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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	Please submit all application materials by December 15, 2026. 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. 3 Letters of Recommendation**
Contact Information	Program on U.S.-Japan Relations 61 Kirkland St, Cambridge, MA, 02138
Contact Email	usjapan@wcfia.harvard.edu
Salary Range	$70,000
Minimum Number of References Required	2
Maximum Number of References Allowed
Keywords

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Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

* Please indicate the date that you received, or expect to receive, your Ph.D.
(Open Ended Question)
* Please enter the title of your proposed project (not to exceed 12 words)
(Open Ended Question)
* Although knowledge of Japanese is not required, it can be helpful for this fellowship. Please describe your Japanese-language training, if any.
(Open Ended Question)
* Please indicate if you are also applying to other postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard University.
(Open Ended Question)

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

Curriculum Vitae
Dissertation Abstract
Dissertation Table of Contents
Statement of Research
Writing Sample 1
Transcript

Optional Documents

Writing Sample 2

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Program on U.S.-Japan Relations Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University – Cambridge, Massachusetts

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