The National Science Foundation's Tokyo Regional Office periodically reports on developments in Japan that are related to the Foundation's mission. It also provides occasional reports on developments in other East Asian countries.
Tokyo Office Report Memoranda are intended to provide information for the use of NSF program officers and policy makers; they are not statements of NSF policy.
Report Memorandum #01-08
2001 Summer Institute Program in Japan
Twenty-five U.S. graduate students in science and engineering are participating in the 2001 Summer Institute in Japan Program from June 26 to August 24, 2001. Including this year's participants, a total of 592 students have been supported by this program since it began in 1990.
The Summer Institute Program evolved from discussions of the Task Force on Access of the U.S.-Japan Agreement on Cooperation in Research and Development in Science and Technology, and was established to provide U.S. science and engineering graduate students first-hand experience in a Japanese research environment, intensive Japanese language training, and an introduction to the science and science-policy infrastructure of Japan. The goals of the program are to introduce U.S. graduate students to Japanese science and engineering research laboratories and to initiate personal relationships that will better enable students to collaborate with Japanese counterparts in the future. The long-term goal of the program is to increase the number of American scientists and engineers who are both familiar with the culture and language of Japan, and the research being conducted in Japan in their fields of expertise.
The program is supported in Japan by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and in the United States by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF and MEXT serve as implementing agencies, and Japan International Science and Technology Exchange Center (JISTEC) provides administrative and logistical assistance to participants while they are in Japan.
Participants in the 2001 Summer Institute first go through a 7-day intensive Japanese language training provided in the Tsukuba Kenshu Center. Then, they are integrated into on-going research projects at the host institutes and are supervised by Japanese host researchers. Students are encouraged to visit other laboratories doing research in their disciplinary areas. An overnight trip to Nikko, cultural experience such as Kabuki, tea ceremony, and a series of lectures are also scheduled during the program.
Among the 25 participants in the 2001 Summer Institute selected from 23 U.S. universities, 12 are working at laboratories in Tsukuba and 13 at laboratories in Tokyo. Eight students are hosted by corporate laboratories, 13 by Japanese government institutes and 4 by semi-governmental, non-profit research organization, and Tokyo metropolitan government's organization. Lists of host institutes, students' home universities and students' area of research are attached.
The program began in 1990 when 25 students were hosted at 13 national research laboratories in Tsukuba. In 1991, the number of participants in the program was increased from 25 to 49, and 7 private corporate laboratories participated for the first time as host institutions.
In 1992, the number of participants was increased from 49 to 58, and 6 governmental laboratories in Tokyo were added as host institutions.
Approximately 60 graduate students participated in the program each year from 1992 to 1997. Since 1995 some of the participants started being placed on an individual basis outside of Tokyo and Tsukuba.
In 1998, the program supported 41 participants, including 14 individuals hosted in Tsukuba, 21 hosted in the Tokyo area, and 6 in other locations around Japan.
In 1999, the program supported 48 participants, including 17 individuals hosted in Tsukuba, 28 hosted in the Tokyo area, and 3 in other locations around Japan.
The application deadline for the Summer Institute is December 1. Graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents in science or engineering, including biomedical and agricultural sciences, may apply. Application materials and information are available via the NSF/Tokyo Homepage (http://www.twics.com/~nsftokyo/spmenu.html). For further information, please contact NSF's East Asia and Pacific Program (EAP) as follows:
East Asia and Pacific Program, Room 935
Division of International Programs
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA
22230
Phone:
703-292-8704
FAX:
703-292-9175
E-mail:
eapinfo@nsf.gov
Attached is a list of the 25 American graduate participants (including 16 male and 9 female students), with information on their home institutions and their host laboratories in Japan.
NSF/Tokyo
Attachment:
Anschel, Alan Samuel
University of Medical and Denitistry of NJ
(Robert Wood Johnson Medical School)
Host Institute:
National Cancer Center Research Institute
Beutler, Kathleen Teresa
George Washington University, The National
Inst. of Health
(Kidney & Electrolyte Metabolism)
Host Institute:
Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology
Bottom, Karen Evelyn
University of Wisconsin Madison (Mechanical
Engineering)
Host Institute:
Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
Bunyavanich, Supinda
Harvard University (Medical School)
Host Institute:
National Institute of Public Health
Chen, Elaine Y.
Stanford University (Mechanical
Engineering)
Host Institute:
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Chong, Lillian Tsyh-yao
University of California, San Francisco
(Pharmaceutical Chemistry)
Host Institute:
Sankyo Co., Ltd.
Copeland, Thomas Stewart
Clemson University (Materials Science and
Engineering)
Host Institute:
Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd.
Covalt, James Carlyle
University of California, San Diego
(Chemistry and Biochemistry)
Host Institute:
The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
Di Dio, Joseph III
Columbia University (Earth &
Environmental Engineering)
Host Institute: Building
Research Institute
Diaz, Fernando David
University of Massachusetts Computer
Science Building (Computer Science)
Host Institute:
Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.
Green Jr., Morris
State University of NY at Buffalo
(Industrial Engineering)
Host Institute:
National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management
Hannigan, Brendan John
Georgia Institute of Technology (Computing)
Host Institute:
Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.
Leonardo , Teresa Elizabeth
University of California, Davis (Evolution
& Ecology)
Host Institute:
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Martin, Michael James
University of Michigan (Aerospace
Engineering)
Host Institute:
Hitachi, Ltd. Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory
Masters, Forrest James
University of Florida (Civil Engineering)
Host Institute:
Building Research Institute
Neely, John Dodd
Johns Hopkins University, School of
Medicine (Biological Chemistry)
Host Institute:
The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
Nichols, William Thomas
University of Texas at Austin (Physics)
Host Institute:
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
Phillips, David Alan
University of Hawaii at Manoa (Geology
& Geophysics)
Host Institute:
Geographical Survey Institute
Rasiej, Michael J.
Columbia University, College of Physicians
and Surgeons (Medicine)
Host Institute:
Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research
Tseng, Snow Hong
Northwestern University (Electrical &
Computer Engineering)
Host Institute:
Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.
Tuzson, Ann Elizabeth
University of Virginia (Biomedical
Engineering)
Host Institute:
National Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled
Wigginton, Andrew Joseph
University of Kentucky (Biology)
Host Institute:
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
Yang, Vicky Kung-Fan
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(Material Science and Engineering)
Host Institute:
Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
Yatskov, Mikhail Aleksandrovich
Oregon State University (Forest Science)
Host Institute:
Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
Zyrina, Olga A.
Oregon State University (Forest Resources)
Host Institute:
National Institute for Environmental Studies