Founded in 2012, ELSI is an independent research institute based at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Japan's leading science and engineering university. ELSI's ambition is to study the origin and evolution of planets and life as intimately connected inter-dependent systems. We bring together hundreds of world-leading scientists in fields ranging from astrophysics to geology to chemistry and biology to fuse our expertise and tackle the most challenging scientific questions. To learn more, please visit the ELSI home page.

Building on a decade of experience recruiting top researchers from around the world to engage in genuinely inter-disciplinary research on origins of planets and life, in 2022 ELSI launched a new integrated 5-year (combined masters and doctorate) graduate program. The program is offered in partnership with the Tokyo Tech Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS), Department of Life Science and Technology (LST), and Department of Chemical Science and Engineering (CSE). ELSI will provide financial support to all ELSI graduate course students*. These students and their research efforts are based at ELSI under the mentorship of ELSI faculty (see below). Special emphasis will be placed on exposure to disciplines that span the institute, and students are encouraged to work on projects involving multiple ELSI faculty.

Students will be enrolled in one of the following degree programs, in addition to the ELSI course:

• Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS)

• Department of Life Science and Technology (LST)

• Department of Chemical Science and Engineering (CSE)

ELSI Principal Investigators have additional affiliations with these departments, and will act as the students' formal supervisor.

• Students should contact ELSI PIs and A-PIs via e-mail. See links to candidate PIs and A-PIs below for contact and other information. Applicants are free to contact multiple PIs and A-PIs.

• Confirm interest in applying to the graduate program with their intended supervisor (by 28 September 2022 for enrollment starting in April 2023). Applicants will need to submit a consent letter to the university by the deadline (October 11 for enrollment starting in April 2023)

• Prepare and submit an application for Tokyo Tech IGP-C to the Admissions Division (by 16 October 2022 for enrollment starting in April 2023). See https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/admissions for details.

• As a selection process, an interview will be conducted with ELSI PIs online (early November  2022). After the selection process, applicants will be notified of the decision (December 7 for enrollment starting in April 2023).

• If you have any questions, please contact us via <edu-info [at] elsi.jp> (replace [at] to @).

Starting Enrollment in April 2023

• August 9 - October 16, 2022: Tokyo Tech IGP-C Application period opens

• August - September: Contact ELSI PIs/A-PIs

• September 28: Confirm interest with ELSI PI

• October 11 (23:59 JST): Deadline for consent letter submission

• October 16 (23:59 JST): Deadline for receipt of IGP-C applications

• Early November: Entrance exam and interview

• December 7: Notification of selection results

Starting Enrollment in September 2023:

Details will be announced in early 2023.

In addition to core courses required by the degree-granting department in which students will enroll, ELSI will have the following additional integrated courses to be taken in the first 2 years:

• Course on Planet Science: Description to be added

• Course on Biology: Description to be added

• Course on Chemistry: Description to be added

• Course on Collaboration with Industry: Description to be added

• Course on Global Science Communication: Description to be added