About Us
Program
Introduction to the International Internship Pilot Program
I. Objective

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) aims to provide a platform for foreign researchers to intern in Taiwan, creating opportunities for them to familiarize themselves with Taiwan's research capabilities. The ultimate goal is to encourage them to stay in Taiwan for further studies or employment, thereby enriching Taiwan's research workforce.

II. Internship content
  • Host Institution: Taiwanese academic and research institutions, laboratories, etc. The internship positions will be provided by project leaders (PIs) who have conducted government-granted or university-funded research projects (including industry-academia collaboration projects and bilateral cooperation projects) within three years.
  • Internship Period: Due to variations in academic schedules of different countries, interns can arrange for internships lasting from 28 days to 90 days between June 2025 and February 2026. The starting date for the internship in Taiwan should be no later than December 2025 with the application deadline set at September 15, 2025.
  • Interns will engage in relevant research and learning based on the research themes and fields of the participating projects. During the internship, PIs will provide appropriate guidance and assist interns in diverse interactions with local students and getting to know Taiwan.
III. Application qualification
  • Foreign nationals excluding Mainland China, Hong Kong & Macau studying at overseas higher education institutions, meeting the key areas of Taiwan's research and development. Students with background in humanities and social sciences are also included. (These include undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students, as well as foreign students who have completed exchange programs in Taiwan and have not yet returned to their home countries).
  • Proficiency in English or Mandarin (language proficiency levels must be indicated during registration, and relevant proof documents must be uploaded).
IV. Internship Quota
  • The maximum quota is set at 600 individuals.
V. Application Process
  • Adopting a rolling review system, applications are submitted online. Required documents include identification documents (primarily passport), officially issued proof of current enrollment, resume, and one letter of recommendation from a teacher. Depending on the internship responsibilities, PIs may request additional academic performance proof and internship plans.
  • Applications that are incomplete, do not meet the specified requirements, or are submitted after the deadline will not be processed.
VI. Evaluation and Matching Process
  • Matching between the potential intern and PI will be mainly conducted via an online system. The NSTC may also convene platform review meetings based on policy requirement.
  • PIs offering internship positions will evaluate applicants based on the provided information. Upon mutual agreement, the system will issue an acceptance letter to the intern.
VII. Subsidies
  • Internship Allowance: NT$1,000 per intern per day, with a maximum duration of 90 days per person. Except for force majeure or VISA issuing reasons, Interns who have been issued IIPP acceptance letter cannot request to change or extend the internship period.
  • Internship Operating Expenses: For each intern hosted, the PI may receive up to NT$10,000, based on the lecture hourly fee schedule. This covers expenses related to guiding interns in experiments, research, etc. (In principle, each PI may supervise no more than two interns at the same time. Exception may be granted due to nationality diversification concern.)
VIII. Funding Appropriation
  • Upon receiving the institute’s request for funds based on the internship student list for each phase, the Program Office will deliver the internship allowances for students and operating expenses for PIs to each institute. Each institute will then submit receipts, vouchers, and any refundable amounts due to adjustments in the internship period back to the Program Office.
  • Internship allowances for students are disbursed on a monthly basis. The first allowance will be disbursed within the first month of the internship. However, subsequent allowance payments will be subject to the intern submitting the required reports and attendance records.
  • The internship operating expenses of PIs will be processed after confirming the return of the internship student and the submission of their reports.
  • The interns are not allowed to receive funding from other government departments during their internship.
IX. Rights and Obligations
  • Interns must adhere to the management guidelines, internship regulations of the institute, and relevant laws of our country. Violators will face suspension of the internship by the Program Office.
  • Interns themselves are responsible for covering expenses such as airfare, visa fees, accommodation, meals, insurance, etc. Accommodation expenses include additional derived costs (such as electricity and internet fees) and must comply with the regulations of the accommodation unit. If the internship institute assists in arranging accommodation, the intern is still responsible for these expenses. Additional costs arising from the use of facilities of the internship institute are also the responsibility of the intern.
  • Interns must submit a written report of their works online before the end of the internship. The internship institute and the Program Office may arrange for oral progress report, and interns are required to comply.
  • Intellectual property rights related to research outcomes during the internship period will be handled according to the relevant regulations of the research institution to which the PI belongs.
  • Interns are required to cooperate with telephone or written surveys conducted by the Program Office after returning home to track the effectiveness of this program.
X. Implementation Schedule
  • This program will be reviewed annually to modify the program content as needed to meet policy requirements and fully realize the expected benefits of this program.
Guidelines of the International Internship Pilot Program of Taiwan

Updated on December 9, 2025

1. Objective

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) of Taiwan invites young talented students worldwide to participate in this program, gaining exposure to Taiwan’s research environment and capabilities and hopefully establishing future connections with Taiwan’s academic research institutions and high-tech industries.

