Richard J. Samuels
Dissertation Award in Japanese Studies

Recognizing outstanding social science research on contemporary Japan.

The annual dissertation award honors the year's most exceptional doctoral thesis produced at a U.S. institution. The prize spotlights innovative research that utilizes Japanese sources and rigorous social science methods to illuminate Japan’s contemporary politics, economy, or social relations.

Award: $2,500 Honorarium.
Eligibility: Ph.D. dissertations accepted at U.S.-based research universities. Applicants are not required to be U.S. citizens.
Nomination: Must be submitted by a department head or academic dean (maximum of 2 per department; no self-nominations).

Details on the next competition, including eligibility and submission deadlines, will be announced later this year.

The Award’s Mission

Administered by the United States-Japan Foundation, this annual competition aims to provide vital recognition to young social scientists in the United States and encourage emerging scholars entering the field. Originally launched in 2024 as the USJF Scholar Dissertation Award, the prize was renamed in 2026 to honor former USJF Trustee Professor Richard J. Samuels for his lifelong dedication to Japanese Studies.

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LAUREATE SPOTLIGHT

2025/26 Winner: Dr. Gene T. Kim

Dr. Gene T. Kim (Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts) was named the award's second recipient for his exceptional research on the history of Korea-Japan relations through the lens of the sea, examining postwar disputes between Japan and South Korea over fisheries and maritime boundaries as conflicts of "oceanic decolonization."

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PAST WINNERS

Inaugural Winner: Dr. Qiaoyan Li Rosenberg

In September 2025, Dr. Rosenberg (UCLA Department of Sociology) was named the award's first recipient for her outstanding ethnographic research on Japan’s labor migration programs and guest worker systems.

Following her selection, Dr. Rosenberg served as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University and recently joined the Waseda Institute for Advanced Study as an Assistant Professor.

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ACADEMIC GOVERNANCE

The Selection Committee & Vancouver Reception

Nominations are rigorously evaluated by a distinguished committee of Japan specialists committed to academic excellence: Sabine Frühstück (UC Santa Barbara), David Leheny (Waseda University), and Kiyoteru Tsutsui (Stanford University).

The Foundation officially celebrated Dr. Rosenberg and the committee at a dedicated research presentation and reception during the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) Annual Conference in Vancouver.

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Ready to Nominate?

Stay tuned for the 2027 cycle. Inquiries should be directed to the United States-Japan Foundation at scholars@us-jf.org.

Richard J. SamuelsDissertation Award in Japanese Studies

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Richard J. Samuels
Dissertation Award in Japanese Studies