Eligibility & Selection

Eligibility Criteria

At the time of application students must:

  • Be at least 18 years old;
  • Be a Japanese citizen or permanent resident;
  • Be a female, currently-enrolled, degree-seeking undergraduate student in good academic standing at a Japanese institution of higher education;
  • At the time of application, be a B1, B2, B3, or B4 undergraduate student*
    • B4 students are only eligible to apply if they will be a degree-seeking graduate (M1) student as of April.
  • Be majoring in a science or engineering field and interested in conducting research in an academic department within Rice’s School of Engineering or a related Research Center or Group  or within an academic department within the School of Natural Sciences or a related Research Center or Group
  • Be able to express a demonstrated interest in international science & engineering research & future graduate study in your field;
  • Have the conversational English-language ability to successfully conduct research in a U.S. university lab.

*Undergraduate students who are enrolled in a six-year, undergraduate program, such as in medicine, are eligible to apply. To confirm eligibility, send an email to tomodachistem@rice.edu. In your email, list the name of your university, the program/field of study you are enrolled in, and the month and year you will graduate from your undergraduate program. 

Preferred Fields
Students in any science or engineering field are eligible to apply and potential host labs are available within the School of Engineering or School of Natural Sciences at Rice University. For more details, see our Potential Research Host Labs page.

Students cannot apply for placement into the School of Architecture.  Architecture is a separate school/faculty at Rice University and does not participate in this program.  Architecture and non-STEM students should review our Other Related Programs for Japanese Students page. 

Selection Criteria

When reviewing applications, the  program seeks to select students who:

  • Have a strong and well-defined interest in international research, particularly in the U.S.;
  • Have a desire to develop the skills necessary to become a globally-competent scientist or engineer;
  • Have a strong and well-defined interest in pursuit of future research & graduate study in a science or engineering field;
  • Have the conversational English language skills necessary to conduct research in the U.S.

Eligibility & Selection Preferences

To be eligible to apply, applicants must:

  • Be a degree seeking undergraduate students at a Japanese university or college majoring in a science or engineering (S&E) field to be eligible to apply
  • Be at least 18 years old, or above, to be eligible to apply
  • Preference will be given to third year undergraduates (B3) though fourth year undergraduates (B4) may also apply.
  • Preference will be given to students who express a demonstrated interest in graduate study in an S&E field, either in Japan or the U.S.
  • Women and groups traditionally underrepresented in S&E in Japan are strongly encouraged to apply.

English Language Requirements

  • Fluency in English is not required; but your spoken English language skills must be sufficient to conduct a four-week research internship in an English-speaking laboratory.
  • It is recommend that applicants be at the intermediate to advanced level in terms of your spoken English language skills.
  • Finalists will be required to take an English Proficiency Interview via Skype prior to final acceptance into the program.
  • Participants will enroll in a weekly Conversational English Class for the duration of their 4-week research internship at Rice University