2. Internship Framework
(1) Host Institution: This includes local academic and research institutions, laboratories, and other qualified units. Internship positions shall be posted through the online system by potential principal investigators (PIs) of this program, who shall have served as PIs or Co-PIs of research projects funded by government agencies or universities within the past three years.
(2) Internship Period: Internships will be conducted from June 2026 to February 2027 and must begin no later than December 2026. Each internship shall last for 28 to 90 consecutive days and may not be divided into multiple periods.
(3) Interns will engage in research and learning activities aligned with the project’s theme. During the internship, the PI will provide appropriate guidance and support the intern in engaging with local students and getting to know Taiwan.
3. Eligibility
(1) Applicants must be foreign nationals enrolled at overseas higher education institutions, majoring in Taiwan’s priority research fields or in the humanities and social sciences. Individuals from Mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau, as well as those studying in these regions, are excluded.
(2) Each individual may receive support under this program only once. This program may reject applications from individuals who previously withdrew after admission or have negative records.
4. Annual Admission Quota
Up to 600 interns may be admitted each year.
5. Application Procedure
(1) Applications shall be submitted through the online system within the announced application period for eligibility review. Incomplete, non-compliant, or late submissions shall not be accepted.
(2) Applicants who pass the eligibility review may proceed to the matching process through the online system. The review time may vary depending on the application volume or other policy considerations.
6. Matching Process and Review Criteria
(1) Matching shall be conducted through the online system. Once assessed and approved by the PI, the applicant shall complete the matching process with the PI before the application deadline. Late submissions shall not be accepted.
(2) The matched application will then go through a secondary review. The review will consider the applicant’s prior performance and potential, the academic influence and reputation of the applicant’s home institution, English proficiency, the PI’s recommendation, etc.
(3) Once approved, an admission notice will be issued to both the intern and the PI. Interns shall submit the required declarations within the specified deadline, and the final admission list shall be formally confirmed by the NSTC through an official document.
7. Subsidies
(1) Internship Allowance: Each Intern will receive NTD 1,000 per day for up to 90 days. If an adjustment to the internship period is required due to force majeure or visa related reasons, the PI shall submit the request in advance on behalf of the intern. No extension of the total number of days or change of batch shall be permitted.
(2) Internship Advising Fee: Pls may receive up to NTD 10,000 for each intern advised. In principle, a Pl may supervise only one intern; however, up to two interns may be permitted as an exception when nationality diversity requirements are met.
8. Funding Disbursement
(1) Upon receiving disbursement requests in accordance with the intern lists confirmed by the NSTC, the program office shall disburse the subsidy funds to the respective host institutions. The host institutions shall process fund claims and return overpayments as required by program regulations.
(2) The internship allowance for interns is disbursed monthly by the host institution. Beginning from the second month, payment will be processed subject to the intern’s required reports and attendance. Serious violations may result in the suspension or reduction of the disbursed amount.
(3) The advising fee for PIs will be disbursed after the intern has submitted the required reports and returned home.
(4) Changes of host institution or PI without prior approval of the program office will not be permitted. Any violation may result in the non-disbursement or recovery of internship allowance or support funding.
(5) Interns shall not receive overlapping funding from Taiwan government agencies during the internship period.
9. Rights and Obligations
(1) Interns shall comply with program regulations, the host institution’s rules (including laboratory confidentiality obligations), and the laws and regulations of Taiwan. Any violation may result in suspension of the internship and the recovery of all or part of the allowance already disbursed.
(2) Interns need to submit all required reports online before completing the internship and participate in oral presentations if required by the host institution or the program office.
(3) After completing the internship, interns are advised to cooperate in follow-up surveys and maintain communication with the PIs and the program office for potential long-term engagement in Taiwan.

For more details, please visit our FAQ page(https://iipp.stpi.niar.org.tw/faq) .

Project office funded by the National Science and Technology Council Project executed by the Science & Technology Policy Research and Information Center (STPI), National Institutes of Applied Research (NIAR)

Emailiipp@niar.org.tw

The query from PI:Tel|+886-2-2737-7415

The query from student:Tel|+886-2-2737-8136

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