Outline

The University of Osaka (Japan) and Mahidol University (Thailand) has launched a Doctoral Program in cooperation with BIKEN Foundation in 2024 to cultivate young researchers who will become leaders in the next generation of research in microbiology and immunology contributing to the world through groundbreaking discoveries in these fields.
The program recruits highly qualified and motivated students residing outside of Japan, and relies heavily on recommendations from Mahidol University, an esteemed educational and research institution with a long-standing and strong partnership with The University of Osaka, in order to assess the abilities and qualities of the applicants.

Students admitted to this program will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Medicine at The University of Osaka. The Graduate School of Medicine offers an integrated curriculum that includes lectures and seminars by world-leading professors from a wide range of research fields, not only life sciences, but also other fields to promote interdisciplinary research to broaden perspectives and foster new fields of study. These courses are conducted in English. In addition, students will conduct their dissertation research under the supervision of any one of the principal investigators. These principal investigators are affiliated with the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases (RIMD), the Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), or the Center for Advanced Modalities and DDS (CAMaD) at The University of Osaka, and they also hold positions at the Graduate School of Medicine at The University of Osaka.

Upon completion of the required coursework at the graduate school and their dissertation research, a doctoral degree will be awarded.

Students in this program are exempt from examination, entrance, and tuition fees, and will receive a scholarship for four years.

See references below: 　

• Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC)
• Research Institute for Microbial Diseases (RIMD)
• Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER)
• Center for Advanced Modalities and DDS (CAMaD)
• Graduate School of Medicine
• BIKEN Foundation

Download

• Program Policy (PDF)
• Application Guidelines (PDF)
• Financial Support (PDF)
• Poster (PDF)
• Application Form (MS-Word)

Schedule

*Successful applicants who meet the qualification (1-A) will be admitted to The University of Osaka from October 2026 after final confirmation.
**Successful applicants who meet the qualification (1-B) will be admitted to The University of Osaka from April 2027 after final confirmation. 

Application and Selection

Application

Applicants should submit their application documents to the local selection committee at Mahidol University by sending an e-mail to the following address with attaching the required application documents.

The International Relations Division of Mahidol University (MUIR), Thailand
    Ms. Peungjai Tinsulanonda
    E-mail address: peungjai.tin@mahidol.ac.th
    The subject title of the e-mail should be "Application to Doctoral Program at The University of Osaka"

 Application deadline is December 20, 2025.
 Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
 Applicants are not required to pay for the application and the review for the selection.

Selection of Academic Advisor (laboratory)

Students in this program will be assigned to a laboratory headed by any one of IFReC, RIMD, CiDER, or CAMaD principal investigators affiliated with the Graduate School of Medicine at The University of Osaka, where they will conduct research in advanced biomedical fields, mainly microbiology and immunology, under the guidance of the principal investigator. The laboratory to which the student belongs to will determine their future research field and research theme. Therefore, applicants are asked to consult with the IFReC, RIMD, CiDER, or CAMaD principal investigator by whom they wish to be supervised before applying.

Please follow the procedure below.

1.  Check the list of principal investigators in the Appendix of the Application Guidelines or in the list at the end of this webpage.
2.  Send an e-mail to the principal investigator of the laboratory of your choice, informing them of your academic background, research plan, and desired dissertation topic (required information may differ from laboratory to laboratory). At that time, be sure to inform them that you wish to apply to the "Doctoral Program in Microbiology and Immunology at The University of Osaka" based on a recommendation of Mahidol University.

Application Documents

The following documents must be prepared in English and submitted.

1. Application form
2. Letter of recommendation
3. Official academic transcripts
4. Copy of official TOEFL-iBT score (Test Taker Score Report)

1. Application form
    Please fill out the application form, which is available for download from the download section of thie page.
    Notes on the selection of academic advisor (laboratory)

• If you have already obtained the consent of a potential academic advisor at IFReC, RIMD, CiDER, or CAMaD at the time of application, please enter the name of the potential academic advisor as your first choice on the section “Laboratory Choice” of the application form (you may leave the second and third choices blank).
• If you are in the process of selecting a laboratory and have not yet obtained the consent of your preferred academic advisor, please indicate the name of your first, second, and third choice of academic advisor on the section “Laboratory Choice”.

2. Recommendation letter
    The recommendation letter should be written in English and should include the following information:

• Name, current position, and current organization of the reference
• Applicant's name
• Relationship between the applicant and the reference
• Signature of the reference and date
• The letter should preferably include the applicant's qualifications, academic record, and skills relevant to the program, the applicant's eligibility for doctoral study and comments on the applicant's qualifications as a researcher.

3. Academic transcripts from university undergraduate and above
    Please submit academic transcripts from all educational programs from university undergraduate and above. For transcripts written in languages other than English, please submit an English translation with the translator's seal or signature.

4. Copy of official TOEFL-iBT score (Test Taker Score Report)
As proof of English proficiency, please submit a copy of your TOEFL-iBT score (Test Taker Score Report). Applicants must have a minimum English proficiency of TOEFL-iBT 80 or higher (taken after December 2024).

Download

• Program Policy (PDF)
• Application Guidelines (PDF)
• Financial Support (PDF)
• Poster (PDF)
• Application Form (MS-Word)

Precautions Upon Application

• Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Changes to application materials after submission will not be accepted.
• Submitted documents will not be returned. Please keep copies of all originals for your own records.
• If you provide false information in your application, you will be denied admission or, if you are already admitted, you will be expelled from the school.
• If there are any changes to the application process, the changes will be immediately announced on our website.

Handling of Personal Information

1. Names, addresses, and other personal information provided on the application form and other submitted documents will be used only for the purpose of processing the application. For admitted students, the personal information will be used for academic and student support purposes.
2. Personal information may be used for monitoring the selection process and for statistical purposes.
3. If the above-mentioned operations are entrusted to a third party, a contract for the protection of personal information will be concluded with the entrusted party.

Financial Support

Students in this program are eligible for a tuition fee waiver, and will receive a scholarship (250,000 yen/month) to be provided by the Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University (BIKEN Foundation), which jointly organizes this doctoral program. Please refer to the document "Financial Support" available in the download section of this page for details.

Faculty List of the Program

List of Principal Investigators of IFReC, RIMD, CiDER, and CAMaD

Contact Information

For inquiries regarding the preliminary screening, please contact the local selection committee.

For general inquiries, please contact the Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC) at The University of Osaka.
   E-mail: recruit@ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp

References:

1. Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC)
2. Research Institute of Microbial Diseases (RIMD)
3. Center for Infectious Diseases Education and Research (CiDER)
4. Center for Advanced Modalities and DDS (CAMaD)