The Japan Foundation for UNU or JFUNU Scholarship is available for outstanding applicants from developing countries who can demonstrate a need for financial assistance and who are granted admissions to the PhD Programme in Sustainability Science at United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS).

The PhD program in Sustainability Science is a three-year program that aims to produce scholars who will become key researchers in the field of sustainability science. The program takes an innovative approach to sustainability, seeking to promote a better understanding of the issues by incorporating global change perspectives, specifically those related to climate change and biodiversity.

JFUNU Scholarships for PhD in Sustainability Science

Course level: Doctoral

Fields of study: PhD Programme in Sustainability Science

Institution and country: United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), Japan

Sponsor: Japan Foundation for UNU (JFUNU)

Scholarship inclusions:

  • Full tuition fees
  • Monthly allowance of 120,000 JPY for living expenses for a maximum of 36 months

Travel costs to and from Japan, visa handling fees, and health/accident insurance costs must be covered by the student.

Eligibility criteria for the JFUNU Scholarship:

Applicants for the PhD in Sustainability Science are required to have met ALL of the following requirements by the application deadline in order to be considered:

  • Strong interest in sustainability studies
  • Demonstrated commitment to study and understand global issues
  • A completed Master’s degree in disciplines related to sustainability studies and a minimum of 2 years of practical field experience related to UNU-IAS research themes OR Two completed Master’s degrees, at least one of which must be in disciplines related to sustainability studies
  • A GPA of 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale on at least one of the Master’s degrees earned; and
  • English language proficiency

Eligibility requirements for the scholarships:

  • Applicants must be from developing countries* who can demonstrate a need for financial assistance.
  • Applicants who are currently living in Japan under a working visa are NOT eligible for the scholarship.
  • Applicants who want to pursue a second PhD degree at UNU-IAS are not eligible for the scholarship.

*Developing countries included in the latest OECD DAC list.

Application deadline: 10 April 2020

How to apply for the JFUNU Scholarship: 

Only applicants that are accepted for enrolment in the UNU-IAS PhD in Sustainability Science program can be considered as candidates for the scholarship. There is no separate application form for the scholarship as it is a part of the online application for admission. Interested applicants must provide necessary information and documents for the scholarship together with the required documents for admission to the PhD degree program.

Other useful links:

JFUNU Scholarships for PhD in Sustainability Science