Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo　Doctoral Student Special Incentives Program (SEUT RA) Application Guidelines (for October2015)

2015
Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo
Doctoral Student Special Incentives Program
(SEUT-RA) Application Guidelines (for October 2015)

This program within The Graduate School of Engineering at The University of Tokyo seeks to encourage excellence in graduate students by promoting advancement to doctoral courses and doctoral research with monetary support.

1. Eligibility

Those who meet any of the following criteria:

①  Students who are, at the time of application, enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering and plan to continue studies after October 1, 2015 as students. (Students who were accepted into the SEUT program in April and are receiving funds are excluded.)

②　Those who have applied for October 1, 2015 admission to a doctoral program at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering. However, as a rule, students who fall under any of the following are not eligible:

・Students taking a leave of absence as of October 1, 2015.

・Students whose enrollment period exceeds the standard duration (three years) as of October 1, 2015. *Periods for leave of absence are excluded from the enrollment period

・Students who fit the criteria outlined in section #8 of this guideline regarding other scholarships.

Additionally, adult students enrolled in graduate school who are employed and receiving a salary and individuals who began the SEUT-RA program in April and intend to continue in the program past October 2015 are not eligible.

Moreover, excluding students who plan to complete a doctoral course between April 2016 and March 2017, students must apply in spring of 2016 for acceptance to the 2017 JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists as a condition of the application.

 

2. Divisions and Monthly RA Award Amounts

 

	Category	Monthly Amount (planned)
Outstanding Candidates	SEUT Type A	\120,000
Excellent Candidates	SEUT Type B	\50,000

 

3. Selection Process

Selection consists of an examination of application documents (application form, evaluation form from academic advisor, and JSPS Research Fellowship evaluation results) and course results and records. Interviews may be required as well.

Following the assessment of submitted materials and applicable examinations, applicants for “SEUT Type A” or “SEUT Type B” may be accepted into “SEUT Type A,” “SEUT Type B,” or may be rejected.

 

4. Payment Period

    October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016.

However, the standard length of the course of study, which has been established in article 2, clause 5 of The University of Tokyo Graduate School Rules and Regulations, cannot be exceeded.

 

5. Expected Number of Participants

SEUT Type A participant numbers will be limited to few students.

SEUT Type B participant numbers will be limited to the number of individuals possible to accommodate within the budget limits of this graduate school.

 

6. Application Procedures

(1) How to apply

① Application documents may be submitted directly to department offices or may be sent via postal mail.

*Admission applicants for October 2015 should submit their documents to the department to which they are applying

② If sending documents by postal mail, all written documents should be placed in an A4 size envelope and mailed via “registered mail” at the post office. Please write “Application Enclosed for SEUT” on the envelope.

③ The application period is from July 27^th, 2015 (Monday) to July 31^st, 2015 (Friday) at 4:00 PM (excluding periods when departments may be closed). Mailed documents must arrive no later than July 31^st, 2015 (Friday).

 

(2) Application Documents

(For SEUT Type A and Type B)

①  SEUT Type A/SEUT Type B Application Form (Form 1 WORD PDF)

Please include one original and three copies.

② Evaluation Form from Current Academic Advisor (Form 2 WORD PDF)

(Only required for Type A applicants)

Must be provided by current academic advisor and contain an evaluation. One copy and three originals.

Use an A4 size envelope and on the outside, write the name of the applicant and the name of the academic advisor.

This form must be sealed in the envelope by the academic advisor.

③ Transcripts: undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral official results (one original and three copies)

④ JSPS “Research Fellowships for Young Scientists” Evaluation Results (only students who applied for the fellowship):

Students who applied for the JSPS “Research Fellowships for Young Scientists” (Tokubetsu Kenkyuin) program and were not selected. Students who applied and were not selected must submit their evaluation results.

    Note) JSPS: The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

On the JSPS online electronic application system website, the applicant should login. At the login completion screen, applicants should see their evaluation results displayed (A, B, C, etc.), and should print these results onto an A4 piece of paper (one original and three copies).

