AY2017Graduate School of Medical
Sciences and the MedicineCourse of the School of Medicine

Guidelines for InternationalScholarshipProgram

Approved by the FacultyCouncil of the GraduateSchool of MedicalSciences on June28,2017

Approved by the Council of the School of Medicine on June28, 2017

  1. Purpose

Thisprogramprovidesa range of opportunities for students (includinginternationalstudents) at the GraduateSchool of MedicalSciences and the School of Medicine to participate in internationalstudy and researchactivities related to medicine and lifesciences and supportstheirparticipation in suchactivities. Through the program, we aim to helpparticipantsbroadentheirinternationalperspectives and enhancetheirstudy and researchcapabilities, as well as heightenUniversitystudents’ awareness of globalsociety and motivatethemto activelyenterinto the world.

  1. Eligiblestudents

Students inthe Master’s and DoctoralCourses of the GraduateSchool of MedicalSciences/Students inthe School of Medicine (includinginternationalstudents)

  1. Studentactivities aimedto support

(1) Presentations at internationalconferencesrelated to medicine and lifesciences

(2) Internationalresearchactivities related to medicine and lifesciences

(3) Internationalinternshipsrelated to medicine and lifesciences

(4) Otherinternationalstudy and researchactivities related to medicine and lifesciences

(5) Studieswithclearobjectivesunder the InternationalExchangePartnership

  1. Restriction of duplicateapplication

The scholarshipfortheprogramis not granted to students who havealreadyreceivedotherscholarshipsorresearchsubsidieswith the aim of supportingtheiroverseasactivities. However, students who receive a studentloanthatmust be repaid are eligible for thisscholarship.

In screening, lowerpriorityisgiven to students who reapply for thescholarshipafterhavingalreadyreceivedit,or graduatestudents from the departmentto which the majority of applicants belong.

  1. Allowance for support

As a generalrule, up to 150,000 yen per student is providedforabout8students as an internationalscholarshipwith the allowancedistributedto the relevantdepartment. Whendeemed necessary in the screeningprocess, the allowance to the department can be increasedupon the responsibility of the Deans of theGraduateSchool of MedicalSciences and the School of Medicine. For additionalapplications for the April-to-Septemberperiodand at the end of the fiscalyear, students can apply for the scholarshipeven if theiroverseasactivities havealreadyfinished.

  1. Documents needed for application

(1) ApplicationForm (Form1should be used.)

(2) Resume (Freeform)

(3) List of ResearchAchievements (presentations at academicconferences, publishedresearchpapers)

* For presentations at academicconferences and publishedresearchpapers, write the names of all personsconcerned, includingco-speakers and coauthors. The classificationoforalorposterpresentationshould be clearlystatedfor presentations at academicconferences.

(4) Applicationthroughpresentations at internationalconferences

  • Applicantsshouldsubmit the followingdocuments: a documentstatingtheconferencename anddate(s); theprogramforthe conference;theabstract and a documentproving its acceptance; a documentindicatingwhether the presentation is oralor poster.

(5) Applicationbased on (2) to (5) of Section 3

Applicants shouldsubmit the followingdocuments:

  • Reportwrittenin Englishby an applicantabouthis/her overseasactivities or studies
  • Letter of acceptance by the head of the institution in which the applicantwillconducthis/her overseasactivities orstudies
  • Copy of acontract for overseastravelinsurance
  • Letter of consent by the applicant’s parent or guardian for his/her overseasactivities (only for students inthe School of Medicine)
  • Documentthatobjectivelydescribes the applicant’s Englishproficiencysuch as TOEIC and TOEFLscores *Submission of the documents is onlynecessaryifthe applicant hastakensuchtests.

*BeforeleavingJapan, students in the School of Medicinemustjoin the OverseasStudents SafetyManagementAssistance* (OSSMA).

(6) Receiptsfor expenses incurred duringthe programparticipationand air ticketstubsif taking a plane (Copies are acceptable.)

* If the applicant has not left for an overseasdestination yet, submitthemimmediatelyafterreturninghome.

