2026 Summer Undergraduate Research in Japan and Vermont: Organic and Bio Materials
University of Vermont & State Agricultural College·Burlington, VT·2026 cycle
Closed for cyclePhysical SciencesChemistry✓ verified
Seeking talented and motivated undergraduate students to participate in a summer research and learning adventure at two locations Yamagata Prefecture in Japan under the research theme of energy innovation in organic and bio materials. IRES participants will be trained in cutting-edge materials research and make contributions to ongoing collaborative projects, while immersed in their Japanese academic and cultural host environments. Host destinations include the Yamagata University (YU) Faculty of Science in Yamagata City and Faculty of Engineering in Yonezawa. Yonezawa is a world leader in organic and polymer materials production and innovation. Yamagata City focuses on nano materials and biological energy conversion processes. Potential projects in various areas of physics, chemistry, and engineering span all aspects of organic and bio electronics. The two host locations are approximately 1 hr. apart and will offer different living experiences. Yonezawa is a quiet, small city of 82,000 people. It is a rural community surrounded by mountains, wildlife, and local agriculture. Yamagata city is larger, with a population of roughly 253,000, but still in the mountainous and agricultural heart of Yamagata prefecture. Yonezawa and Yamagata are roughly 2 hours north of Tokyo. Shared cultural activities, outreach events, and research symposia will see cohorts from the two locations meet several times throughout the summer. The IRES cohort will undergo orientation, language instruction, and laboratory training in Burlington VT. This includes pre-travel preparation to be assigned online, and a 1-week in-person orientation in Burlington VT on the UVM campus with start date May 26th, 2026. The project will cover travel and accommodation to Burlington for training and orientation (1 wk.), to the host city in Japan (9 wks.), and a stipend for each participant. Prior knowledge of Japanese language and culture is not required. US-based research and cultural support team represents
Materials, Organic Semiconductors, Biology, Photosynthesis, Electrochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Synthetic Chemistry, Solar Cells, OLEDs, Physical Chemistry, Engineering
This program can support applicants who are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States who are enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at a US based institution during the entire 2026 calendar year.