⑤ Envelope

Since results of the selection process will be sent via mail, please include an A4 sized envelope with the applicant’s name and address and attach a 120 yen stamp.

 

7. Selection Announcements and Acceptance Procedures

(1) In late September 2015, selection results will be announced to the applicants.

(2) The awardee will receive both a notification and information regarding procedures to be completed within a specific time period in order to accept the offer (transmission of bank account details, documentation submission, etc). If the outlined procedures are not completed within the designated time period, offers to applicants will be considered declined.

 

8. Management with other scholarships and awards

(1) Any student who falls under one of these criteria at the start of the SEUT-RA incentive program is ineligible to participate in the SEUT-RA program.

  Ineligible students:

①    Students receiving the MEXT Scholarship for International Students,

②    Foreign government sponsored students (including Chinese students in the “国家建設高水平大学公派研究生項目” by CSC),

③    JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists (Tokubetsu Kenkyuin) and JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Foreign Researchers (Gaikokujin Tokubetsu Kenkyuin),

④    Special Scholarship for International Students recipients, University of Tokyo (Tokyo University Fellowships),

⑤    Students receiving subsidies from the MEXT “Program for Leading Graduate Schools,”

⑥    Students employed as RAs by the MEXT “Grant for Outstanding Graduate Institutions,”

⑦    Those receiving scholarships or stipends of 120,000 yen or more per month.

  Note) MEXT: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology

JASSO: Japan Student Services Organization

JSPS: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

CSC: China Scholarship Council

If, at the time of application, you fall under one of these criteria, but your benefits will end prior to October 1, 2015, you may apply for this incentive program. Applicants in this situation should note this on their application form and report their current status in April October.

(2) The following scholarships may be used in conjunction with this incentive program, except in cases where specific arrangements for scholarships not to be used with other plans have already been defined.

May be used in combination:

①    Students receiving a JASSO loan,

②    Students receiving JASSO Honors Scholarship for Privately Financed International Students (Gakushu Shoureihi),

③    Students employed as technical or office assistants by the University of Tokyo,

④    RAs based on the Research Assistance Operational Guidelines of the University of Tokyo, excluding cases where students employed as RAs by the MEXT “Grant for Outstanding Graduate Institutions.”

⑤    Persons who are exempt from full or half tuition based on paragraph 1, Article 39 of regulations at the University of Tokyo,

⑥    Other recipients of various scholarships with no obligation to return at the amount of 120,000 yen per month or less, and student loan recipients.

Before applying to this incentive program, all arrangements of each program should be verified. In particular, students with benefits from scholarships from various organizations should thoroughly examine the details of their benefits before applying.

Additionally, the total amount per month for research work and research assistants (RA) to be disbursed via the SEUT-RA program cannot exceed 200,000 yen. If this limit is exceeded, the amount provided through the SEUT-RA program will decrease.

 

9. SEUT-RA Award Recipient Responsibilities

(1) Beneficiaries of the SEUT-RA program must apply for the JSPS (特別研究員) Research Fellowship for academic year 2017 in the spring of 2016. However, students who will complete a doctoral program between April 2016 and March 2017 are exempt from this rule. Please note: Individuals who neglect to complete this application will (upon failure to complete the application), be asked to withdraw from the program and return funds they have received.

 (2) Beneficiaries of this incentive program must submit a monthly report in a prescribed style regarding research progress and other uses for the support funds they are provided with. Additionally, if a program beneficiary has decided to accept funds from another scholarship, RA program, etc., and thus must withdraw from the program, the applicable department office must be informed as soon as possible, along with the monthly report.

 

10. Precautions and Notes

(1) If the applicant does not provide the required documents within the acceptance period, the application will not be accepted.

(2) Program participants must comply with the items stipulated in The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering and Research Doctoral Course Special RA System Guidelines.

(3) If false statements are made in the information contained on the application form, applicants may cancel their participation in the program or give back the support funds they have received.

May 2015