UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program 2019

a) Program Description

The objective of the program is to provide undergraduate students from different countries (including some from Japan) who are committed to or who are considering a career in biology or related sciences and looking to continue to graduate studies, with eight weeks of biomedical research experience in the basic and translational sciences. Research experiences are being provided by faculty members of the Graduate School of Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the Institute of Industrial Science. By the end of their summer experience, students are expected to acquire knowledge and skills for conducting research. The students are also expected to extend their international friendship through the collaborative experiences. These experiences will help the students to develop future collaborations in many situations.

In addition to working full time in the laboratory for 8 weeks, the program features:

• Visits to Graduate Schools and Institutes related to biomedical research
• Information sessions on how to apply to Graduate Schools at UTokyo
• Special seminars and luncheons where students can meet and have discussions
• Access to UTokyo campus facilities such as the Library, Health Care Center and Gymnasium
• Japanese culture seminars and language classes
• Excursions

b) Schedules

Program and Symposium	Date
UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program 2019	11 June, 2019 - 5 August, 2019
Amgen Scholars Asian Symposium in Singapore	3 - 4 August, 2019

c) Eligibility

UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program applicants must be undergraduate students who are:

• Enrolled in colleges or universities worldwide that award a bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent); and
• At the minimum, have completed their first year of undergraduate study at the time the summer program begins, and
• Are not graduating before the summer program begins, and after the summer program ends will resume undergraduate studies for at least 1 semester or 1 quarter

UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program applicants must also:

• Have a strong record of academic performance; and
• Have good working knowledge of English, demonstrated by a minimum TOEFL (iBT) score of 72, IELTS overall band score of 5.5, Cambridge English FCE, TOEIC score of 1095, TOEIC L&R score of 785, or TOEIC S&W score of 310, if not a native English speaker or English is not your first language, and
• Have an interest in pursuing a Ph.D.

d) Requirements

• To devote full effort in participation in the Amgen Scholars Program. Scholars cannot take any courses or hold a job throughout the duration of the program. In addition, all participants must be able to attend the program for its entire duration.
• To live in the accommodation provided by UTokyo.
• To participate fully in the day-to-day life of the research group, respect the work of all members of the laboratory, and attend and participate in laboratory meetings or other gatherings.
• To attend the orientation on June 11, all required conferences, activities and social events.
• To give a poster/presentation describing his/her summer research project.
• To submit a research paper to the UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program Director at the conclusion of the program.

e) Host Labs and Project Topics

Students will belong to one of the 32 laboratories from five Graduate Schools / Institutes.

Detailed project topics and requirements are available in the PDF files linked to the names of the supervisors.

Please use the list to select ONE  project topic for your application.
 

 

f) Number of participants

About 15 students
 

g) Financial Support

• ROOM: Near-campus accommodation

 

• STIPENDS:

 

Amount varies depending on the location of the university / college that you currently belong to	Amount of Stipend
Asia / Oceania	350,000 JPY
Africa / Middle East	400,000 JPY
Europe	450,000 JPY
North, Central and South America	550,000 JPY
Japan	250,000 JPY

               * The stipend should be used freely for transportation fees including the airfares to Japan and to your own destination after the program, budget for food and any personal trips
                 during your stay in Japan and so on.

               * All students must arrange their own private health & travel insurance. Please be aware that neither the Amgen Foundation nor the University of Tokyo can provide health/travel
                  insurance.

To apply, please follow all application directions closely and get an early start on obtaining the supporting documents. Please review the selection criteria before submitting your application. All applications must be submitted online.
Be sure that the file size of each document does not exceed 2MB.

Online Application >>> Now Closed
 

<Supporting Documents>

1. Portrait photo
    Please upload your portrait photo saved as a jpeg file. Note that your full face should be visible in the photo, and it should be taken from the front with your eyes open.  Please note that the photo should be taken using a proper camera (not a selfie) as it will be used for your student ID card once you are accepted as an Amgen Scholar.  (Same rules as photos for a passport, 45 x 35mm)
 

2. Scanned copy of Passport or ID card
    Please scan the page with the photo and name of your passport or ID card such as student ID or national ID and save as a jpeg file.
 

3. Resume/CV and Cover letter
    Download and complete the designated form below. Please save your documents as a Word file (e.g. .doc/docx).

　　　　　　Resume_CV_Coverletter_UTokyoASP2019.docx

4. Academic Transcript
    Please obtain an official academic transcript (in English) and scan and save both the front and back pages as a PDF file.


