MOFA Taiwan Fellowship 2028

MOFA Taiwan Fellowship 2028

The MOFA Taiwan Fellowship’s official English online-application page announces the 2028 application period as May 1 to June 30, 2027. This is an announced future application window, not an open call: the online application is not scheduled to begin until May 1, 2027. The deadline field records its published closing date, June 30, 2027. The official page is maintained by the Center for Chinese Studies (CCS) at Taiwan’s National Central Library on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Applicants should revisit it and the current guidelines when the window opens in case the program posts updated forms or requirements.

MOFA runs the fellowship, and CCS at the National Central Library administers it. The dedicated online application page confirms the 2028 year and dates. The general introduction page still displays the 2027 application dates, so use the dedicated online application page for the next cycle’s timing. The standing guidelines provide the currently published award amounts, eligibility, and procedure; the 2028 application notice does not include a separate award table or cycle-specific replacement guidelines. Treat those terms as the latest published guidance for planning, and follow any 2028 announcement that supersedes them. The completed 2027 call documents the previous round’s dates, not the deadline for this 2028 cycle.

Key details

What the fellowship supports

MOFA established the Taiwan Fellowship for foreign experts and scholars who want to conduct advanced research at universities, colleges, or academic institutions in Taiwan. The official guidelines specify social sciences and humanities topics related to Taiwan, cross-strait relations, Mainland China, the Asia-Pacific region, or Sinology. This is a research stay, not a degree scholarship, tuition award, or general-purpose internship. The applicant proposes a defined project and is responsible for making research arrangements with a cooperating institution in Taiwan.

The distinction matters. A suitable project needs a reason to be conducted in Taiwan: access to archives or collections, interviews and field contacts, collaboration with a local scholar, policy research, or another source of evidence that cannot be replicated as well from the applicant’s home institution. A proposal that merely describes a broad interest in Taiwan without a workable research plan would not match the program’s stated purpose.

The 2027 cycle provides a recent example of how CCS announces the annual call. Its official notice was published on April 21, 2026 and gave an electronic submission deadline of June 30, 2026. A Taiwan Fellowship news item dated April 30, 2026 said that the 2027 application link would open on May 1 and repeated the June 30 closing date. The current 2028 online-application page now gives the dates May 1 to June 30, 2027. Applicants should use that official page for the upcoming window and check the 2028 call for any updated instructions.

Eligibility

The official guidelines identify the main recipient categories as foreign nationals who are professors, associate professors, assistant professors, post-doctoral researchers, doctoral candidates, or doctoral program students in relevant departments of overseas universities. Research fellows at an equivalent level in academic institutions abroad may also qualify. The guidelines also provide for candidates recommended by ROC (Taiwan) overseas missions when their field concerns Taiwan’s foreign relations or cross-strait relations.

The subject requirement is as important as academic rank. The project should sit within the social sciences or humanities and address Taiwan, cross-strait relations, Mainland China, the Asia-Pacific region, or Sinology. The official materials do not describe this as an unrestricted travel award for every discipline. Applicants should be able to explain both the academic contribution and the specific value of carrying out the research in Taiwan.

There is a clear exclusion: people currently conducting research, teaching, or studying in Taiwan are ineligible under the guidelines. Someone who changes location, institutional status, or research arrangement should not assume that the restriction disappears; the next official call and the Taiwan Fellowship team should be consulted for the applicable rule.

Financial support

The monthly grant is paid at the beginning of each month. Professors, associate professors, research fellows, and associate research fellows are listed at NT$60,000 per month. Assistant professors, assistant research fellows, post-doctoral researchers, doctoral candidates, doctoral program students, and other candidates recommended by ROC (Taiwan) missions are listed at NT$50,000 per month.

The fellowship also provides one direct round-trip economy-class ticket between the recipient’s country of residence and Taiwan. The guidelines give maximum subsidies by area: NT$35,000 for Northeast and Southeast Asia, NT$60,000 for Europe and West Asia, NT$55,000 for North America, NT$75,000 for Central and South America, NT$90,000 for Africa, and NT$65,000 for Oceania. The subsidy is tied to the actual purchase price and the program’s documentation rules, so recipients should retain tickets, e-tickets, receipts, or other proof of payment.

Group accident insurance applies during the research term. The guideline describes NT$1,000,000 for accidental death and NT$50,000 in accident-injury medical benefits. This is not a promise that every health or travel expense will be covered. Applicants should budget housing, food, local transport, research costs, visa-related preparation, and any expenses above the fellowship amount.

Application steps and the latest published procedure

The 2028 window is announced but has not opened. The official application procedure currently describes the steps below, and the official guidelines supply the required document list. Those are the latest published instructions, not a cycle-specific 2028 checklist. Check the live 2028 page when applications begin and follow any revised form, document requirement, or submission route. The 2027 submission deadline has passed and cannot be used for a new application.

1. Assemble the application documents

The official application procedure lists a resume including a publication list, a research proposal, and two letters of recommendation or one recommendation plus one letter of agreement from the highest administrative director of the applicant’s institution. The guidelines describe the proposal as three pages in principle using a standard research format. The application form itself is also required.

The proposal should name the research question, explain its Taiwan connection, identify the planned host or cooperating institution, and show what can be completed within a 3-to-12-month period. A concise work plan is more useful than a long general statement. Applicants claiming the senior stipend tier should ensure that their academic position is documented consistently across the form and resume.

