RIKEN Guardian Robot Project Summer Internship 2026 in Japan
Country: Japan
City: Kyoto
Organization: RIKEN Guardian Robot Project
Category: Internship
Deadline: March 27, 2026, 15:00 JST
Internship Period: Type A: July 23–September 25, 2026; Type B: August 20–September 25, 2026
The R-IH Summer Program Internship 2026 (Keihanna) is open at the Guardian Robot Project of RIKEN in Kyoto, Japan. The program offers two internship tracks in 2026 and accepts a few participants for both Type A and Type B.
Program Location
The internship will take place at the Guardian Robot Project in Kyoto, Japan. The source page lists the location as the Guardian Robot Project.
Internship Period
Two program options are available:
Type A
Long Stay Program (Type A): July 23, 2026 to September 25, 2026
Type B
Short Stay Program (Type B): August 20, 2026 to September 25, 2026
Both Type A and Type B participants will be required to present their final achievement on September 11, 2026.
Number of Places
The program states that a few applicants will be admitted for both Type A and Type B.
Eligibility
Applicants must belong to universities whose head or delegated person can issue a formal letter of request and agreement on behalf of the applicants. They must also have student status at an academic institution at the time of application and continue that status through the end of the program period.
In addition, applicants must satisfy at least one of the following conditions, except for the Psychological Process Research Team:
Academic Criteria
Applicants must have either:
- presented a full paper at a selective, peer-reviewed international conference, where extended abstracts, workshops, and non-archival publications are not considered, or
- published a peer-reviewed journal article as the first author or as an equally contributing author, explicitly stated.
The source also notes that the host lab’s principal investigator will determine whether a paper meets the requirement for a full paper at a selective, peer-reviewed international conference, and individual inquiries about this will not be answered.
Ineligible Universities
Students from universities that have a collaborative research plan with GRP are not eligible. The source gives examples including Kyoto University, Doshisha University, and Nara Institute of Science and Technology.
Working Hours
Interns must work on every RIKEN workday during the internship period. Daily working hours are 9:00 to 17:20, with a break from 12:00 to 12:50.
Selection Process
After the application deadline, RIKEN will conduct document screening and web interviews. For both Type A and Type B, only those who pass the screening will be contacted by April 27, 2026.
The source further states that only those who pass the screening will later be asked to submit required documents, and only those who pass the subsequent internal review will become finalized accepted candidates. It also notes that inquiries regarding selection or review results will not be answered.
Required Documents
Applications must be submitted in English or Japanese. The required uploaded documents are:
CV
Free format
Motivation Letter
Free format
Research Achievement
Free format, including the title, author(s), journal or conference name, and publication date
Most Important Paper
The most important paper among those listed in the research achievements
This is not required for the Psychological Process Research Team only.
Program Details
The source says that program details are subject to the guidelines of the hosting research team. It also notes that detailed internship projects will be determined with the host principal investigator after acceptance.
Covered Expenses
According to the source, the following expenses will be covered in accordance with RIKEN travel policy:
Travel
One round-trip airfare or bullet train (Shinkansen) fare depending on the distance
Accommodation and Daily Allowance
Accommodation fee: JPY 11,100 per day
Daily allowance: JPY 2,400 per day
For periods exceeding 30 days, 90% of the stated amount is paid:
- JPY 9,990 per day for accommodation
- JPY 2,160 per day for daily allowance
For periods exceeding 60 days, 80% of the stated amount is paid:
- JPY 8,880 per day for accommodation
- JPY 1,920 per day for daily allowance
Expense Notes
The source includes several reimbursement notes:
- All students will receive JPY 393,900 for the first month, calculated based on 29 nights and 30 days full coverage.
- For the second month, Type A students will receive 90% of the full amount, stated as JPY 354,510 in accordance with RIKEN travel policy.
- Reimbursement will be carried out after the first month for Type A and Type B, and one more time after the second month for Type A students.
- For overseas banks, the reimbursement process may take time.
- Students should be ready to temporarily cover daily expenses until reimbursement is carried out.
- Those from universities within 50 kilometers of RIKEN will receive commuting expenses only.
- Accommodation will basically be booked by the students, and transportation between the accommodation and the RIKEN office must be covered from the daily allowances reimbursed by RIKEN.
- Reimbursement will be made after required documents are submitted, and the full amount may not be reimbursed if RIKEN travel policy is not followed.
- For overseas air tickets, participants should not arrange them by themselves until the secretariat contacts them with instructions.
- For participants joining from abroad, the date of entry into Japan will be the day before the internship starts, and the date of departure will be the day after the internship ends.
