UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowship Programme 2026/2027

Who can apply?

The fellowship is open to Master’s and PhD researchers aged up to 40 from Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, DR Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Türkiye. The host country is Japan, and the programme offers 10 awards across arts and design, computer science and IT, education, environment and climate, entrepreneurship, public policy and governance, and social sciences. Applicants need sufficient proficiency in reading and writing in the language of instruction or supervision at the proposed host institution; IELTS is not required.

What does the funding cover?

Selected fellows may receive up to US$10,000 as a lump-sum grant for costs directly related to the approved research stay. It may cover international and domestic travel, accommodation, medical insurance, personal subsistence including meals, local transport and incidental expenses, and other research-related costs where applicable. Tuition fees, equipment including computers, publication costs and conference participation are excluded unless the participation is clearly justified as integral and makes a direct, significant contribution to the project.

When is the deadline and how does the timeline run?

The application deadline is 30 September 2026 at 00:00 Paris time.

How do I apply?

1. Prepare the fellowship application and research-stay details.
2. Submit the application on the official page.