FAQs

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Overview and Eligibility

What is the Mansfield Fellowship Program?

The Mansfield Fellowship Program – named after Mike Mansfield, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Senate Majority Leader, U.S. Senator and U.S. Congressman – is a first-of-its-kind program for both the United States and Japan. The Fellowships enable U.S. federal government employees to learn Japanese and to gain a substantial knowledge about the government of Japan by working long-term in placements in Japanese government offices.

The Program operates best under a two-year model, with one full year of pre-departure language and area studies training led by the D.C. office followed by the one-year Fellowship in Japan. The Program’s calendar is subject to change based on funding availability from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). In the past, the Program has assumed a condensed one-year model with Fellows receiving seven weeks of intensive language training in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture followed by ten months of professional placements within the Government of Japan. Thus, the length of the Fellowship’s pre-departure training could be anywhere from six to twelve months while the Program in Japan stays consistent at one year. Please refer to the program materials for your specific cycle when attempting to gauge your expected time on program.

Beginning in July of the year in Japan, Fellows participate in two months of intensive language training and a homestay in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, in order to enhance their language proficiency and confidence in their language skills.

Fellows spend the next ten months in Tokyo, working in parliamentary offices, ministries or other agencies of the Japanese government, or in non-governmental Japanese institutions as appropriate. Fellows work closely with the Mansfield Foundation staff and representatives of the government of Japan to arrange appropriate placements in a Japanese government offices.

Following their return home in late June the following year, Fellows are expected to return to federal service and apply and share the knowledge and expertise they have gained in the program.

*Please note that this timeline is tentative and subject to change pending the availability of funding.

What does pre-departure training entail?

Pre-departure Japanese language training will be either full-time or part-time depending on the Fellow’s needs, availability, and approval from their home agency and the Mansfield Foundation.

Applicants should work with their home agency to secure authorization for either full-time or part-time pre-departure training.

As part of the application, applicants will submit a self-assessment of their language skill level using the Interagency Language Roundtable scale. Applicants will be asked to take a Japanese language assessment as part of the interview process, which will determine the level of pre-departure training required if they are selected as a Fellow. Please refer to the program materials for your specific cycle for more information on language proficiency levels and pre-departure training requirements.

In addition to weekly language classes, selected Fellows will participate in a minimum of 1 hour per month of virtual seminars with distinguished members of the U.S.-Japan community on topics relevant to the bilateral relationship, including Japanese politics, history, economy, culture, and more.

Pre-departure training takes place in the Fellow’s hometown and does not require a move to Washington, DC.

Can my family accompany me to Japan?

Yes. Fellows may bring members of their immediate families with them to Japan. Family members do not accompany Fellows during the Ishikawa homestay portion of the Fellowship.

Family members intending to accompany the Fellow in Japan must be indicated on the Fellow’s application for the program. The program does not provide Japanese language training for family members.

In Tokyo, the Mansfield Foundation will supplement the general program allowance with a dependent adjustment and an educational allowance for school-aged children (K-12). Family members must live with the Fellow for 6 months or more to be eligible to receive the dependent and educational allowances.

Must I be a federal government employee to apply for the Fellowship?

Yes. The Mansfield Fellowships are awarded only to United States citizens who are employees of the U.S. federal government, whose positions are classified according to the federal civil service pay schedules. There is no classification requirement within the U.S. civil service. However, Fellows must have completed at least two consecutive years of service immediately preceding the commencement of the Fellowship. It is expected that Fellows will return to service in the U.S. government for at least two years after completing the Fellowship program.

Are members of the uniformed services eligible?

Yes. Members of the uniformed services must meet the same program requirements as civilian employees of the federal government. They also are expected to return to military service for at least two years after the Fellowship.

Recently, the Mansfield Foundation was informed that the U.S. Air Force has paused program support for the Mansfield Fellowship Program until further notice. USAF applicants will not be eligible for selection in the upcoming application cycle. Please direct any questions to Stephen Ching, Japan Country Director, USAF (stephen.ching.4@us.af.mil).

Applicants from the U.S. Navy should get approval from their detailer to apply for the program. Navy applicants are recommended to contact their detailer 4-5 months in advance of the application deadline to discuss the program and career progression.

Does my agency have to endorse my participation in the Fellowship Program?

Yes. Applicants must receive written authorization from their agencies in order to participate in the program. The Agency Authorization Form will be available for download through the program’s online application portal.

Can I continue working in my U.S. government agency during the Fellowship?