*Note: OverseasStudents SafetyManagementAssistance (OSSMA)

OSSMAdeals withcrisismanagementfor studentsstudying in foreigncountriesbysupportingthemprior togoingabroadandhelpingthemin caseaccidents happen to them. Notethatthis is not overseastravelinsurance. The monthlycharge (3,150 yen) is borne by KumamotoUniversity for scholarshipstudents underthisprogram.

  1. Screeningmethod

About ten students are selected per year: about4students from the applicationduringthe firstsemester (April to September) and about4students from the applicationduring the secondsemester (October to March). The ScreeningCommitteeselects scholarshipstudents based on documents submitted by thoseinthe GraduateSchool of MedicalSciences and the School of Medicineaccording to the followingstandards. The screening is conducted by the end of July for the firstsemester and by the end of December for the secondsemester.

(1)Eligiblestudents are those who plan to studyabroad attheir own expense.

(2)The acceptanceratio of applications for Graduatestudents and Facultystudents isabout2 to 1.

(3)For presentations at academicconferences, speakers who give an oralpresentation as a leadingspeakerhavepriorityoverposterpresenters.

Based on the List of ResearchAchievements, points are given to eachapplicant as statedbelow, and scholarshipstudents are selectedin decreasingorder of totalpoints.

Presentation as a leadingspeaker at internationalconferences: 2 points/time

Presentation as a co-speaker at internationalconferences: 0.4 points/time

Presentation as a leadingspeaker at domesticconferences on a nationallevel: 1 point/time

Presentation as a co-speaker at domesticconferences on a nationallevel: 0.2 points/time

Presentation as a leadingspeaker at domesticconferences on a locallevel: 0.5 points/time

Presentation as a co-speaker at domesticconferences on a locallevel: 0.1 point/time

Publication of academicpapers in English as a leadingauthor: 5 points/paper

Publication of academicpapers in English as a coauthor: 1 point/paper

Publication of academicpapers and reviewpapersin Japanese as a leadingauthor: 1 point/paper

Publication of academicpapers and reviewpapers in Japanese as a coauthor: 0.2 points/paper

When the difference in totalpoints is small, the levels of the conferences and journals in whichpapers are published arealsoassessed.Students in highergradeshavepriority. Screening is comprehensivelyconducted basedon a variety of factors as statedabove.

(4)For applications not based on presentations at academicconferences, priory is firstgiven to activities under the InternationalExchangeProgram, andnext to supportactivities toforeigncountries by the Facultystudents. Applicants’Englishproficiency (TOEIC, TOEFLand similarscores areused as a reference), overseasactivities, academicrecords at the University, academicyear, and otherfactors are alsocomprehensivelyassessed.

  1. ScreeningCommittee

The ScreeningCommitteeconsists of the followingmembers withthe Chairperson of the EducationBoard at the GraduateSchool as chair.

(1) Chairperson of the EducationBoard at the GraduateSchool

(2) ViceChairperson of the EducationBoard at the GraduateSchool

(3) Chairperson of the StudentCommittee at the GraduateSchool of MedicalSciences

(4) Chairperson of the Educational and AcademicAffairsCommittee at the Schoolof Medicine

(5) ViceChairperson of the Educational and AcademicAffairsCommittee at the Schoolof Medicine

(6) Chairpersonof the StudentCommittee at the Schoolof Medicine

  1. Selection of scholarshipstudents

Scholarshipstudents are selected by aresolution of the FacultyCouncil of the GraduateSchool of MedicalSciences and the Council of the School of Medicinebased onassessmentresults by the ScreeningCommittee.

  1. Report on overseasactivities and researchresults

Students inthe GraduateSchool of MedicalSciences andthe School of Medicine who conducted overseasactivities underthisscholarshipprogrammustsubmit a reportoftheiractivities to the AcademicSection of the AdministrativeOffice for MedicalSciencesafterreturninghome,using the designatedform. In addition, they may be asked to writereports for publications of the University and its alumniassociation, and otherinstitutions.

The Deans of the GraduateSchool of MedicalSciences and the School of Medicinemustsubmit a report on the program to the President by the end of the fiscalyear.

1