Applicants are invited to apply for the UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program in Japan. The objective of this internship program is to provide undergraduate students from different countries (including some from Japan) who are committed to or who are considering a career in biology or related sciences and looking to continue to graduate studies, with eight weeks of biomedical research experience in the basic and translational sciences.
Research experiences are being provided by faculty members of the Graduate School of Medicine, Graduate School of Engineering, Graduate School of Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the Institute of Industrial Science of the University of Tokyo in Japan.
By the end of their summer experience, students are expected to acquire knowledge and skills for conducting research. The students are also expected to extend their international friendship through collaborative experiences. These experiences will help the students to develop future collaborations in many situations.
Programme Details
- Host Institutions: Kyoto University (Japan).
- Number of awards: About 10.
- Duration: June 4, 2024 – August 3, 2024.
- Target group: Find the full list of eligible countries below.
UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program Benefits
The UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program provides Selected candidates with the following benefits.
- Room: Near-campus accommodation
- Stipend: 270,000 JPY. The stipend should be used freely to budget for food and any personal trips during your stay in Japan.
- Travel Costs: Economy-class airfare to Tokyo, or round-trip train tickets for domestic students, will be provided for program participation. The most economical route and schedule will be determined through discussions between participants and the program office. If the schedule is changed for personal reasons of the participant, they will be required to repay the University of Tokyo the cost of the originally booked flights.
Note : All students must arrange their own private health & travel insurance. Please be aware that neither the Amgen Foundation nor the University of Tokyo can provide health/travel insurance.
In addition to working full time in the laboratory for 8 weeks, the program features:
- Special seminars and sessions where students can meet and have discussions
- Access to UTokyo campus facilities such as the Library, Health Care Center, and Gymnasium
- Japanese cultural events
- Excursions etc.
Eligible Countries
Eastern Asia: China, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Taiwan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Republic of Korea.
South-Eastern Asia: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam.
Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Southern Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
Western Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, State of Palestine, Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program Eligibility
Applicants for the UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program must be undergraduate students who satisfy the following criteria:
- Attending colleges and universities across the Asia region (check the full list of countries above) that award a bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent); and
- At the minimum, have completed their first year of undergraduate study at the time the summer program begins, and
- Are not graduating before the summer program begins, and will resume undergraduate studies for at least 1 semester or 1 quarter after the summer program ends.
- Have a strong record of academic performance; and
- Have a good working knowledge of English, demonstrated by a minimum
- TOEFL (iBT) score of 72,
- IELTS overall band score of 5.5,
- Cambridge English FCE,
- TOEIC score of 1095,
- TOEIC L&R score of 785,
- or TOEIC S&W score of 310,
- if not a native English speaker or if English is not their first language.
- Have an interest in pursuing a PhD.
Selected applicants are expected to:
- devote full effort in participation in the Amgen Scholars Program. Scholars cannot take any courses or hold a job throughout the duration of the program. In addition, all participants must be able to attend the program for its entire duration.
- live in the accommodation provided by UTokyo.
- participate fully in the day-to-day life of the research group, respect the work of all members of the laboratory, and attend and participate in laboratory meetings or other gatherings.
- attend the orientation on the first day of the program, all required conferences, activities, and social events.
- give a poster/presentation describing his/her summer research project.
- submit a research paper to the UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program Director at the conclusion of the program.
Other Opportunities
- Ghent University PhD Scholarship for Developing Countries;
- Heinrich Böll Foundation scholarships in Germany;
- A*STAR Computing and Information Science Scholarship.
How to Apply for the UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program?
Interested applicants who would like to be considered for this Asia opportunity must click on the apply button and follow instructions to apply. Applicants must not forget to upload the required documents. Please follow the application steps below:
- Step 1 : Prepare Required Documents
- Step 2 : Create an account and start your application
- Step 3 : Request recommendation letters
- Step 4 : Complete application
Required Documents
- Portrait photo in jpeg file (45 x 35mm). Your full face should be visible in the photo, and it should be taken from the front with your eyes open. The photo should not be a “selfie”, as it will be used as your profile photo if your application is successful.
- Scanned copy of Passport or ID card in PDF file. Scan the ID page of your passport or travel document issued by the government. IDs such as a valid student ID or a national ID can be accepted.
- Academic Transcript in a PDF file (in English) and scan all pages including back pages and notations.
- Proof of your English proficiency (in PDF) : If you are not a native English speaker or if English is not your first language, please follow the instructions below. English proficiency test scores must be within the validity period set by each test. TOEFL ITP is not accepted as a proficiency test score
- Non-native speakers from institutions where the medium of education for their degree program is NOT English, must submit a valid proficiency test score as listed in the Eligibility & Requirements section above.
- Non-native speakers from institutions where the medium of education for their degree program IS primarily in English, must submit a valid proficiency test score as listed in the Eligibility & Requirements section above.
- Alternatively, they can submit a letter from their university, a copy of an official document, or a copy of an official webpage specifying that the medium of education for their degree program is primarily in English.
- Latest CV/Resume (in PDF) : Please elaborate in-depth descriptions of any work experience, responsibilities or projects relevant to your field of study (Max 3,000 characters including spaces).
- Letters of Recommendation (in PDF) : Submitted through TAO, by 2 (two) recommenders. One of whom must be a faculty member at your current institution who is familiar with your educational background, academic performance, and motivation for attending the 2024 Program.
- Consent Forms (in PDF) : Please click here to download the form and read it through carefully. If you accept the terms, please sign the form and submit the signed form as a pdf file.
The application deadline is . For more details on the UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program in Japan and Singapore, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.