International Cooperative Graduate Program (ICGP)

The International Collaborative Graduate School Program (ICGP) is a program that promotes collaborative research between NIMS and overseas universities. Under this program, NIMS hosts Ph.D. students from partner universities for up to one year to promote collaborative research between faculty members of the partner universities and NIMS researchers. The research results obtained during the stay at NIMS can be used in the doctoral dissertation. Candidates who wish to participate in this program must discuss their research plans with their advisors and the host NIMS researchers.

The 2025 Application is now open!

Application Deadline at NIMS :　December 2, 2024
Document Screening :　December 2024 - January 2025
Announcement of result :　Late February - Mid-March 2025
Training Start :　After June 2025

NIMS researchers seeking enthusiastic ICGP students.
Check out the link below:

Country	Name of University
Australia	Flinders University Monash University The University of Newcastle, Australia
Canada	University of Waterloo
Czech Republic	Charles University University of Pardubice Czech Technical University in Prague
France	University of Rennes University of Caen Normandy Université Grenoble Alpes
Germany	Technische Universitat Darmstadt
Hungary	Budapest University of Technology and Economic
India	Anna University Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Indian Institute of Technology Madras Indian Institute of Technology Varanasi Indian Institute of Science Indian Institute of Technology Mandi Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Indonesia	Institut Teknologi Bandung
Korea	Seoul National University Korea University
Malaysia	Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Netherlands	University of Twente
Norway	Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Poland	Warsaw University of Technology
Philippines	The University of the Philippines
Taiwan	National Taiwan University National Tsing Hua University National Cheng Kung University National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
Thailand	Chulalongkorn University
United States of America	The University of Tennessee Georgia Institute of Technology Northwestern University
Vietnam	Institute of Materials Science

• Eligibility:　Open to students recommended by the partner universities, as per the agreement.
• Call for application:  NIMS announces new ICGP rounds on the website and via email to the relevant university offices.
• Application:　Students submit their application through the relevant offices at NIMS's partner universities.
• Program duration:　Flexible, ranging from 6-month to 1-year
• Participant position:　Trainee with visa sponsorship
• Thesis completion:　Students complete doctoral thesis at their home universities.

• Financial assistance:　Living allowance and accommodation in Tsukuba
• Working language:　English
• Additional supports:　Visa arrangements, Japanese language program, culture experience, and living assistant service for foreign researchers

1. Explore research interests: Visit the NIMS Research Directory site "SAMURAI" (link below) to explore the research interests of NIMS researchers. 
2. Ensure alignment: Make sure that your research interests fit within the relevant research field, before contacting a NIMS researcher. 　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
3. Confirm Support: Once a potential supervisor is identified, contact them and confirm their willingness to support your application. 
4. Applying: Submit the application documents (filled application form and bachelor's and Master's transcripts) to the relevant offices of the partner universities. 
5. Notification: You will be notified of the outcome of your application by the relevant offices of the partner universities.

Before applying for the ICGP, obtain approval from their university supervisor. Additionally, we may contact the university supervisor directly to request a reference letter and to schedule a teleconference interview.

1. Application review:　Applications are reviewed based on the submitted documents (including transcripts). NIMS may contact the applicant's supervisor directly for a reference letter. 
2. Interviews: 　Shortlisted candidates may be invited to participate in individual or group teleconference interviews with potential supervisors, which may also involve their university supervisors. During the interview, the applicant, university supervisor, and potential supervisor must reach an agreement on the research topics.