No. Both the Fellows and their U.S. agencies agree that the Fellow will not perform routine tasks for the agency while participating in the Fellowship year in Japan. The Fellowship program is rigorous and intensive, requiring the Fellows to devote themselves full-time to language study and placements. By agreeing to temporarily discontinue work at their U.S. agencies, the Fellows also avoid any possible conflicts of interest when they work in Japanese government offices.

Please note, however, that Fellows who have been authorized to participate in part-time pre-departure language training may continue to work for their U.S. agencies during the pre-departure training period.

If I participate in the Fellowship, will I be separating from Federal service?

Fellows from executive branch agencies are not required to separate from service while they are in the program. Fellows who do not separate from federal service may have their time in the Fellowship program counted toward retirement in federal service. Fellows who do not separate from federal service participate as “detailees.”

Fellows from legislative and judicial branch agencies separate from federal service while they are in the program. Fellows who separate from federal service participate as “non-detailees.”

What are detailees and non-detailees?

Fellows from the executive branch participate in the program on a detail assignment from their home agency and are known as detailees. These Fellows do not separate from federal service and receive their salary and benefits from their home agency. Detailees receive allowances through the Mansfield Foundation.

Uniformed members of the military participate in the Fellowship as detailees and receive salary, benefits, and allowances through their home agency.

Fellows from the legislative and judicial branches participate as non-detailees. These Fellows separate from federal service and receive their salary, benefits, and allowances from the Mansfield Foundation.

If I am a ‘detailee’, will my agency have to obligate funds other than my salary and benefits?

No.

Does the Fellowship Program provide financial allowances of any type?

Yes. Please refer to the Compensation page for more information.

Are there any post-Fellowship responsibilities?

It is expected that Fellows will return to service in the U.S. government for at least two years after completing the Fellowship program. Once they return to the United States, it is expected that the Fellows will apply their skills, knowledge and expertise in their professional work in agencies of the U.S. government. Alumni Fellows have been promoted or assigned to positions that allow them to continue to work on Japan issues and cooperative programs and provide advice to their agencies on Japanese decision-making systems and processes. In addition, the Fellows participate in outreach activities to inform a broad audience, including congressional staff, government officials, think tank representatives and business leaders, about the Fellowship program and what they have learned. They are invited to the Mansfield Foundation’s Fellowship alumni events and other programs, and they assist the Foundation in evaluating the program.

How can I learn more about the Mansfield Fellowship Program?

Prospective applicants and agency representatives are invited to attend the Mansfield Foundation’s virtual information sessions about the Fellowship program. For more information, please contact MFPinfo@mansfieldfdn.org.

I live outside the Washington, D.C., area and cannot attend an in-person information session. Is it possible to arrange a virtual information session?

Yes. The Mansfield Foundation holds information sessions both in-person and virtually.

Are there any age requirements?

No. However, it is mandatory for the Fellows to return to federal service for at least two years upon completion of the program.

Is it mandatory to have two consecutive years of federal service employment immediately prior to the commencement of the fellowship?

Yes.

I will not have two consecutive years of federal service employment immediately prior to the fellowship, however I have more than five years of cumulative federal service. Can I apply?

No. The two consecutive years immediately preceding the fellowship are mandatory.

I am in the military reserves. Am I eligible to apply?

No. In order to apply, you must be a full-time federal government employee.

I am a contractor with the federal government. Am I eligible to apply?

Federal government contractors are only eligible to apply if their time as a contractor is counted toward federal service retirement and they are classified according to the federal civil service pay schedule. This applies to all contractors, including laboratory personnel. Eligible applicants must also secure their home agency’s authorization as a detailee for the full length of the Fellowship, so if a contract or appointment ends before or during the Fellowship period, that applicant would be ineligible.

I am retired from federal service. Can I apply?

No.

Is the application deadline flexible?

No.

What will I be doing in Japan?

During their year in Japan, the Fellows work full-time in placements in Japanese government offices, ministries and agencies. In some placements, Fellows have worked alongside their Japanese counterparts and have had actual project assignments while in others, the Fellows have observed a broad range of activities at the agency. Fellows may be asked to accompany their Japanese colleagues on business trips or to make presentations and reports. Fellows should expect all work to be conducted in Japanese. In addition to working in their placements, Fellows attend additional language training sessions provided by the government of Japan, and participate in tours and field trips as well as in a program of continuing education sponsored by the Mansfield Foundation.

Where will I be placed and who makes the decision?

As part of the application process, Fellows submit a proposal for the year in Japan, including placement preferences. Prior to the start of the Fellowship, the Mansfield Foundation works closely with each Fellow and with the Government of Japan to arrange an appropriate placement that is consistent with the Fellow’s project plan. The Government of Japan makes the final decision and the Mansfield Foundation cannot guarantee a particular placement; however, the Fellows in previous groups have been successful in their assigned placements. “Fellows typically work in several government offices during the year in Japan.

