Mansfield Fellowship 2027 to 2028: A Year in Japan for US Federal Employees

Most fellowships invite students from around the world. This one does not. The Mansfield Fellowship Program is only for US federal employees. It sends them to Japan for a year. They learn Japanese and work inside Japanese government ministries. Then they bring that knowledge back to their agencies.

Applications for the 31st class are open. They close on Monday 2 November 2026. If you work for the US government and your job touches Japan this page is for you.

Last information checked: 29 October 2026

Quick Facts

Item	Details
Programme	Mansfield Fellowship Program 31st Class (2027 to 2028)
Run by	Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation
Funded by	US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs as grantor
Who can apply	US citizens who are federal government employees
Country	Japan
Pre departure training starts	1 February 2027
Fellows begin in Japan	1 July 2027
Programme ends	30 June 2028
Deadline	2 November 2026 at 11:59 pm
After the fellowship	At least two more years of federal service

Is This Fellowship for You

This is not a general scholarship. You are the right reader if you:

• Are a US citizen
• Work for the US federal government
• Have a job that connects to Japan or US and Japan relations
• Want to build deep knowledge of how the Japanese government works

Also See: Fully Funded UN Journalism Fellowship 2027 in Doha

About the Fellowship

The fellowship has three parts:

• Pre departure training. You study Japanese language and area studies before you travel. This starts on 1 February 2027
• Homestay and language study. 7 weeks in Ishikawa Prefecture with intensive Japanese lessons
• Professional placements. You spend ten months working in Japanese government ministries in Tokyo

Fellowship Benefits

• Salary and benefits. Fellows from the executive branch are detailees. Their home agencies keep paying their salary and benefits including health care. They do not have to leave federal service
• Retirement credit. Fellows who stay in federal service may count their fellowship time toward federal retirement
• Housing and cost of living allowance
• Dependent allowance. For a spouse or children who live in Japan for at least six months
• Education allowance.
• Moving stipend.
• Professional travel allowance.
• Flights. Round trip economy class flightsts and more.

Who Can Apply

You must meet all of these:

• You must be a U.S. citizen.
• You must have worked as a federal government employee for at least two consecutive years before the pre-departure training begins.
• You need written approval from your current federal agency to apply.
• You must agree to work in the federal government for at least two more years after completing the fellowship.
• You must be able to attend the full-time programme in Japan for one year.
• Federal employees from any U.S. government agency can apply.
• Uniformed service members must meet the same eligibility requirements.
• Federal contractors may apply only if their service counts toward federal retirement and their jobs follow the federal civil service pay schedule.

Important Notes

• U.S. Air Force applicants: The Air Force has paused its support for the programme, so its applicants are not eligible for this application cycle.
• Executive branch employees: Their home agency must continue paying their salary and benefits during the fellowship.
• The agency must also guarantee them a position when they return.

Japanese Language Levels

The programme uses the Interagency Language Roundtable levels. Your level decides how much language study you must do before you go.

Your level	What is required
Level 0	Full time language classes during pre-departure training. 30 or more hours a week
Level 1	Full time classes strongly encouraged. Part-time of 10 to 20 hours a week is possible only for exceptional candidates with part-time approval
Level 2	At least 10 hours of classes each week
Level 3 or above	At least 4 hours of classes each week

How To Apply

1. Get written approval from your home agency.
2. Open the online application portal.
3. Fill in Section 1 General Information.
4. Fill in Section 2 Professional Experience and Education.
5. Fill in Section 3 Japan and Foreign Culture Experiences.
6. Write Section 4, which includes:
   • Personal Statement: 500 words maximum.
   • Lifestyle Adjustment Essay: 300 words maximum.
   • Initial Placement Proposal: Suggest 3–5 placements and include a summary of up to 300 words.
7. Upload the signed Agency Authorization Form from your home agency. Applicants from the legislative and judicial branches do not need this form.
8. Register your recommenders in the portal. You need two letters. One is from your current immediate supervisor. The other is from another official at your home agency. Each letter must be one page or less on agency letterhead. A third letter from a character reference outside your agency is optional.
9. Make sure your recommenders submit their letters before the deadline. Your application is not complete without them. They cannot be related to you.
10. Submit before 2 November 2026.

Visit Here to Apply

Key Dates

• August 2026: Applications opened
• 2 November 2026 at 11:59 pm: Applications close
• Mid November 2026: Interview invitations
• 16 to 20 November 2026: Virtual language assessments
• 1 to 3 December 2026: Interviews
• Early December 2026: Candidates told if they are selected
• 20 January 2027: Signed three party agreements due
• 1 February 2027: Pre departure training begins
• 1 July 2027: Fellows begin the programme in Japan
• 30 June 2028: Programme ends