Global Science Scholars Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Overview:
An up to two-year international postdoctoral fellowship program between the U.S. and Japan designed to advance excellence in bioengineering and biomedical research by supporting early-career researchers to advance their careers and conduct groundbreaking science in U.S. and Japanese research labs.

Funder:
The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network (CZ Biohub Network) and the Stellar Science Foundation (SS-F), created and supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI).

Geographic Scope

• Placement options: United States or Japan
• U.S. placement: CZ Biohub Network partner universities in San Francisco, Chicago, or New York areas
• Japan placement: Japanese research institutions with selected research leaders

Focus Areas

• Bioengineering and biomedical research
• Research at the interface of technology and science
• Interdisciplinary research at the forefront of biology and technology

Funding Details

U.S. Placement:

• Stipend: $75,000 USD per year
• Reimbursable expenses: up to $5,000 USD per year (up to $10,000 total over two years) for relocation costs
• Travel funds: approximately $4,000 USD per year to participate in required scientific convening
• Institutional benefits (vary by institution)
• Duration: Two years

Japan Placement:

• Stipend: 9,600,000 JPY per year
• Reimbursable expenses: up to 749,000 JPY per year (up to 1,498,000 JPY total over two years) for relocation costs
• Travel funds: approximately 600,000 JPY per year to participate in required scientific convening
• Institutional benefits (may vary by institution)
• Duration: Up to two years (funding available until March 2027)

Eligibility

Degree Requirements:

• Must have a doctoral degree conferred by July 1, 2025
• Doctoral degree must have been conferred on or after July 1, 2021
• Candidates may apply while doctoral degree is in progress
• Exceptions for institutionally approved career breaks (family or medical leave) available upon request

Country of Degree:

• For U.S. placement: Applicant must hold an undergraduate or doctoral degree from a Japanese degree-granting institution
• For Japan placement: Applicant must have received undergraduate or doctoral degree from a U.S. degree-granting institution

Visa and Employment:

• U.S. placement: Must be eligible to receive a U.S. visa; will be hired by relevant partner university
• Japan placement: Must be eligible to receive a Japanese visa; SS-F and program partners provide visa assistance

Language and Engagement:

• Must have English proficiency sufficient to conduct research and communicate effectively
• Must be available to participate in program activities

Career Stage:

• Early-career researchers who have recently earned doctoral degrees
• Program seeks early-stage applicants

Mission and Values

• CZ Biohub Network: Group of nonprofit research institutes pursuing grand scientific challenges on 10-15 year time horizons; mission to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by end of century
• Stellar Science Foundation (SS-F): Japan-based organization promoting sustainable generation of disruptive discoveries; seeks to revitalize Japan's scientific research and enable freedom in research activities
• Program values: Empathy, collaboration, diverse and global perspectives; open science principles; consent, sharing, and publication policy for rapid dissemination of research results; software development maximizing accessibility and reuse

How to Apply

Application Portal:
All applications must be completed and submitted through the online grants management portal at https://apply.chanzuckerberg.com

Submission Steps:

1. Go to https://apply.chanzuckerberg.com
2. Register and/or log in
3. Click on the Programs link in the upper right corner
4. Find the Global Science Scholars Program RFA and click "More"
5. Click the green "Apply" button in the upper right corner
6. Enter the title of your application (use format: first name last name)
7. Complete all sections below and submit by 3 p.m. Pacific Time
8. Note: Applications evaluated on rolling basis; awards may be allocated before final deadline

Application Materials Required:

The application consists of the following sections (tasks in the grants portal):

Applicant Details

• Name and email (auto-filled; edit via account settings)
• Doctoral degree conferral date (actual or anticipated; format MM/DD/YYYY)
• Degree-granting institution for doctoral degree
• Country location for doctoral degree institution
• Degree-granting institution for undergraduate degree
• Country location for undergraduate degree institution
• Current title
• Current institutional affiliation
• Professional goals and career plans after the Fellowship (200 words maximum)
• ORCID iD (format XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX; register at https://orcid.org/register if needed)

Lab/Project Selection

• Fellowship selection: Choose one of two options:
  • Postdoctoral fellowship in residence in United States (Japan → U.S.)
  • Postdoctoral fellowship in residence in Japan (U.S. → Japan)
• Lab Selection: Use dropdown menu to select first, second, and third choice labs from provided list
  • Only select labs relevant to your application
  • If fewer than three labs apply, leave additional fields blank
  • Access list of PI labs in application portal

Research Summary

• Three most important scientific contributions to date:
  • List peer-reviewed publication citations
  • Format: Authors, Title, Journal Title, Date, Vol(no), Page Numbers
  • Include link/URL if available (optional; use format https://example.org)
  • Impact statement for each (150 words maximum)
  • Total: 150 words maximum for all three contributions

Full Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Format: PDF
• Font: 11 point or larger
• Margins: At least one-half inch (top, bottom, left, right) for all pages (letter size)
• Page limit: No limit
• Required sections:
  • Education
  • Relevant Experience (research and teaching, including institution and supervisor)
  • Publications
  • Presentations (oral or poster)
  • Honors/Awards

Letters of Recommendation

• Required: Two separate letters from different individuals
• Submission: Letters uploaded directly by each recommender
• Physical signature: Required on each letter
• Recommender qualifications: Current or former advisors, supervisors, or collaborators
• Letter content: Should comment on:
  • Association with candidate (how they know the candidate)
  • Candidate's track record of scholarly contributions to date
  • Potential of candidate to make lasting positive impact through research
• Process:
  1. Select "Request a Recommendation" button (do this twice, once for each recommender)
  2. Enter recommender's first name and last name
  3. Recommender will receive invitation via portal
  4. Communicate separately with recommender to ensure awareness
  5. It is applicant's sole responsibility to ensure recommenders submit letters on time
  6. CZI/SS-F will not follow up on invitations where no letter is submitted

Confirmation for Handling of Personal Information

• Confirm acceptance of personal information handling procedures

Language:
All application materials must be submitted in English

Applicant Responsibility:
Applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the portal well in advance of the application deadline