Call for Proposals: Unson PhD Summer Fellowship 2026
The Weatherhead East Asian Institute invites applications for the 2026 Unson PhD Summer Fellowships. The Unson Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Itoshima, Japan, which is dedicated to studying the most pressing social and environmental challenges generated by global capitalism and to building new social systems that foster long-term human wellbeing. In partnership with the foundation, Columbia is developing an experimental summer program exploring ecology and society in rural Japan. The first pilot is scheduled to launch in summer 2026 and will be themed around “Thinking Like a Watershed.” For further information, see here.
The Weatherhead East Asian Institute will award two summer fellowships to PhD students whose research best aligns with the themes of the summer program or the priorities of the Unson Foundation. Fellows will be expected to play an active role in Itoshima during the program period, May 21 to June 7, 2026. More specifically, they will take turns serving as resident advisors in the undergraduate student guesthouse, and will assist with excursions, workshops, and reading seminars as needed. They will also be expected to pursue their own independent research projects that align with the program’s themes or the priorities of the Unson Foundation.
Interested applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, two letters of recommendation and a proposal (maximum 1000 words) for a research project which will support the development of the summer program. Preference will be given to proposals that relate to the history, culture, society or ecology of the Itoshima–Fukuoka region or to the theme of long-term human wellbeing, broadly defined. Experience as a resident advisor or teaching assistant would also be beneficial but is not required.
Successful applicants should expect to receive $10,000 USD plus funds to cover travel expenses from the US to Japan. Accommodation in Itoshima will also be provided. Applicants must be enrolled in a Columbia University doctoral program and available to participate in the microcollege program in Itoshima from May 21 to June 7, 2026.
Please submit your applications to [email protected] by 5:00 pm on Friday, February 6, 2026. Recommendation letters should be sent directly to the same address by Friday, February 13, 2026.