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US-Japan Network for the Future

Proposal deadline:	Application Round Closed
Funding opportunity:	Individual funding
Funding period:	N/A
Funding maximum:	N/A
Contact:	Carolyn Fleisher

Program Detail

In collaboration with the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, "U.S.-Japan Network for the Future" program seeks to identify American professionals who demonstrate an interest in and potential for becoming Japan specialists and policy intellectuals, and support them in this effort. This network intends to connect Japan specialists throughout the United States with diverse expertise, perspectives, and the ability to participate in the bilateral policy-making process and to contribute to US-Japan understanding.

The program seeks to nurture a new generation of scholars working on the following policy areas as they pertain to the U.S.-Japan relationship: regional security issues; economic relations; regional cooperation; shared domestic challenges (such as aging societies or income inequality); and issues where the two countries can work together to resolve global challenges (such as climate change or food security).

Applicants selected as members will participate in a series of meetings, workshops, and a study-trip in Japan. Participants will conduct independent research on key issues in U.S.-Japan relations, prepare brief policy papers, op-ed pieces and/or memoranda and present their findings at a public symposium and current issues panel discussion in Washington, D.C..

Financial support for those selected is limited to travel, accommodation, and meal expenses incurred through participation in program meetings and study trips.   

Eligibility

• Applicants must have either U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status
• Applicants must be actively involved in the Japan-U.S. dialogue and have a working knowledge of the Japanese language.
• While the program is targeted at scholars in the social sciences who focus on Japan in their work, those who have a strong professional engagement with Japan, with a graduate degree and at least five years of professional experience in policy-relevant fields, may also apply.
• Applicants must be able to make a two-year commitment to the program and should be prepared to participate in at least four meetings and a study-trip. 

Priorities

• Because we are seeking to identify a future generation of leaders, our preference is for candidates in the mid stages of their careers. In the academic context, this translates into the advanced assistant or early associate professor levels.

 

Terms

• Applicants selected as members are required to participate in a series of short-term activities over a two-year period: a initial meeting in D.C., a week-long workshop in D.C., a retreat in Montana, and a week-long study-trip in Japan. 
• Participants are also expected to prepare brief policy papers on important issues in US-Japan relations and present their findings at a public public symposium and current issues panel discussion in Washington, D.C.. 
• Network members will be expected to: engage with other network members; prepare for and participate actively in the program’s meetings, workshops, and study trip; conduct independent research on key issues in U.S.-Japan relations; and produce policy papers, op-ed pieces and/or memoranda. 
• Financial support for those selected is limited to travel, accommodation, and meal expenses incurred through participation in program meetings and study trips.

 

Application Process

Please refer to the Mansfield Foundation page for information on the application process

Participants

2009 Inaugural Participants
2011 Cohort II Participants