The NIG Internship Program is a research internship offered by the National Institute of Genetics (NIG) in collaboration with SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Japan). This program provides undergraduate and postgraduate students with an opportunity to gain hands-on research experience in genetics and related life sciences fields. Interns will conduct independent research under the guidance of a host investigator, participate in lab visits, and receive training in scientific communication and research methodologies. At the end of the program, interns will present their findings at the “NIG-INTERN Reports Symposium”, and successful participants will receive a certificate of completion. The program also includes access to graduate lectures, journal clubs, and seminars by distinguished researchers.
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies Information
Founded in 1988, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the large town of Miura (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), Kanagawa. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies is a coeducational higher education institution. The Graduate University for Advanced Studies offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 31 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. The admission rate range is 20-30% making this Japanese higher education organization a very selective institution. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be interested in life sciences and be in the prefinal-year at the time of application, i.e. in the 3rd year of a 4-year bachelor’s program, in the 2nd year of a 3-year bachelor’s program, in the 4th year of a 5-year program, in the 1st year of a 2-year master’s program, or in the 5th year of a 6-year program. Students who are interested in enrolling in our PhD program at NIG are encouraged to apply.
- Because of a highly competitive selection process, applications from non-prefinal students and students in a PhD course are not considered.
- The selection is highly competitive. 8 highly-qualified students out of over 1,080 applications were selected for 2024. The number of successful applicants varies from year to year.
Interns must agree to fulfil the following requirements.
- Conform to the regulations of NIG.
- Maintain confidentiality of unpublished information obtained at NIG.
- Dedicate full efforts to the NIG-INTERN program. Complete assignments, tasks, and projects associated with the internship program.
- Participate in the project for the full term of the internship (on a full-time basis, five days a week until the end of the designated term). Work on the days and times agreed with the supervisor.
- Give an oral presentation on the scheduled day to report the research results.
- Submit an essay and a questionnaire at the end of the internship term.
- Submit all the boarding pass stubs of flights arranged by NIG to and from Japan.
Application Process
Required Documents:
Applicants are requested to enter “Letter of Motivation/Self advertisement” and upload the following materials through the online application form.
- Letter of Motivation / Self advertisement
- Within 500 English words
- Curriculum Vitae
- In English. Includes education records starting from high school. Be sure to indicate your current academic year.
- Scanned Academic Transcript
Submit a latest undergraduate or postgraduate transcript that you can obtain. Please scan it and then upload. In case your Academic Transcript is prepared in languages other than English, attach an English or a Japanese translation to each document. Please combine them into a single file when you upload multiple documents on the online application system.
- Two recommendation letters of your teachers
Must be entered by your recommenders through the recommender page of the online application system.
- All the required materials including recommendation letters must be submitted through the online system. Materials submitted by e-mail will not be accepted.
- The online application system will open on December 6, 2024 and will close at noon on January 6, 2025 (Japan Standard Time).
- Only applications completed before the deadline will be considered.
- During the screening process, applicants may be contacted by the prospective host lab PI.
Founded in 1988, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the large town of Miura (population range of 50,000-249,999 inhabitants), Kanagawa. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies is a coeducational higher education institution. The Graduate University for Advanced Studies offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 31 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. The admission rate range is 20-30% making this Japanese higher education organization a very selective institution. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment.