Tanaka Fund Program

Canadian citizens and permanent residents enrolled at a Canadian university as master's or doctoral students may apply if their research relates to Japan and uses humanities or social sciences methods. The research must be toward a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation proposal; PhD candidates past coursework are not eligible, and priority goes to applicants whose most recent degree was completed within five years.

Grants of up to $12,000 support a maximum of three months of research in Japan, covering round-trip airfare, research expenses, and a daily stipend. The 2026 competition closed January 30, 2026; the next cycle's dates have not been posted.

Applications go through the Universities Canada portal with a research proposal describing objectives, methodology, action plan, and expected results, plus transcripts, a budget form, a curriculum vitae, and two references.

The Tanaka Fund originated in 1974 from an exchange of gifts between Canada and Japan and has been administered by Universities Canada since 1975.