2026 UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowships Programme for young researchers worldwide (Funded)

2026 UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowships Programme for young researchers worldwide (Funded)

by juillet 16, 2026

written by juillet 16, 2026 0 comments

0

1

Discover more

Civil Engineering

Study Grants & Scholarships

African entrepreneur resources

Application Deadline: September 30, 2026

Applications are now open for the . Established in 2001 under the Japanese Funds-in-Trust for the Capacity-Building of Human Resources, the UNESCO/Japan Young Researchers’ Fellowships Programme, also known as the UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships Programme, is a long-standing initiative supported by the Government of Japan to strengthen research capacities and promote international knowledge exchange in areas aligned with UNESCO’s mandate.

Since its establishment, the Programme has enabled 291 young researchers from 101 countries around the world to pursue postgraduate research, contributing to academic cooperation, capacity-building and the development of knowledge in fields of shared global importance.

Under the 2026 cycle, UNESCO and the Government of Japan will award 10 fellowships to highly qualified young researchers from Africa, Small Island Developing States, Ukraine and Türkiye. The fellowships will support innovative and high-quality postgraduate research related to heritage conservation and management, sustainable development and artificial intelligence, with particular attention to interdisciplinary research connecting these themes with social, ethical, governance and contextual dimensions.

Cycle 2026 at a glance

| Key information | Details | | --- | --- | | Fellowships available | 10 | | Fellowship grant | Up to US$10,000 | | Duration | No less than 3 months and no more than 9 months | | Host country | Japan | | Fellowship period in Japan | From February 2027 onwards, to be completed no later than December 2027. | | Application deadline | 30 September 2026, midnight Paris time | | Submission channel | Through National Commissions for UNESCO |

Invited Member States and Associate Members

AFRICA – 47 Member States:

Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Discover more

African professional development

Young entrepreneur programs

Professional networking events

Job application tips

Education

Eligibility requirements

Applicants must:

• be nationals of one of the invited Member States or Associate Members listed in;
• be no more than 40 years old at the time of application;
• hold at least a Master’s degree or equivalent in a field relevant to the proposed research and demonstrate strong academic and research potential;
• demonstrate sufficient proficiency in reading and writing in the language of instruction or supervision at the proposed host institution in Japan;
• have obtained acceptance from an academic supervisor at a Japanese university or research institution, who will oversee the proposed research.

Research areas

Research proposals submitted under the 2026 cycle should fall within one of the following research areas

• Heritage Conservation and Management (4 sub-areas)
• AI for Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and Climate Action （5 sub-areas)
• Ethical, Inclusive, and Human Centred AI for Sustainable Development (6 sub-areas)
• AI for Sustainable Cities, Infrastructure, and Societal Resilience (6 sub-areas)
• AI and Education (7 sub-areas)

Fellowship grant and eligible costs

Selected fellows may receive a fellowship grant of up to US$10,000. The grant will be provided as a lump-sum contribution and is intended to cover costs directly related to the approved research stay in Japan.

The grant may cover:

• international and domestic travel for the approved itinerary;
• accommodation;
• medical insurance;
• personal subsistence in Japan, including meals, local transportation and incidental expenses;
• other research-related expenses, where applicable.

The grant does not cover tuition fees, the purchase of equipment, including computers, publication costs or participation in conferences, unless such participation can be clearly justified as an integral part of the research and makes a direct and significant contribution to the project.

How to apply

Step 1:

Read carefully the Application Guide to understand the requirements for eligible candidatures and the procedures for the submission of application.

Step 2:

Contact the National Commission for UNESCO of your home country to enquire about the application procedures at the national level.for the contact information of the National Commissions for UNESCO.

Step 3:

Prepare all required documents, including the application form (), academic documents, recommendation letter, host institution acceptance letter, language certificate and research proposal ().

Step 4:

Submit your application to the National Commission for UNESCO of your home country,at least 2 weeks before the required deadline**.**

Step 5:

As soon as you are informed by the National Commission for UNESCO of your country that you are nominated as a candidate for this programme, you should communicate your the online application form and the supporting documents to.

Note: Only applications nominated by the National Commission will be accepted by UNESCO.

Step 6:

Letters of nomination, along with all the application documents should be submitted to UNESCO by the National Commissions**no later than 30 September 2026, midnight Paris time.**Candidates who submit incomplete applications, or submit the online applications beyond this deadline won’t be considered.

For More Information:

Discover more

engineering

African

African job board

0

Connecting Africans to the latest life changing Opportunities around the Globe. opportunitiesforafricans@gmail.com | info@opportunitiesforafricans.com

previous post

next post