Nagoya University Interdisciplinary Frontier Fellowship Q&A

Fellowship Program Overall
Q1001 Do the evaluators differ depending on the application field?
Are there different evaluators for Materials, Quantum Science, and Information and AI?
A
The evaluators differ depending on the application field.
Evaluations are conducted by subcommittees established in each field.
Each subcommittee consists of one member from each of the graduate schools to whichapplications can be submitted in each field. The chairperson and vice chairperson ofeach subcommittee are appointed and decided on by the Director of the Doctoral
Education Consortium.
Q1002 Working students are not eligible to apply. The definition of working members of society
includes stay-at-home mothers, stay-at-home fathers, and individuals who have
graduated from an undergraduate or master’s program, have become a working memberof society once, and have newly enrolled or been admitted to a doctoral course.
In the School of Health Sciences, most students enroll in a doctoral course after gaining
several years of clinical experience after completing an undergraduate or master’s
program. Moreover, most of the students of nursing courses are women, and many ofthem go on to the doctoral course after first giving birth and becoming a stay-at-home
mother in their 20s.
Despite the fact that the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s Research
Fellowship for Young Scientists recipient and age limit restrictions were abolished,limiting the scope of this fellowship to those in their 20s still seems to be somewhat of aproblem.
Under the current system, many students who need financial support in the Graduate
School of Medicine’s Health Sciences course are not eligible for the program. We would
appreciate it if you could take this into consideration in your recruitment next year
onwards.
A

The university is aware of the points stated, and in designing this program, we haverequested the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT),
the source of the grant, to allow more students to apply for the program.
MEXT’s response was that the basic rules cannot be changed because the organizations
selected for this fellowship program were determined according to the open recruitment
guidelines indicated by MEXT.
We would like to share this opinion with the person in charge at MEXT and will request
an expansion of those who may apply starting in AY2023.

Q1003 Who conducts the evaluations?
A

Members of a committee selected from the university conduct the evaluations. The
representatives of the graduate schools marked with a “○” in the Appended Table 2 areconfirmed members of this committee and will conduct a fair selection process.
Q1004 When will the seminars in Appended Table 1 finally be open?
A

They will be published after approval by the Fellowship Implementation Committee (early
April).

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Q1005 This program requires interdisciplinary research with different fields. Should the content
of the research be reconsidered in this way?
A
There is no need to reconsider the research. Please prepare your application based on
how you will develop the research in the Doctoral Course.
Q1006 Does “an individual who has become a working member of society once, and has newly
enrolled or been admitted to a doctoral course” mean that those who have work
experience are not eligible to apply regardless of their current employment status?
A
Such individuals are not qualified to apply this year. (Response from the Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
Q1007 How much time is needed to attend lectures, training, seminars, etc.?
A

If WISE programs and other graduate schools offer lectures or training that can besubstituted, we will configure the program so that students will not be overburdened,
including considering point substitution.
Q1008 Will this program continue in 2023 and beyond?
A

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology has a support periodof seven years. This program will continue during that period. The University aims tocontinue beyond that period if possible.
Q1009 If a fellowship applicant is accepted as a recipient of the Japan Society for the Promotionof Science’s Research Fellowship for Young Scientists and declines or withdraws fromthe Interdisciplinary Frontier Fellowship, is there any possibility of additional acceptanceinto the program?
A
We are considering a system to fill the program’s capacity if there is a vacancy due to an
applicant declining or withdrawing from a spot. An applicant not accepted initially will be
accepted as a fellow in a vacant spot, and support will be available for the remaining
period of the applicant who declined or withdrew. Regarding recruitment for AY2022, weplan to accept several people in October.
Q1010 I will be a second year master’s student starting in April this year. I haven't taken the
Doctoral Course entrance examination yet. Can I still apply for a fellowship?
A
Applicants who wish to enroll or be admitted to the Doctoral Course can apply.
If you are accepted as a Fellow but do not enroll or are not admitted into the Doctoral
Course (including failures), at that point you will lose your fellowship or prospective
fellowship status.
Q1011 If a student is accepted as a recipient of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s
Research Fellowship for Young Scientists after passing for the fellowship and declines orwithdraws from fellowship support, are their various obligations regarding the fellowshipalso cancelled?
A
Although the student’s obligations regarding the fellowship will be cancelled due to theirfocusing on work as a recipient of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s
Research Fellowship for Young Scientists, we do ask for your cooperation in providing
information on your career path in the form of follow-up in the future.
Q1012 If a leave of absence is decided after passing, can the grant period be extended?
A

It depends on the reason for the leave of absence, but an extension is difficult if due topersonal reasons. We are currently considering such reasons as childbirth, childcare, or
sudden injury or illness for taking measures such as temporary halt of the fellowship.

