Program overview

Applications for the OIST research internship program are now open. Every two years, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate School provides education and research opportunities through a system of undergraduate and graduate placements as Research Interns. These internship placements give interns the opportunity to gain experience in a particular laboratory or to learn a specific technique. Furthermore, interns work under the guidance of a Professor at OIST and contribute to the research activities of OIST.

The internship is offered to the applicants on a competitive basis, with the application period months in advance.

Details

Application cycle

• The first round for fall internship: 
  • Deadline: April 15, 2025
  • Result announcement: June 2025
  • Duration of internship: October 1, 2025 -March 5, 2026
• Second round for spring internship:
• Deadline:  15^th October 2025 (deadlines depend on the starting date of internship)
  result announcement: December 2025
  Internship period: Between April 1st 2026- September 30th 2025

Organizing institution: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Graduate School

Duration: 2-6 months

Type: research program

Benefits and support

OIST provides the intern:

• Allowance (2400 JPY per day living allowance, accommodation and commuting support where necessary)
• Travel expense (one direct round-trip travel between the intern’s host institution and OIST)
• Other support (such as housing, visa acquisition, insurance procedure and local registration)

Selection procedure

The selection of the interns is highly competitive and depends upon the suitability of the intended research, academic background, available funding, and space.

Candidates are considered for admission regardless of gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, medical condition, race, ethnicity, ancestry, culture, national origin, religion, or marital status.

Apply Also: 

• World Trade Organization (WTO) Young Professional Program
• USF International Fellowships for Early and mid-Career Urban Scholars from the Global South

Eligibility criteria

Eligible applicants for the OIST Research Internship Program include:

• Outstanding students enrolled in undergraduate or Masters’s Programs in universities, colleges, junior colleges, and vocational schools in Japan or abroad, or recent graduates of such institutions.
• Students currently enrolled in a degree must have confirmation from their home institution.
• The academic background of applicants should be appropriate to their preferred host unit(s) at OIST.
• OIST internships are highly competitive and are only awarded to remarkable applicants who are in the final 2 years of their academic program, or have recently graduated within the past year prior to the application deadline.
• In some cases, additional internship positions may be available directly by OIST faculty to other exceptional candidates, particularly for those with strongly developed skills relevant to the group’s research.
• Applications from women and minorities are strongly welcome.

Notification of results

Successful applicants will be notified of the result within 3 months after the submission deadline, at the latest.

How to apply?

To apply for this program, you need to create an account on the application portal. Once you have prepared all the required documents listed below, you can apply to the program through the online form linked below.

Necessary documents

Please fill out and submit the following materials to apply for the program:

1) Personal Statement – 400 words (2500 characters) STATEMENT SHEET

Please write a one-page statement including the following points:

• How do OIST and your preferred research unit(s) match with your current expertise & skillset? If you are interested in multiple research units, please express your interest & fit for each briefly within one single statement.
• What do you hope to achieve at OIST?
• How does a research internship at OIST conform to your overall career plans/ aspirations?

2) Academic Transcript – Upload a scan of your current academic transcript in PDF format.

3) Recommendation Letter – A letter of recommendation from an academic or research professional familiar with your work is required

4) ID Photo – Upload a recent photo, showing your face from the front in standard passport orientation (image must be in JPG format, not more than 5 MB).

5) Passport

Apply NOW.

Similar Opportunities: 

• World Bank Legal Internship Program for International Law Students (2025 Fall Cycle)
• Global Development Awards Competition 2025 for Researchers (45,000 USD in Funding)
• UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences 2021 (USD 350,000 prize)

For more details about the program, visit the official link.