Estonia)
- Expenses for domestic travel in Estonia: 650 EUR (Based on actual expenses)
Research costs at the Estonian host institution and the overhead costs of the Estonian host institution are not eligible.
Application procedure
- The Japanese researcher must submit the application electronically on the JSPS platform no later than September 3, 2026 at 17:oo (JST)
- The Japanese researcher must submit the invitation letter from the Estonian R&I institution with the application.
- The evaluation is carried out by JSPS and who then make a nomination to ETAG.
The application guidelines in English: https://www.jsps.go.jp/file/storage/e-tokuteikoku/sinsei_boshu/FY2027_boshuyoko_en.pdf
More information about the Researcher Exchange Programme (in English): https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-bilat/researcher.html
Information in Japanese: https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-bilat/tokuteikoku/shinsei_bosyu.html
Contact in ETAG:
Katrin Saar
katrin.saar@etag.ee
+372 5333 5625
