University of Tokyo Research Internship 2027 in Japan

Scholarship Details

Introduction

Applications are open for the 2027 University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP) in Japan. Organised by the Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo, the programme provides international undergraduate students with an opportunity to gain practical research experience under the guidance of leading university researchers.

UTRIP is an intensive six-week summer research programme designed for students interested in pursuing advanced studies, particularly master’s or PhD degrees, in natural sciences.

Selected participants will receive free accommodation and financial support towards their participation expenses, including airfare and daily expenses in Japan.

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The application period runs from 12 November to 25 December 2026.

About the University of Tokyo Research Internship Programme

UTRIP was launched by the Graduate School of Science (GSS) at the University of Tokyo in June 2010 as part of its initiative to promote internationalisation by inviting talented students from universities outside Japan.

The programme gives undergraduate students an opportunity to experience research-centred academic life and understand what graduate-level scientific research involves.

Participants work closely with faculty members and researchers from the Graduate School of Science.

The programme covers research areas across five departments:

• Physics
• Astronomy
• Chemistry
• Earth and Planetary Science
• Biological Sciences

In addition to research activities, participants take part in a field excursion to a historical or natural site in Japan, as well as activities designed to introduce Japanese language and culture and encourage interaction with current University of Tokyo students.

Internship Benefits and Financial Support

UTRIP 2027 provides financial support through two funding arrangements: the Graduate School of Science UTRIP Scholarship and the Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI) Award.

1. GSS-UTRIP Scholarship

Participants receiving the GSS-UTRIP Scholarship will receive a one-time allowance based on the location of their home university.

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The allowance is intended to help cover round-trip airfare to Japan and daily expenses, including transportation within Japan.

The allowance is paid when the participant arrives at the University of Tokyo.

Recipients are generally not permitted to receive other financial support for the same coverage period or purpose.

2. FUTI Summer Internship Award

The Friends of UTokyo, Inc. (FUTI), a nonprofit organisation in the United States, provides a separate internship award to outstanding students enrolled at US universities, regardless of their citizenship.

The award offers a few to several awards of up to US$2,000 per student.

Students interested in the FUTI Award must apply separately through the Friends of UTokyo website. Selection is made by FUTI’s selection committee.

FUTI Award recipients also receive free accommodation from the Graduate School of Science at the University of Tokyo.

A student selected for the FUTI Award cannot receive the GSS-UTRIP Scholarship at the same time. However, if the FUTI application is rejected by the sponsor, the GSS-UTRIP Scholarship may apply.

3. Free Accommodation

Free accommodation is provided to all UTRIP participants for the duration of their stay, regardless of which form of financial support they receive.

All participants must stay in accommodation designated by the School during the programme.

Participants cannot leave before completing the programme without prior written permission from both their host laboratory supervisor and the Head of the International Team, Academic Affairs Group.

Important Funding Information

The financial support is intended to help cover participation expenses. If the scholarship or award received does not cover all expenses, such as airfare, daily expenses in Japan and insurance fees, participants must pay the remaining costs themselves.

The programme therefore does not guarantee that every participant’s entire trip and personal expenses will be covered.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants for UTRIP 2027 must meet the following requirements:

1. Undergraduate study: Applicants must have completed at least one full year of a Bachelor’s degree programme at the time of application.
2. University location: Applicants must be enrolled at a university outside Japan and must be expected to return to their Bachelor’s degree programme after participating in UTRIP. Students in the Bachelor’s-equivalent year of an integrated Bachelor’s-Master’s programme are also eligible.
3. Priority applicants: Priority for nomination is given to students currently in the third year of a four-year Bachelor’s degree programme and students expected to be in the second year of a three-year Bachelor’s degree programme. Students in other years are also encouraged to apply.
4. Academic field: Applicants must be studying natural sciences or a related field.
5. Career interests: Applicants should have long-term career goals in a scientific area.
6. Full-time availability: Applicants must be available to participate in the entire six consecutive weeks of the programme on a full-time basis.
7. Health insurance: Applicants must be able to provide evidence of health insurance coverage that will be effective throughout the internship before arriving in Japan.
8. English proficiency: Applicants whose first language is not English must provide TOEFL or an equivalent English proficiency test score, such as IELTS.

Applicants who have received an English-medium education continuously for the past eight years are exempt from submitting English proficiency test scores.

Expired test scores are accepted, provided applicants can produce proof of their scores when requested by the UTRIP office.

Programme Participation Requirements

Students selected for UTRIP must agree to:

• Devote their full efforts to conducting their assigned UTRIP research project.
• Participate in the research project throughout the full six-week programme.
• Attend all academic and social events scheduled during the programme.
• Submit a written final research report approved by their UTRIP supervisor within two weeks after completing the programme.
• Give an oral presentation on the scheduled date.

Required Documents

Applicants must prepare and submit the following information and documents online.

1. Research Project Preferences

Before applying, applicants should review the list of available hosting laboratories, research project topics and faculty members.

Applicants may select up to two hosting laboratories and indicate their order of preference in the online application.

Previous participants’ project reports are also available in the programme archives for applicants who want to understand the depth and standard of research work expected.

2. Personal Information

Applicants must provide their general personal information and a current email address.

The university mainly communicates with applicants through email, so applicants should check their inbox regularly and respond promptly to correspondence.

The correspondence address entered in the application will be used for important and time-sensitive matters. Applicants should provide an address where they can reliably receive shipments between March and June 2027.