In order for the Fellows to have the opportunity to gain substantive exposure to the Japanese government work place, one of the placements is recommended to be a minimum of three months in duration.

Does the Mansfield Foundation make housing arrangements in Japan?

Yes, the Mansfield Foundation assists Fellows in the process of making housing arrangements in Japan and provides each Fellow (excluding uniformed members of the military) with a housing allowance.

My spouse would like to work in Japan. What type of visa does the Mansfield Foundation provide?

The Government of Japan provides official visas for Fellows and members of their immediate family. The official visa does not serve as a work authorization for spouses. Fellows’ spouses must ask their employers to sponsor their work visas.

Is there a security clearance requirement to participate in the Fellowship?

Security clearance is not required to participate in the Mansfield Fellowship.

Application and Selection

Who should sign my Agency Authorization Form?

The agency authorizing official will differ depending on each agency’s internal policies. In general, it should be someone with the authority to approve employees’ detail-assignments, make high-level decisions on salary and personnel coverage, and commit the agency to the Fellowship program.

How does the selection process work?

The Mansfield Foundation and a bi-national selection committee review individual applications and conduct personal interviews. Please see the application and selection page for more information.

What are the criteria for selection?

The Mike Mansfield Fellowships are competitive and are awarded on merit with selection based on each candidate’s qualifications relative to the entire pool of applicants. Successful candidates for the Fellowship program will be United States citizens and federal government employees who demonstrate the following:

- a strong career interest in areas of importance to the U.S.-Japan relationship
- the ability to articulate in a project plan clear goals and objectives and placement preferences for the year in Japan
- their agencies’ interest in U.S.-Japan issues and how participation in the Fellowships will contribute to their agencies’ missions
- service in U.S. agencies with jurisdiction over issues of importance to U.S.-Japan relations
- two consecutive years of service in the U.S. government and a commitment to continuing service in the federal government for a minimum of two years after the Fellowships
- a broad range of knowledge about the United States’ interests in Japan and an interest in expanding that knowledge
- evidence of the following personal qualities: self-discipline; a willingness to work long hours under stress where Japanese is the only language used and to take initiative; the capacity to deal with ambiguity; the ability to work successfully as a member of a team; a willingness to meet new people and build professional relationships; moral integrity; and sociability, curiosity, tact, adaptability, flexibility, resourcefulness, independence, and self-reliance.

How many Fellows are selected for each class?

The maximum number of Fellows for each class is dependent on available funding and therefore is determined on a class-by-class basis. In recent years, classes have included eight to ten Fellows. Please refer to the program materials for your specific cycle for more information.

Is proficiency in the Japanese language a requirement for selection?

Japanese language proficiency is not necessarily a requirement for selection, but applicants with some knowledge of the language may be given preference during the application review process. Additionally, novice Japanese language speakers may be required to commit to full-time pre-departure Japanese language training prior to beginning placements in Japan.

Please refer to the program materials for your specific cycle for more information on Japanese language proficiency standards and pre-departure training requirements.

How do I obtain an application?

Please refer to the application and selection page.

Is it possible to apply directly for the Mansfield Fellowship without involving my agency?

No. Applications received without signed agency authorization are considered incomplete and are disqualified.

Can you share completed applications from past years?

The Mansfield Foundation does not distribute completed applications from previous years.

Is there a grade-level or GS requirement to apply?
There is no GS- or grade-level requirement. Applicants must be classified according to the federal civil service pay schedule. All applicants must meet the other eligibility requirements, including two years of full-time federal service immediately preceding the start of their Fellowship.

Can applicants apply as a couple if both partners meet the eligibility requirements?
Both eligible applicants can apply for the Fellowship, and they will be evaluated and selected or rejected on an individual basis.

My agency or office does not work on Japan-related issues. Should I still apply?

Applicants are not necessarily required to work for a Japan-focused home agency, but selected Fellows will have demonstrated that their current role or demonstrated career trajectory involves direct or adjacent work on U.S.-Japan bilateral issues.

Miscellaneous

Can I bring pets to Japan during the Fellowship?

Pet expenses in Japan are high, particularly for pet fees in leased homes, so it is recommended that Fellows do not bring pets unless they are prepared to incur significant expenses.

Do you offer a similar program for China or Korea?

No. We do not have a similar program for China or Korea.

Overview and Eligibility

Application and Selection

Miscellaneous Questions

Overview and Eligibility

Application and Selection

Miscellaneous