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Application
Q2001 Is there any possibility the four fields will change in the future?
A

These are fields set by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology and will not be changed during the grant period. At the time of application,
the University designed its application to allow students from all graduate schools toapply for the fellowship. A student can apply for at least one field.
Q2002 I know first-year Pre-Doctoral Master’s Course students can apply, but is it possible forstudents who are unsure of whether to advance to the Doctoral Course to apply? And
what about students who wish to enroll from other universities?
A
A student can apply if they wish to enroll or be admitted at the time of application. The
student can decline or withdraw later. Students from other universities may also apply. In
the future, we will consider more effective ways to inform students who wish to enter orbe admitted to the University from other universities. We ask for your cooperation in
making this fellowship program widely known in your graduate school.
Q2003 I will be withdrawing from the Doctoral Course at University A and enrolling in the firstyear of the Doctoral Course at Nagoya University starting in April. Is it possible to apply
for a fellowship in this case?
A
Since you are scheduled to enter the Doctoral Course at our university in April 2021, youhave met the basic conditions. Other requirements must also be met, such as age, nonworking student status, and not being a recipient of the Japan Society for the Promotionof Science’s Research Fellowship for Young Scientists (DC1) .
Q2004 Is it possible for a medical school graduate who obtained an initial clinical residency (2years), enrolled in the Doctoral Course in Medicine, currently belongs to a basic research
department, and is conducting research while receiving a private scholarship to apply?
A- It is possible to apply if the following conditions are met.
1) The individual became a second year student of the Doctoral Course in Medicine in
October 2020, or the student will become a second year student of the Doctoral Course
in Medicine in April 2021
2) The individual has no regular income
3) The individual is under 33 years of age as of April 1, 2021
4) The individual does not violate the conditions of the current prohibition of dual paymentof private scholarships.

Q2005 What should a first-year international student enrolled in the Doctoral Course in April
2021 do if they are unable to come to Japan due to immigration restrictions as a result of
COVID-19 and have no information on their Nagoya University ID?
A
The basic steps are as follows.
1. If enrolled = > Register using the internal applicant form
2. If not enrolled = > Register using the external applicant form
*Those who are scheduled to enroll are considered not enrolled. Nagoya University IDs
are issued to students who are planning to advance, so they are considered enrolled.
In the case of 1., if the Nagoya University ID is unknown by the application deadline, theapplicant should register through the internal applicant form and enter a temporary ID(XXXXXXXXX) for the Nagoya University ID.
Q2006 Should an application form be prepared on the computer or by hand?
A

Please prepare your application on the computer and submit forms 1 to 3 as a PDF file.

Q2007 I have not yet received my Doctoral Course student ID. How do I fill in the student ID
number in the pre-application?
A
For individuals enrolled in the first year of the Doctoral Course who do not yet have theirstudent ID numbers, please enter “999999999” as your student ID number in the preapplication registration form (internal applicants).

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Q2008 I will be enrolled in the Doctoral Course in the Graduate School of __ starting in April
2021.
After completing a master’s course in March 2019, I became a working member ofsociety, then quit and enrolled in a doctoral program. In this case, am I considered aworking student?
A
Yes, you are considered a working student. An individual who has graduated from anundergraduate or master’s program, has become a working member of society once, andhas newly enrolled in a doctoral course is considered a working student.
Q2009 Regarding applications to the Interdisciplinary Frontier Fellowship, is this program notapplicable to 2nd year graduate students of the Doctoral Course in April 2021?
A
Individuals who become D2 in April 2021 are not eligible for this fellowship program.
This program is supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology, and the requirements for eligible students are clearly stated inits program announcement. This program is available to students enrolled in the 1st yearof a Doctoral Course In April 2021.
Q2010 A recipient of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s Research Fellowship for
Young Scientists application is mandatory, but what happens if an individual is acceptedby both the fellowship and the Research Fellowship for Young Scientists?
A
For example, if you apply for a fellowship in the current academic year (2021), you will
have to withdraw from the fellowship when the application is accepted in April of the next
year (2022).
Q2011 I am a second year international graduate student at Nagoya University. I plan to finish in
September of this year and be admitted in October. I receive a Monbukagakusho
scholarship for graduate school. Can I still apply to the fellowship?
A
Yes, you can apply. However, if you receive a Monbukagakusho scholarship when you
enroll or are admitted to the Doctoral Course in October 2021, you will not be able tobecome a Fellow. In addition, if you are currently receiving such a scholarship on thecondition that you return to your home country after completing the Pre-Doctoral Master’s
Course, you will not be able to become a Fellow.
Q2012 Can I write about my research plan in English?
A