3. Personal Statement

Applicants must submit a personal statement of 700–1,000 words in total addressing the following:

• Reasons for selecting their preferred UTRIP research project or projects and what they hope to gain from the experience.
• Why they are qualified for their selected research project or projects, including relevant skills and experience required or considered helpful by the faculty members and laboratories.
• Whether they are considering applying to the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Science after graduating from their current university, including their reasons.

4. Educational Background and Qualifications

Resume or CV

The CV should include detailed descriptions of work experience, responsibilities and projects relevant to the research topic the applicant wishes to pursue.

It should also list recently attended schools, including high school and university, with the year and month of entry and completion.

Applicants should briefly explain courses they have taken or intend to take, as well as relevant prizes and awards, if any.

Academic Transcript

Applicants must submit a scanned or electronic copy of their official university transcript.

The transcript must include:

• Applicant’s name.
• Name of the university.
• Year of admission.
• Completed courses, including course titles, grades and credits.
• An official explanation of the university’s grading system.

If the grading-system explanation is not included in the transcript, applicants may submit a separate official document to supplement it.

Applicants who are accepted into UTRIP will later be required to provide the original official academic record bearing an official stamp and authorised signature.

GPA

Applicants whose universities provide official GPA scores must enter those scores.

If the university does not provide an official GPA, applicants must calculate their GPA themselves and explain the calculation in the Notes section of the application.

English Language Qualifications

Applicants whose first language is English or who have received continuous English-medium education for the past eight years are exempt from submitting English test scores.

Other applicants must enter their TOEFL or equivalent English proficiency test scores, such as IELTS, and upload a scanned copy of the official test score certificate.

Expired test scores are accepted if the applicant can provide proof of the scores when requested by the UTRIP office.

5. Recommendation Letter

Applicants must provide information about one recommender and arrange for one recommendation letter from a professor.

The professor should:

• Know the applicant’s educational background in natural sciences.
• Be familiar with the applicant’s academic performance.
• Be able to make an informed judgement about the applicant’s suitability for the selected research project.

Applicants are advised to contact their recommender before submitting the application.

After the applicant submits the online application, the university automatically sends a notification email to the recommender with a link to a separate online recommendation submission page.

Applicants should confirm that the professor has received the link, as automated emails may be directed to spam folders.

The recommendation form must be completed online by the same deadline as the main application. Letters sent directly by email will not be accepted.

If the recommender experiences technical difficulties, they must contact the UTRIP office in time to receive an alternative submission method.

How to Apply

Applications for UTRIP 2027 are submitted online through the University of Tokyo’s official application system.

Follow these steps:

1. Visit the official UTRIP 2027 application page.
2. Review the available hosting laboratories, faculty members and research project topics.
3. Select up to two research projects and arrange them in order of preference.
4. Prepare your personal information, 700–1,000-word personal statement, CV, academic transcript and English proficiency information where required.
5. Contact a suitable professor and request the required recommendation letter before submitting your application.
6. Complete the online application form and upload all required documents.
7. Submit the application and ensure your recommender completes the separate online recommendation form before the deadline.

Important: The online application system does not have a save function. Applicants should have all required information and documents ready before starting the application.

Each applicant is responsible for ensuring that their application is complete. The university also states that it cannot respond to enquiries asking whether a particular submitted application has been considered valid.

Original official transcripts will be required for enrolment if an applicant is selected.

Selection Process and Results

Selection is based on all documents submitted by applicants.

The UTRIP office expects to notify selected students directly by email between mid-to-late March 2027.

The selection announcement will also be published on the UTRIP website in early April 2027.

Selected applicants will be asked to confirm their willingness to participate by a specified date.

Applicants should regularly check their email accounts and ensure that messages from utrip.s@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp are not filtered into their spam folders.

Application Timeline and Deadline

The application period for UTRIP 2027 is:

• Application opens: 12 November 2026.
• Application deadline: 25 December 2026.
• Deadline time: 5:00 p.m. Japan Standard Time (GMT+9).
• Recommendation letter deadline: 25 December 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Japan Standard Time.
• Selection notifications: Mid-to-late March 2027.
• Publication of selection results: Early April 2027.

All application documents and recommendation materials must reach the university through the designated online systems before the deadline.

Late applications and recommendation letters will not be considered.

Contact Information

For enquiries about the UTRIP application and recommendation process, contact:

Email: utrip.s@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Applicants are encouraged to read the programme’s Frequently Asked Questions before contacting the university.

The UTRIP office states that, due to the volume of enquiries and limited capacity, it will only respond to application and recommendation enquiries received before 12 noon Japan Standard Time on Wednesday, 23 December 2026.

Conclusion

The University of Tokyo Research Internship Program 2027 offers international undergraduate students an opportunity to conduct scientific research, work with experienced researchers and experience academic life at one of Japan’s leading universities.

The programme provides free accommodation and a one-time allowance of up to ¥170,000 under the GSS-UTRIP Scholarship, depending on the location of the applicant’s home university.

Eligible students in natural sciences and related fields should review the available research projects, prepare their documents and arrange their recommendation letter before applying.

Application Links

Official UTRIP 2027 Application Page:

https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/utrip/apply-now/index.html

Online Application Form:

https://apps.adm.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Official UTRIP Programme Website:

https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/utrip

Financial Support Details:

https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/utrip/financial-support