5. Questionnaire
    Download and complete the designated form below. Please save your documents as an Excel file (e.g. .xls/xlsx).

　　　　　　Questionnaire_UTokyoASP2019.xlsx 

6. Proof of your English proficiency
    - Non-native speakers whose institutions are located in an area where English is not the first language and the medium of education is not English must submit a valid proficiency test score
      listed on "c) Eligibility, 1. About the Program".

    - Non-native speakers whose institutions are located in an area where English is not the first language but the medium of education is English are required to submit a valid proficiency test
      score listed on “c) Eligibility, 1. About the Program “, or a letter specifying that you are taking your education in English issued by your university.

    - However, non-native English speakers who have been receiving undergraduate education from an institution located in an area where English is the first language and whose language of
      instruction is English are not required to submit test scores or letters. 

       * Please note the TOEFL ITP is not accepted as a proficiency test score.

          Please scan and save the English proficiency test score or the letter as a PDF file.


7. Letter of Reference
    In the T-cens SP (online application system), you are required to nominate two people to provide letters of reference, one of who must be a faculty member at your current institution who is
    familiar with your educational background, academic performance, and motivation for attending the 2019 Program.

    Please make sure to notify the people you nominate and receive their consent before you enter their details in T-cens SP. This will ensure that the e-mail is not overlooked.  Please also ensure
    that you submit your application allowing sufficient time for the persons nominated to be able to upload their letters of reference onto T-cens SP on or before Friday, February 1, 2019 at 3:00
    pm JST (Japan Standard Time [UTC + 9:00hrs.]).

    There is no specific format for the letter of reference, but it should be on a departmental/university letterhead, including the referee’s signature. It should then be scanned and submitted as a
    PDF file.

　　* Please note that the Letter of Reference must state your Applicant Number, which appears under your photo when you create your T-cens SP account.
　　* Please be aware that your application will not be considered unless all the required documents, including the Letter(s) of Reference, are received by the application deadline.


8. Privacy Statement and Agreement
    Some personal information provided by the applicants will be provided to CEEP (Center for Evaluation & Education Policy, Indiana, US) for the purpose of trend analysis of
    applicants. With regard to the handling of your personal information, please download and carefully read the "Privacy Statement", sign the agreement on the statement and submit it by
    uploading through T-cens SP if you accept and approve of your data being passed onto CEEP.
   
        * Please be aware that applicants cannot apply for the program without this signed document.

           Privacy Statement and Agreement >>> Click HERE to download.

 

<Complete the Online Application>

Online Application >>> Now Closed

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1. Click on "Create a New Account" first to make your own account and get your application number.

2. Fill out all the required field and upload files.

About the Program

Q. Would the Program be flexible on the starting/ending dates to accommodate some slight conflict of schedule?

A. No. The 8-week program schedule - from 11 June to 5 August, 2019 - is fixed, and full participation is required.

Q. Are the decisions made continuously until the deadline (i.e. rolling admissions) or after the deadline all together?

A. Our admission is not on a rolling basis, and the selection begins after the deadline 1st Feb, 2019 (15:00 Japan Standard Time=UTC+9:00).

 

Application Documents

Q. Do I need to upload both the foreign language and English translations of my transcripts?

A. Yes. Transcripts that are in a language other than English should be translated into English. The translation must be provided by the university.

Q. Is an unofficial transcript acceptable, or should I submit an official transcript (that is, printed and signed by the university registrar)?

A. No, transcripts must be the official version from the university and provided in English if the original language is not English

Q. My university uses an electronic academic transcripts service, which issues official online transcripts as a substitute for paper ones. Would it be acceptable for me to attach this transcript to my application?

A. Yes. Please upload its PDF format to your application page.

Q. Do you require that reference letter(s) be written on a specific form?

A. No. There is no set format. The only requirements are that the letter be issued by a faculty member of your current institution and be composed on the school's letterhead.

 

Financial Support

Q. Aside from the stipend and accommodation, would the program provide travel expenses to and from Tokyo?

A. No. Our stipend is inclusive of travel expenses. Successful applicants need to arrange and purchase their own flights.

Q. When will my stipend be paid?

A. After your successful admission to the Program, we will directly deposit your stipend into your bank account.

 

Office of UTokyo Amgen Scholars Program

Education and Student Support Department, The University of Tokyo
 
7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8652 JAPAN
 


Please send all inquiries regarding the Program to the following email address:
amgenscholars.adm(at)gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp. *Please change (at) to @


Do NOT use the inquiry form below.