Yes, the research plan can be written in English.

Q2013 In the case of an applicant of foreign nationality (planning to apply in English), can they
use a recommendation letter from my supervisor written in Japanese? Or should it be
written in English?
A
Applications and recommendations can be written in either English or Japanese.
Q2014 Is it possible to change the field of application that I registered in my pre-application at alater date?
A
If you would like to change the field of application of your pre-application registration,please contact us by the pre-application registration deadline. We will not accept any
changes after the deadline.
Q2015 What happens to international students who are unable to travel abroad?
A

Such students can apply. Internal and external applicant status is determined by whether
or not a student has a Nagoya University ID. If you have a Nagoya University ID, pleaseapply as an internal applicant. If you have a Nagoya University ID but cannot enter NUCT
for some problem, please use the inquiry form.
Q2016 For recommendations, is it better to ask an instructor who knows me well to write therecommendation, or should I ask an instructor who I will learn under in the future?
A
Either will do. Since this is something that must be requested, please request it from an
instructor, etc. who you feel comfortable requesting the recommendation from. You canalso ask an instructor from outside the university. There are no evaluation criteria for who
writes the recommendation.

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Q2017 When the evaluators examine an application, is the application form printed in color? Or
is it printed in black and white?
A
The evaluation will be conducted using the PDF file. Do not insert any videos, etc.
Q2018 I know I can only apply to one field, but may I obtain an application number for multiple
fields in the pre-application process?
A
Please apply to only one field at the pre-application registration stage. If you submit
multiple applications by mistake, please contact us using the inquiry form immediately.
Q2019 Is there minimum criteria for applying (such as international conferences, papers)?
A

We do not ask for experience with international conferences, papers, etc. at the time of
application.
Q2020 How much experience do I need to pass the application evaluation?
A

There are no special criteria set. Applicants are evaluated based on their motivation andpotential. Applications are reviewed in the 1st screening and final decisions are made in
the interview in the 2nd screening (presentation).
Q2021 How much time is given for the presentation in the interview and the Q&A session?
A

This is currently under consideration. In general, 20 to 25 minutes are given per student,
including the presentation and Q&A time. More details will be given to those who
successfully pass the 1st screening (around the middle of May).

Q2022 Do I need to prepare a PPT for the 2nd screening (interview)?
A

This is currently under consideration. We will let you know as soon as we decide.

Q2023 I have an academic conference around the time of the 2nd screening (interview). Will you
consider individual circumstances in cases like this?
A
Unfortunately, we cannot handle any schedule adjustments. Please prioritize thefellowship interview.
Q2024 Is the 2nd screening (interview) face-to-face or online?
A

A final decision has not yet been made, but it is expected to be online. We will provide
more details by the middle of May.

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Grants and research expenses
Q3001 I am in a WISE program and receive educational and research support grants. Is it
possible to receive this fellowship grant?
A
It is possible to also receive TA and RA provided as academic and research support
grants.
Q3002 Is it possible to also receive a Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) scholarshipfor international students?
A
Yes, it is possible to also receive academic scholarships.
Q3003 Is it possible to also receive scholarships from both local governments and privateorganizations?
A
For cases regarding individual scholarships, please provide an outline of the program tothe department in charge of each scholarship and confirm the details for eachscholarship. If unable to receive both, you will have to choose which grant system toreceive.
Q3004 If I receive a fellowship, is it possible to work part-time at a company? I am currently
working part-time in research long-term in my field of specialization and would like tocontinue working next year.
A
This fellowship (¥160,000 per month (miscellaneous income)) is not available in thefollowing three cases.
1. International student receiving scholarships via the Monbukagakusho Scholarship
2. International student receiving scholarships from their home country
3. Recipient of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s Research Fellowship for
Young Scientists (DC)
If the three cases above do not apply, you will be asked to explain the outline of thisprogram to your part-time research job and check whether it can be paid together withthe fellowship grant.
In addition, when you become a Fellow, you will be required to perform research activities
in your current graduate school, complete research activities at your part-time job, andfulfill your obligations as a Fellow in a balanced manner.
Q3005 If I am accepted, when will I begin to receive the grant?
Also, if it is paid in June, will the amounts for April and May be paid together?
A
The grant for three months will be paid at the end of June.