2. Complete the online application

The next step in the official procedure is to fill in the online application and upload the required documents. For 2028, the official application page says the online window will run from May 1 to June 30, 2027. The prior 2027 window ran from May 1 to June 30, 2026. Use the live 2028 form and confirm its document list when that window begins rather than relying on a saved form.

3. Send the complete packet to an ROC mission

After online submission, applicants were instructed to print the complete application form and send all application documents by post to the ROC (Taiwan) Embassy or Representative Office in or nearest to the country of residence, as appropriate. The online step therefore was not the whole process. Mailing, mission jurisdiction, document certification, and local delivery time needed to be planned before the closing date.

4. Undergo mission and MOFA review

The ROC Embassy or Representative Office receives the application, verifies the information, and evaluates the applicant’s academic influence or potential. It supplies comments and a recommendation for the MOFA evaluation committee. MOFA forms the committee with scholars, experts, and MOFA representatives to screen candidates. Selection is therefore not an automatic result of meeting the minimum academic category.

5. Secure host consent after selection

The official guidelines say the candidate receives and submits to MOFA a Letter of Consent for Research from one or more universities or academic institutions in Taiwan, completing the fellowship application process. The application procedure likewise says selected candidates should contact a ROC university or research institution and obtain consent. Applicants should identify plausible hosts and make a credible research plan before applying, while understanding that the formal consent step follows selection.

6. Complete authorization, visa, and arrival steps

After the consent requirement is completed, the Taiwan Fellowship team issues a Grant Authorization Letter and officially recognizes the recipient. The procedure page says recipients then apply for the FR visa with that letter and begin research in Taiwan. The guidelines distinguish visa handling by research period: a fellowship shorter than six months uses a visitor visa, while a fellowship over six months uses a residence visa; the visa is marked for a Taiwan Fellowship recipient and fees are waived according to the official guideline.

Preparing a credible project

A strong application should connect the research question to concrete Taiwanese resources. State which archive, library, university, research center, dataset, policy source, interview community, or academic network is needed. Explain why the work cannot be completed as effectively without the Taiwan stay. If the project depends on interviews, describe the population and access plan without implying that contacts are already guaranteed. If it is archival, name the collections or source types to be consulted and explain how the work will proceed if access is limited.

The duration should follow the work rather than inflate the budget. A three-month project needs a narrow question and a short list of outputs. A longer stay should justify each additional period with research activities, host interaction, analysis, or writing. The monthly grant and ticket subsidy are useful but do not remove the need for a personal budget. The official guidelines state that expenses above the fellowship amount are the recipient’s responsibility.

Recommendation letters should address the applicant’s research ability, the project’s academic value, and the feasibility of the Taiwan plan. They should add evidence rather than repeat the publication list. The institutional consent option is specifically described in the official documents; applicants should confirm who is authorized to sign it before asking for a letter.

Recipient obligations

The official guidelines require recipients to keep the approved research proposal and research area unchanged unless MOFA approves a change. Recipients must submit written research findings of at least 20 pages to CCS within three months after the program ends, attend academic seminars and relevant activities held by MOFA or commissioned organizers, and acknowledge Taiwan Fellowship support in related oral or written research reports.

Recipients must follow ROC law and cannot engage in part-time work without MOFA consent. During the fellowship, they may not receive scholarships from other governmental agencies or public or private academic institutions and schools based in Taiwan. Recipients must also arrange their own research in Taiwan and provide their travel itinerary and cooperating institution information to the relevant ROC mission before departure. These obligations should be treated as part of the project plan, not as paperwork to handle after arrival.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for the 2028 fellowship now?

Not yet. The official English online-application page states that the 2028 application window will run from May 1 to June 30, 2027. It has not opened, so applicants cannot submit through the current cycle yet.

Is the 2028 application period confirmed?

Yes. The official application page publishes the May 1 to June 30, 2027 window. The program introduction also describes the usual annual May-and-June application period. Recheck the official page when the period approaches for the active form, detailed requirements, and any updated notices.

Who is eligible under the published guidelines?

The standing guidelines cover foreign faculty, post-doctoral researchers, doctoral candidates, doctoral program students, and equivalent research fellows at overseas universities or academic institutions. They also allow candidates recommended by ROC (Taiwan) overseas missions for research on Taiwan’s foreign relations or cross-strait relations. People already conducting research, teaching, or studying in Taiwan are ineligible. Confirm these provisions against the 2028 call before applying.

What support is currently listed?

The standing guidelines list monthly grants of NT$60,000 for professors, associate professors, research fellows, and associate research fellows, and NT$50,000 for assistant professors, assistant research fellows, post-doctoral researchers, doctoral candidates, doctoral program students, and other candidates recommended by ROC (Taiwan) missions. They also describe a direct round-trip economy-ticket subsidy, subject to regional caps, and accident insurance. Check for 2028-specific amendments before budgeting.

Official sources

• Taiwan Fellowship introduction
• Taiwan Fellowship guidelines
• Official 2028 online application page
• Official application procedure
• Official online application page
• CCS announcement for scholarships coming to Taiwan in 2027
• Taiwan Fellowship announcement for the 2027 application opening