OPEN INNOVATIONECOSYSTEM
W-SPRING
OPEN INNOVATIONECOSYSTEM
W-SPRING
Fostering doctoral students who will serve as the foundation for science, technology and innovation and work to solve social issues. Waseda University W-SPRING
Waseda University (hereafter, the “University”) has been selected for “Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation Program” by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in 2021.
If you are interested in applying for the program, please talk to your supervisor and prepare the necessary documents. We look forward to receiving your application.
Program Overview
With the aim to lead the future of science, technology and innovation, and to promote the development of diverse career paths for widespread success of doctoral human resources, the SPRING program provides and environment where students can concentrate on challenging and integrated research by providing a maximum of 2.90 million JPY per student per year, which includes living expenses and research expenses, for maximum of three years (the support period is until the completion of the third year of the student’s doctoral program).
By participating in industry-academic collaborative research and career development activities, including registration in content (fostering internationality/ interdisciplinarity, career development, acquisition of transferable skills, and university-designed industry-academia collaborative internships and job-type internships offered by the government) designated by this project, as high value-added doctoral human resources, you will be provided with opportunities to acquire the qualifications to play active roles internationally, including employment in both domestic and overseas industries, and starting up venture projects.
※ The amount of support is tentative and the details may change.
*Regarding “Reserved Hiring”, please click on the corresponding tab below to switch the display.
Selection Schedule for Spring 2025【Regular Recruitment】
Selection Schedule for April 2026 D1 entrants【Reserved Hiring】
- Regular Recruitment
- Reserved Hiring
Selection Schedule for Spring 2025【Regular Recruitment】
*Application Closed
| Period | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | From 9:00, January 31 (Fri.) to 17:00, February 14 (Fri.), 2025 | Please register your information before applying. |
| Application | From 9:00, January 31 (Fri.)to 17:00, February 18 (Tue.), 2025 | － |
| Document review | Late February, 2025 |
You will be notified of the result of the document review and the date of the interview by email on the following date: March 5 (Wed), 2025 |
| Interview (Zoom) | March 8 (Sat.) and 9 (Sun), 2025 |
You will be notified of the result of the interview by email on the following date: March 21 (Fri), 2025 Please note that the interview will be recorded. ※The interview date specified will not be changed for any reasons. |
| Registration &Submission of written oath | Late March 2025 |
Those who do not pass the interview will in some cases be selected to fill a vacancy. Details including the submission deadline will be announced later. |
| Start of support | April 1 (Tue.), 2025 | Use of research expenses will start. *Orders can be started. |
| End of April 2025 (tentative) |
Living expenses for April will be transferred to the registered bank account at the end of the month. Execution of research expenses will start. |
Application Guideline & Application document
| Format | File |
|---|---|
| Application Guideline (Spring, 2025) |
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| Application document (template) |
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Form
| Application Form | |
|---|---|
| Registration Form | |
| Application Form | For those who have a Waseda University student ID number |
| For those who do not have a Waseda University student ID number | |
FAQ
The following is a list of frequently asked questions (content is updated as needed).
If you have any questions, please check them before contacting us.
【FYI】Past Selection Schedule for Fall 2024
| Period | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | From 9:00, August 1 (Thu.) to 12:00 (noon), August 20 (Tue.), 2024 | Please register your information before applying. |
| Application | From 9:00, August 1 (Thu.)to 12:00 (noon), August 21 (Wed.), 2024 | － |
| Document review | Late August, 2024 |
You will be notified of the result of the document review and the date of the interview by email on the following date: September 2 (Mon), 2024 |
| Interview (Zoom) | September 7 (Sat.), 2024 |
You will be notified of the result of the interview by email on the following date: September 17 (Tue), 2024 Please note that the interview will be recorded. ※The interview date specified will not be changed for any reasons. |
| Registration &Submission of written oath | Mid to late September 2024 |
Those who do not pass the interview will in some cases be selected to fill a vacancy. Details including the submission deadline will be announced later. |
| Start of support | October 1 (Tue.), 2024 | Use of research expenses will start. *Orders can be started. |
| End of October 2024 (tentative) |
Living expenses for October will be transferred to the registered bank account at the end of the month. Execution of research expenses will start. |
Selection Schedule for April 2026 D1 entrants【Reserved Hiring】
| Period | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | From 9:00 AM, April 1 (Tue.) to 5:00 PM, April 17 (Thu.), 2025 | Applicants are required to register before applying. |
| Application | From 9:00 AM, April 1 (Tue.) to 5:00 PM, April 21 (Mon.), 2025 | － |
| Document Review Presentation Video Review |
Late April to Late May, 2025 | In addition to the document review and presentation video review, an interview (via Zoom) may be conducted only for some candidates. If applicable, we will notify selected individuals separately around May 27 (Tue.), 2025. |
| Interview(via Zoom) *Only for some applicants |
Afternoon of May 31（Sat.）, 2025 |
No changes to the scheduled interview date and time will be accepted, regardless of the reason. The interview will be recorded for review purpose. |
| Notification of Results（For all applicants） | By mid-June | Notifications will be sent via email to all applicants, regardless of whether or not they were interviewed. |
| Registration Process &Submission of Oath | From Late March 2026 | Submission deadlines, evaluations（S or A） and other details will be announced. |
| Start of Support | April 1 (Wed.), 2026 | Start of research expenses utilization. *Orders can be started. |
| End of April 2026 (tentative) |
Remittance of living expenses for April. Execution of research expenses will start. |
Application Guideline & Application document
| Format | File |
|---|---|
| [Reserved Hiring] Application Guideline (For April 2026 D1 entrants) |
|
| Application document (template) |
|
| Reference Letter from Supervisor (template) |
|
Form
| Application Form(Please login to My Waseda when you apply) |
|---|
| Registration Form |
| Application Form |
| Reference Letter from Supervisor 【Submission URL】*Please have the submission made by the supervisor, not the applicant student. |