6Use of the grant, taxes, etc.
Q4000 How should fellowship research expenses be managed?
A

Research expenses will not be directly transferred to the Fellow. They are instead
managed by Nagoya University. For the use of the research expenses, please follow theaccounting procedures of the University.
Q4001 How are research expenses managed that could not be used during the year?
A

Unused expenses are returned to the government. The use of research expenses
allocated for each year covers the completed delivery by the end of the year. For any
delivery exceeding the fiscal year, please use the research expenses for the following
year.
Q4002 Is it okay to use research expenses for multi-year purchases of software, etc.?
A

Research expenses cannot be used for purchases lasting multiple years. Whenpurchasing, please purchase within the period of the year concerned. If a processextends for a period beyond a single year, research expenses can be disbursed only forthat year.
Q4003 How is my social insurance and pension handled?
A

As there is no employment relationship between Fellowship students and Nagoya
University, fellows are requested to enroll themselves.
Q4004 I have a question about the support grant. Is the support grant considered a form ofsalary? Do I have to pay residence tax and insurance premiums?
A
According to tax laws, it is not a salary but a miscellaneous income. As a general rule, atax return is necessary. If you are currently enrolled in social insurance as a dependent of
your parents, you may be excluded from your parent’s social insurance. If so, follow thenecessary procedures to enroll in social insurance yourself. Because the University
reports the payment information of the fellowship grant to the municipalities of yourcertificate of residence. Those who have received the fellowship grant beginning in April
2021 may be subject to a residence tax starting in June 2022.

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Other
Q5000 Is it possible to substitute the obligations of fellowship students in the field with similar
training and seminars conducted in the graduate school?
A
In principle, fellowship students are required to take various lectures, training, seminars,
etc., which are required and required electives as indicated in each field. However, if the
training and seminars, etc. provided by each graduate school or WISE program lead tothe improvement of research capabilities and connect to career path development—theaims of this fellowship program—the implementation committee and subcommittee will
discuss and consider granting permission for substitution.
Q5001 Working students are not eligible to apply. The definition of working members of society
includes stay-at-home mothers, stay-at-home fathers, and individuals who have
graduated from an undergraduate or master’s program, have become a working memberof society once, and have newly enrolled or been admitted to a doctoral course.
In the School of Health Sciences, most students enroll in a doctoral course after gaining
several years of clinical experience after completing an undergraduate or master’s
program. Moreover, most of the students of nursing courses are women, and many ofthem go on to the doctoral course after first giving birth and becoming a stay-at-home
mother in their 20s.
Despite the fact that the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s Research
Fellowship for Young Scientists recipient and age limit restrictions were abolished,limiting the scope of this fellowship to those in their 20s still seems to be somewhat of aproblem.
Under the current system, many students who need financial support in the Graduate
School of Medicine’s Health Sciences course are not eligible for the program. We would
appreciate it if you could take this into consideration in your recruitment next year
onwards.
A

The university is aware of the points stated, and in designing this program, we haverequested the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT),
the source of the grant, to allow more students to apply for the program.
MEXT’s response was that the basic rules cannot be changed because the selectedorganizations for this fellowship program were determined according to the open
recruitment guidelines indicated by MEXT.
We would like to share this opinion with the person in charge at MEXT and will request
an expansion of those who may apply starting in AY2023.

Q5002 If I take a leave of absence from school and do volunteer work, is this considered work
experience?
A
Taking a leave of absence during the enrollment and enrolling or admission to theDoctoral Course on returning to school is different from becoming a working member ofsociety after graduation. Therefore, you can apply if you enroll or are admitted
immediately after taking a leave of absence.

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