Applications must be completed online by 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on September 1, 2019. The reference and language evaluation must also be submitted online by the deadline.

This fellowship opportunity is available to US and Japanese citizens, as well as to nationals of other countries who can demonstrate strong and serious long-term affiliations with the research communities of the US or Japan. Long-term affiliation is evaluated based on length of professional activity in either Japan or the US. Other factors, such as local affiliations and number of publications may be taken into consideration.

You are welcome to apply if you can demonstrate that you are part of a US or Japanese research community.

No paper applications are used in this application process. The application is to be filled out online and can be accessed at http://soap.ssrc.org/. Program staff may be contacted at abe@ssrc.org or by phone at (212) 377-2700, ext. 3672 in New York. The Tokyo office can be reached at abetokyo@ssrc.org; fax: 03-5369-6142; or phone: 03-5369-6085.

No.

No.

Applicants must hold a PhD or terminal degree in their field or have the equivalent level of professional training at the time of application.

Yes.

No.

The fellowship will support a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 12 months over a period of up to 24 months.

The period of the fellowship need not be continuous, but must be concluded within 24 months of initial activation.

Yes.

Members of the US research community must spend at least one-third of the fellowship tenure in Japan. Members of the Japanese research community must spend at least one-third of the fellowship tenure in the US.

The research topic itself does not necessarily have to involve either the US or Japan, but there must be clear justification in the proposal for time spent conducting research in either the US or Japan.

See the Abe Fellowship Detailed Application Criteria on the Abe Fellowship Program Web site under the headings The Abe Fellowship Research Agenda and Policy-relevant, Contemporary and Comparative or Transnational Research. Information about the Program can be found online at http://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/abe-fellowship/. If you have any questions, please contact program staff.

The amount of the Abe Fellowship is not fixed. It varies widely and is determined on a case by case basis, depending on the details of the research plan and on whether the award includes salary replacement.

Yes, the fellowship can be processed through your home institution. In such cases, the responsible office at your institution must submit a letter confirming that no overhead or indirect costs will be deducted from the fellowship amount.

Only if family members are your financial dependents and only if they will be accompanying you overseas for a minimum of three continuous months.

Abe Fellows must activate the fellowship between April 1 and December 31, 2020.

Abe Fellows are selected by the members of the Abe Fellowship Program Committee, who use established peer review procedures. The Abe Fellowship Program Committee includes distinguished members of the academic and research communities of the United States and Japan. For a list of current committee members, please see our website: http://www.ssrc.org/committees/1FEF0B50-22DF-E511-940C-005056AB4B80.

Over the last five years, annual applicant pools have averaged 85 applications.

Approximately 10 awards are made in a given year.

Yes. Twenty-one historians have won Abe Fellowships in the history of the Program; three of these awards were made within the last five years. Historians must make explicit in their project statements the link between contemporary, policy-relevant issues and historical inquiry.

Concurrent funding associated with a named grant or fellowship, such as the Fulbright or Guggenheim, is strictly prohibited. Moreover, with the exception of sabbatical pay, Abe Fellows may not accept salary support from a funding source other than the Abe Fellowship Program while an active Abe Fellow. Fellows may accept supplemental funds in small amounts for specific purposes such as research assistance or translation.

The Abe Fellowship considers lost income based on primary employment when calculating the award. These funds are not sufficient to replace fully salary for senior researchers.

Yes.

The Abe Fellowship Program does not require applicants to submit proof of institutional affiliation as a condition of the award. However, applicants who have already arranged for institutional affiliations should provide details on the online application form.

No. With respect to overseas visits to the US or Japan, our expectation is that the institution with which you are intending to affiliate will sponsor your visa.

One. The reference may come from someone who is familiar with your research or from someone who may not be familiar with your research but knows you very well and can speak to your capability to carry out productive research. Follow the instructions on the “Reference” section of the online application to send an electronic request to the person who will submit your reference. The referee must submit the reference using the online system by 5:00 p.m. on September 1, 2019.

If proficiency in your non-native language is necessary for the completion of your research project, a language evaluation is required. If more than one foreign language is required to complete your research project, submit a language evaluation for each language. Non-native speakers of English who have a degree from an English-speaking institution need not submit an English language evaluation form. Anyone who is professionally qualified to judge your language competence may submit the language evaluation(s) on your behalf, e.g. a language faculty member, a faculty member in your own department, or someone else who is qualified to evaluate your language competence in the language(s) needed to carry out your research. Follow the instructions on the “Language Evaluation” section of the online application to send an electronic request to the person who will submit your evaluation. The evaluator must submit the language evaluation using the online system by 5:00 p.m. on September 1, 2019.

Applicants are usually notified by the end of November.

No. Applications sent by fax or email will not be accepted. Applicants must supply the necessary information and submit all supplementary materials by using the online application system at https://soap.ssrc.org. The reference and language evaluation must also be submitted online by the September 1, 2019 deadline.

Once you submit your application you should receive an automated email message. If you do not receive this message, please contact program staff at abe@ssrc.org or (212) 377-2700.

Applicants are usually notified by the end of November.

No. Applications sent by fax or email will not be accepted. Applicants must supply the necessary information and submit all supplementary materials by using the online application system at https://soap.ssrc.org. The reference and language evaluation must also be submitted online by the September 1, 2019 deadline.