2026 UPWARDS Faculty Mentorship Program (Short-term Overseas Research Exchange Program for Female Graduate Students in Science & Engineering at Tohoku University) （Deadline 2026/10/5, 17:00JST）

Application Guidelines

2026 UPWARDS Faculty Mentorship Program(Short-term Overseas Research Exchange Program for Female Graduate Students in Science & Engineering at Tohoku University) —（日本語／English）

1. Program Overview

This program is a special dispatch initiative that sends outstanding female graduate students from Tohoku University to the University of Washington (UW). It operates within the framework of UPWARDS (University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors), a partnership involving 11 U.S. and Japanese universities alongside semiconductor industry leaders Micron and Tokyo Electron (TEL) to cultivate semiconductor human resources through industry-government-academia collaboration.

2. Number of Selected Applicants & Target Fields

• Number of Selected Applicants: 2 students
• Target Fields: Female graduate students enrolled in the Graduate School of Engineering or the Graduate School of Science (Research fields related to semiconductors, memory technologies, materials science, chemistry, physics, applied physics, information science, etc.).

3. Program Details & Financial Support

• Location: University of Washington (UW) (Seattle, Washington, USA)
• Dispatch / Stay Period: From February 2027 to around March 2027 [3 nights, 5 days itinerary]
  • Visit dates will be determined through coordination with the hosting UPWARDS Faculty member.
  • In principle, applicants are required to directly contact faculty or student members listed on the UPWARDS website ( https://www.upwards.uw.edu/home/about/ ) to arrange appointments and coordinate schedules for local visits.
  • [For those requiring a U.S. Entry Visa] Visa issuance may take approximately 2 to 3 months. Please coordinate your travel schedule with sufficient time in advance. Upon selection, please coordinate immediately with the Global Strategy Office at Tohoku University to initiate procedures.
• Main Activities:
  • Research discussions and guidance (Mentorship) by local UPWARDS Faculty.
  • Interaction with researchers related to the applicant’s specialized field, laboratory tours, research introductions, and presentations.
  • Interaction with local female researcher communities and graduate students (UPWARDS Fellows).
  • Visits to DEI-related facilities and stakeholders at UW.
  • Visits to other relevant facilities in Seattle, etc.
• Financial Support (Funded by UPWARDS):
  • Round-trip airfare between Japan and the United States
  • Local accommodation, living expenses, and daily allowances (Travel expenses compliant with university regulations)
  • Overseas travel insurance fees
  • Note: Accommodation expenses and various allowances are eligible for coverage only for the duration of participation in the program at the University of Washington. If other duties or personal trips are added before or after the program, travel expenses related to those additional duties must be borne by the selected applicant.

4. Eligibility

• Affiliation: Regular female graduate students enrolled in the Graduate School of Engineering or the Graduate School of Science at Tohoku University (Master’s or Doctoral programs).
• Research Field: Interest or research relevance in fields promoted by the UPWARDS program (or foundational science and engineering fields), such as memory technology, semiconductor materials/processes, energy-efficient devices, computational science, etc.
• Language Proficiency: Sufficient English language proficiency to engage in research discussions with local faculty and researchers.
• Commitment:
  • Promptly contact the Global Strategy Office once the travel itinerary is confirmed after selection.
  • Submit a report (free format, approx. 1 page A4) to the Global Strategy Office within 1 week after returning.
  • Contribute an article to the DEI Center newsletter and deliver a presentation at an internal reporting session after returning.
  • Possess strong motivation toward the participation and retention of female talent in next-generation STEM fields.
  • Obtain approval from their academic advisor to participate in this dispatch program.

5. Application Documents & Procedure

(1) Direct Input Items in Google Form (Main Response Items)

• Basic Applicant Information (Name, Personal Contact, Department, Academic Status, etc.)
• Expected Outcomes After the Program (Academic outcomes, personal growth, contribution to DEI/STEM leadership, etc.)
• English Proficiency Level
  *Please enter your English test scores (TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS, etc.). If you do not have official scores, please describe your English communication level (e.g., “Able to participate in research discussions or classes in English without difficulty”).
• Academic Advisor Information (Name, Title/Position, Department)

(2) Documents to be Prepared and Uploaded in PDF Format

1. English Resume / CV
   *Please submit an English Resume or CV (standard Japanese resumes will NOT be accepted, as this document will be shared with hosting UW faculty members). Include educational and work history.
2. Research Theme and Research Summary (approx. 500–600 words in English; Japanese translation may be attached)
   *Please include proposed candidate UW faculty member(s) with whom you wish to interact as a mentor (formal agreement is not required at the time of application; multiple candidates may be listed).
3. Proposed Schedule and Plan in Seattle
   *Please fill in the provided Word template and upload it in PDF format. Outline a rough itinerary and activity plan (e.g., scheduled visits, research discussion topics).
4. One Recommendation Letter from Academic Advisor (Japanese acceptable)
5. Copy of Student ID Card (Front side)

6.  Important Notes / Precautions

• Applicants must obtain approval from their academic advisor before applying.
• If there are multiple applicants from the same laboratory, the supervising professor must specify their order of recommendation in the recommendation section.
• Submitted application documents will not be returned in principle.
• During the screening process or after selection, applicants may be requested to prepare and submit additional documents if necessary.
• If significant changes occur in the application content after selection, the adoption may be cancelled.
• Applications are limited to one per person.

7. Selection Process & Application Deadline

• Application Deadline: October 5, 2026 (Mon), 17:00 JST [Strict Deadline]
• Notification of Results: Late October 2026 (tentative)

8. Contact Information

＜Regarding Applications＞

• Email: dei-center*grp.tohoku.ac.jp
• Subject: UPWARDS Faculty Mentorship Program 応募（Applicant’s Name）

• Email: kokusai-r*grp.tohoku.ac.jp
• Subject: UPWARDS Faculty Mentorship Program（Applicant’s Name）問い合わせ

▶ Other info regarding support programs