Nominate / Support a Candidate for USJLP
The United States-Japan Foundation is always on the lookout for rising stars and thought leaders from every imaginable field and background and welcomes your assistance to attract and support the very best and brightest talent in the U.S. and Japan to join the USJLP network.
Personal Referrals
If you would like to officially support a candidate whom you know has expressed interest or intention to apply for USJLP, we ask that you take a moment to provide us with information about their personal and professional qualities, and why they would be a stand-out fit for the Program through the USJLP Candidate Referral Form.
As referrals through this form can become official components of the candidate’s USJLP application, please complete the Candidate Referral Form either at the request of the candidate, or after conferring with the candidate so that they are aware that you are sending a referral on their behalf.
Referrals received via the Candidate Referral Form will be retained and added to the candidate’s application folio for committee review if/when they successfully submit their formal candidacy for the Program (e.g. by January 6, 2025 to be considered for the 2025-2026 application cycle, or otherwise in a future year cycle). All candidates are required to receive one official referral through this form by the application deadline to satisfy the USJLP application requirements and be considered for the current cycle. Note that candidates are asked to solicit no more than two (2) referrals to support their application.
Introductory Nomination
If you wish to either introduce us to a potential candidate, or nominate someone for USJLP without conferring with them first, we welcome you to send a brief note with the person's name, email and why you believe they would be a good fit for the Program to us at applications@usjlp.org. Secretariats will personally follow up with your nominee to ensure that they have all of the information needed to consider an application to the Program. Note that while nominations can be made at any time, secretariats will only contact nominees during an active application cycle in order to ensure they are provided with the most up-to-date information for applicants.
Candidate Qualifications
To be considered eligible for USJLP, candidates must hold either American or Japanese citizenship and be between the ages of 28-42 years old when they enter the Program (i.e. on July 27, 2025 for those selected for the Class of 2025-2026).
Successful candidates will have demonstrated leadership, which typically means a minimum of five years of advancing levels of responsibility along with examples / indicators of being recognized as a thought leader, changemaker, or someone who can otherwise rise to prominence in their field. Since communication, collaboration, and relationships between Americans and Japanese are at the heart of our mission, it is important that all candidates applying to USJLP feel comfortable conversing and expressing their ideas in English.
Diversity Commitment
For each USJLP cohort, the Foundation aspires to select and convene talented and dedicated individuals with a mix of expertise, personal characteristics, values, and worldviews arising from differences of culture and circumstance. Leaders from every imaginable background are encouraged to apply for USJLP membership as we seek diverse representation of candidates across lines of gender, race, ethnicity, age, political, regional, social, professional, and educational backgrounds, as well as experience with the other country.
Your assistance in helping us attract diverse talent is immensely appreciated and we look forward to learning more about the young leader you wish to nominate or support.
