RIKEN ECL Team/Unit Leaders Scholarship 2026

The RIKEN Early Career Leaders (ECL) Program 2026 is a fully funded research leadership opportunity in Japan for PhD holders. It aims to enable selected candidates to lead independent labs as Unit Leaders or Team Leaders across Japan’s major scientific hubs, with substantial funding and resources for up to seven years. The program funds research, salaries, lab setup, and team-building, and is open to international applicants across disciplines such as AI, physics, life sciences, and engineering.

Research funding, salary, lab setup, team-building resources, mentorship, and potential career pathways to PI roles.

PhD required; open to early-career researchers with limited or no PI experience; open to international applicants across disciplines.

Pre-registration followed by full submission; requires a detailed research proposal, publications list, and three recommendation letters.