The TOMODACHI-STEM Women’s Leadership and Research Program is a five-week research internship program for 10 female undergraduates from Japan who are majoring in science & engineering (S&E).

Held at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the program will enable students to gain hands-on experience with S&E research while simultaneously providing participants with an introduction to higher education in the United States and multiple opportunities for cultural engagement and collaboration with American students.

The program will serve as a catalyst for female Japanese students interested in the fields of science and engineering while simultaneously providing an excellent opportunity to collaborate with students in the U.S. The virtual portion of the program will take place between September 7, 2021 and September 24, 2022, while the in-person research component of the program will take place between February 12, 2022 and March 17, 2022. (Please note that these dates are subject to change.)

This program is generously funded by Dow Chemical Japan Limited.

Program Timeline

Research Opportunities

Each participant is matched with a research experience that aligns with her academic

interests. Host lab will either be in Lehigh University or Rice University.

Possible areas of study include:

• astrophysics and astronomy
• biology and behavioral neuroscience
• chemical and biomolecular engineering
• chemistry
• electrical and computer engineering
• materials science and nanoengineering
• mathematics and statistics
• physics

Program includes:

• travel between Tokyo and the U.S. (one round trip)
• double occupancy accommodations
• international health insurance

Program participants are responsible for additional expenses, including:

• travel to and from Tokyo (domestic)
• passport, SEVIS and visa fees
• lunches and dinners during the five-week internship
• sight-seeing and personal expenses

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The program is open to applicants who are:

• female degree-seeking undergraduate students majoring in science or engineering
• 18 years old or older
• Japanese citizens or permanent residents
• sufficiently fluent in English to successfully conduct research in a U.S. university lab

HOW TO APPLY

The deadline is August 13, 2021 (Eastern Time).

To apply, visit: go.lehigh.edu/tomodachistem