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Title Program on U.S.-Japan Relations Postdoctoral Fellow

School Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Department/Area Program on U.S.-Japan Relations (Weatherhead)

Position Description

The Program on U.S.-Japan Relations at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs will offer postdoctoral fellowships during the 2026-27 academic year. We seek applications from outstanding recent PhDs in the social sciences who are conducting research that illuminates Japan’s relations with the rest of the world in the broadest sense. We welcome applications from anthropology, business, economics, history, international relations, law, political science, psychology, public health, public policy, and sociology, among other fields. Scholars may examine domestic issues that bear on Japan’s external relations or problems that it shares with other countries, and we encourage projects that compare Japan’s experience cross-nationally. This fellowship is made possible by support from the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies.

The Fellowship Grant

+ The postdoctoral fellowship is a twelve-month appointment, in residence in the Boston area, that begins in either August or September.

+ The award is for $70,000 paid in monthly installments, eligibility for university subsidized health insurance coverage, and up to $5,000 for research and travel funds. Postdoctoral fellows will be provided a shared office space, as well as access to the libraries and resources of Harvard University.

Basic Qualifications

Applicants must have received their doctoral degree in 2021 or later, in a discipline bearing on the Program’s research areas. Research projects that focus on Japan or Japan’s international role from a comparative, historical, or global perspective are welcome. Those who are selected to receive fellowships must have a Registrar-certified PhD degree by July 31, 2026. Please note that the fellowship is contingent upon degree documentation and is subject to rescission if the deadline is not met.

Additional Qualifications

Special Instructions

The deadline for application materials is on December 22, 2025. The deadline for recommendation letters is on December 30, 2025.

Required Materials:

+ Curriculum Vitae

+ Dissertation Title, Abstract, and Table of Contents

+ Statement of Research (recommended length: 500 words)

Please address the following questions in your “statement of research” upload: What research project do you plan to pursue during the fellowship term? What do you plan to do at each stage of your research, and what particular resources do you intend to use? What are the are the contributions your research would make to advance the existing scholarly literature? What are the advantages of spending a postdoctoral fellowship year at Harvard? Are there specific individuals or resources (books, documents, interviews etc.) you hope to seek out while in residence?

+ 1 to 2 Writing Samples

Published article or chapter, dissertation chapter, and/or conference paper (preferably writings relevant to the proposed research)

+ Transcript

Please submit an official electronic transcript or OPEN your official paper transcript to scan as part of your complete application. **If your PhD comes from a non-US university that does not issue an official transcript of grades, please submit alternative documentation of your enrollment and progress in the degree program, as well as a written statement that you are unable to provide an official transcript of grades.

+ 2 Letters of Recommendation

Contact Information

Program on U.S.-Japan Relations

61 Kirkland St, Cambridge, MA, 02138

Contact Email [email protected]

Salary Range

$70,000

Minimum Number of References Required 2

Maximum Number of References Allowed

Keywords

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Supplemental Questions