Fellowship

Fellowship Program for Overseas Medical Doctors and Researchers

  1. Takeda Science Foundation
  2. Fellowship
  3. Fellowship Program for Overseas Medical Doctors and Researchers

The Takeda Science Foundation provides Foreign Medical Doctors and Researchers with grants.

The Foundation has two kinds of Fellowship Programs that give opportunities for advanced bioscience research works and medical trainings to medical doctors and researchers from various countries/regions by having them attend leading institutions in Japan.
The Takeda Science Foundation provides international medical/pharmaceutical researchers and medical doctors with opportunities to conduct research in Japan. From among the candidates recommended by local screening committees in the seven designated countries/regions of Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, fellowship recipients are decided following the prescribed screening process and approval by the Chairman of the Foundation.
In addition to candidates from those seven countries/regions, medical doctors and researchers from other countries/regions whose applications have been filed by mentor doctors residing in Japan, and who are recommended by the screening committee, receive fellowship grants upon approval by Chairman of the Foundation.
Each year, the number of international medical doctors and researchers to receive support is decided following approval by the Board of Trustees. Fellowships will be awarded to about 50 researchers in total, about 40 from the seven designated countries/regions and about 10 from other countries/regions.
The expertise of eligible medical doctors and researchers covers a broad range of fields, from basic medicine or life science to clinical medicine. Between 1963, the year of the Foundation’s establishment, and the end of March, 2025, fellowships have been offered to a total of 1,940 medical doctors and researchers from 49 countries/regions.

Social gathering of overseas fellows (Osaka, 2024)
Social gathering of overseas fellows (Osaka, 2024)
The 50th anniversary of fellowship to Korean medical doctors and researchers in Seoul in 2023
The 50th anniversary of fellowship to Korean medical doctors and researchers in Seoul in 2023
The 60th anniversary of fellowship to Taiwanese medical doctors and researchers in Taipei in 2024
The 60th anniversary of fellowship to Taiwanese medical doctors and researchers in Taipei in 2024

Intotal of foreign medical doctors and researchers by country

As of March, 2025
Intotal of foreign researchers by country Intotal of foreign researchers by country

Application requirements of fellowship programs

Applicable Field Medical and life science fields
Content We provide Foreign Medical Doctors and Researchers with grants for research or clinical training in Japanese universities, research institutes or hospitals.
Candidates
Grant (I):
Foreign Medical Doctors and Researchers from Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea, China, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Grant (II):
Foreign Medical Doctors (MD) and Researchers (PhD) of nationalities other than the seven countries/regions listed above.
MD or PhD in medical or life science fields is required.
Doctors who are staying in Japan at the time of application are NOT applicable.
In addition, graduate students are ineligible.
*Combination with other grants such as the grant from JSPS which is more than JPY 200,000 a month is NOT allowed.
*Those with an annual income of JPY 6,000,000 / year or more after Apr 1st in 2026 are NOT eligible.
Offer method Public
Application method
Grant (I):
Applicants shall submit the prescribed documents to the secretariat of the selection committee in their respective home countries/regions.
Grant (II):
A Japan-residing mentor doctor who wishes to invite a Foreign Medical Doctor or Researcher shall complete the application procedures and submit the prescribed documents about the invited Foreign Medical Doctor or Researcher to the foundation.
Grant period
Grant (I):
Three (3), six (6), twelve (12) or twenty-four (24) months, depending on the purpose and plan of the research and clinical training.
Grant (II):
Six (6) to twenty-four (24) months for research and three (3) to twelve (12) months for clinical training.
Selection of Foreign Researcher
Grant (I):
Fellowship recipients shall be decided by an approval of the chairman of the foundation after recommendation by home country / region's selection committee.
Grant (II):
Fellowship recipients shall be decided by an approval of the chairman of the foundation after recommendation by the foundation's selection committee.
Number of Grant recipients
Grant (I):
approximately forty (40) people.
Grant (II):
approximately ten (10) people.
Grant details
  • Maintenance Allowance: JPY 300,000 / month.
  • Airfare: A round-trip air (economy-class) ticket.
  • Aid for expenses to start research or clinical training: Actual expenses up to JPY 200,000.
Information for Host Institution To Host institutions / mentors, please note the following two points:
  • The Foundation only provides grants to Foreign Medical Doctors or Researchers studying in Japan, and does not pay any mentoring fees to the host institution or host supervisor (mentor).
  • The host institution/mentor needs to apply to the Immigration Bureau for a Certificate of Eligibility, which is required for the Foreign Medical Doctor or Researcher to enter Japan.
Grant (I)：
Please contact directly to the person in charge of the secretariat in your country/region for application.
Contact information is listed at the bottom of this page.
Grant (II)：
If you are a mentor in Japan who wishes to invite a foreign medical doctor or researcher to Japan, please let us know via the "Contact Us" link at the bottom right of this page, and we will inform you of the application procedure.
The application period for FY2025 has ended, and the application period for FY2026 (start of the fellowship: April 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027) is from Tuesday, April 1 to Friday, July 18, 2025 (must arrive by this date).

FAQ

Secretariat of selection committees in the seven designated countries/regions.