MEXT has announced the following policy: "Support for the stipends (equivalent to living expenses) shall be limited to Japanese students." Accordingly, the "Program for Developing and Supporting the Next-Generation of Innovative Researchers at Hiroshima University" implemented under this initiative will only support individuals holding Japanese nationality or who possess certain residence statuses, such as permanent resident status

■Eligible Recipients of the “Program for Developing and Supporting the Next-Generation of Innovative Researchers at Hiroshima University (SPRING)”  (applicable to those supported from April 2026)

Individuals who meet any of the following nationality requirements or residence status criteria:
1. Japanese nationals

2. Special Permanent Residents  
  (persons residing in Japan as Special Permanent Residents stipulated in Article 3 of the “Special Act on Immigration Control” (入管特例法))

3. Permanent Residents  
  (persons who have been granted permanent resident status by the Minister of Justice)

4. Spouse or Child of Japanese National  
  (spouse, child, or specially adopted child of a Japanese national)

5. Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident  
  (spouse of a Permanent Resident or Special Permanent Resident, or a child born in Japan and continuously residing in Japan)

6. Long-Term Residents  
  (limited to persons who fall within certain categories, including certain Indochinese refugees, certain Vietnamese refugees, third-generation Japanese descendants, spouses of Long-Term Residents, biological children of naturalized Japanese nationals, Permanent Residents, Special Permanent Residents, or Long-Term Residents, Chinese remaining in Japan and their descendants, and foreign parents supporting biological children of Japanese nationals, among others, and who are recognized as having the intention to permanently reside in Japan)

7. Dependent  
  (limited to persons who meet all of the following conditions:
  • born in Japan or first entered Japan by the end of the school year in which they turned 12 years old;
  • completed elementary through high school education in Japan; and
  • intend to work and reside on a long-term basis in Japan after completing a doctoral program)


In addition, Hiroshima University has independently established a support program for international students, the “Hiroshima University Global Doctoral Fellowship.”

International students holding a student visa or similar residence status are encouraged to apply for the “Hiroshima University Global Doctoral Fellowship.”

For information on the “Hiroshima University Global Doctoral Fellowship,” please refer to the following webpage:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/fellowship/globaldoctoralfellowship

The application guidelines and application documents for the “Hiroshima University Global Doctoral Fellowship” will be published on the website on Monday, May 18.