Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program 2026 Window 2 application guide

Applications are open for the Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program 2026, Window 2.

The scholarship is run by the World Bank’s Development Economics Vice Presidency, DEC. It supports students and young researchers, while backing the World Bank’s mission of building new approaches to capacity development and knowledge sharing in developing countries.

Since 1982, the DEC scholarship programmes have helped form a pool of over 7,000 trained development professionals and scholars. That long record sits at the centre of this call; it also frames what the programme is meant to do.

What the JJ/WBGSP scholarship covers

The JJ/WBGSP scholarship provides selected recipients with these benefits:

Economy class air travel

The award covers economy class air travel between the scholar’s home country and the host university at the start of the study programme and immediately after the scholarship period ends.

For each trip, the scholar also receives a US $600 travel allowance.

Tuition and medical insurance

The scholarship covers tuition for the graduate programme.

It also covers the cost of basic medical insurance obtained through the university.

Monthly living allowance

While on campus during the scholarship period, the scholar receives a monthly subsistence allowance.

This allowance is meant to cover living expenses such as accommodation, food, and books. The amount varies by host country.

Who can apply

Applicants must meet the stated eligibility conditions.

Nationality

The applicant must be a national of a World Bank member developing country listed on the eligible country list.

The applicant must also not hold dual citizenship of any developed country.

Health status

The applicant must be in good health.

Academic requirement

The applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent degree, earned at least three years before the application deadline.

Work experience

The applicant must be employed in development-related work in a paid full-time position at the time of submitting the scholarship application.

The applicant must also have at least three years of paid development-related employment after earning a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent university degree. That work experience must have been gained within the past six years from the application deadline.

Admission requirement

On or before the scholarship application deadline, the applicant must be admitted unconditionally, except for funding, for the upcoming academic year to at least one JJ/WBGSP participating master’s programme.

That programme must be located outside the applicant’s country of citizenship and country of residence listed when the call for scholarship applications opens.

The admission letter must be uploaded before the scholarship application is submitted.

Who is not eligible

The notice also lists groups that cannot apply.

An applicant is not eligible if the person is:

• an Executive Director of the World Bank Group
• an alternate of an Executive Director
• a staff member of any type of appointment in the World Bank Group
• a close relative by blood or adoption of any of those persons

The notice defines “close relative” as mother, father, sister, half-sister, brother, half-brother, son, daughter, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew.

A person is also not eligible if that person was previously offered a JJ/WBGSP scholarship and declined it, or previously received a JJ/WBGSP scholarship and did not graduate.

How to apply

Eligible candidates can apply through the official JJ/WBGSP application portal.

Application deadline

The deadline for Application Window #2 is 29 May 2026.

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This post is authored by Olusegun Fapohunda, the founder and editor of MySchoolGist.

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