SYLFF Fellowship of the Tokyo Foundation
Through the latter, the Tokyo Foundation’s SYLFF (Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund) supports excellent students from selected universities worldwide. To students of the mdw, the foundation offers a total of three fellowships per year worth USD 16,666 each. These fellowships serve to cover living expenses in order to give students a chance to focus entirely on making progress in their studies.
Open to degree students in the following disciplines
- Performing Arts
- Music Theatre Directing
- Film and Television
- Conducting
- Composition and Music Theory
- PhD
- Artistic Doctorate (Dr. Artium Programme)
Eligibility Criteria
- Active enrolment as a regular student at the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna for the entire academic year 2026/27 (leave of absence during this period is not permitted)
- Enrolment in a master’s degree or diploma programme (2nd phase of study) as well as PhD students
- Outstanding qualifications/excellence in one’s discipline
Required materials
- Curriculum vitae (in English), 2 pages max., pdf
- Letter of motivation (in English), 2 pages max., pdf
- Letter of recommendation from the main artistic subject instructor or primary supervisor (explicitly for the purpose of the SYLFF application, attesting to outstanding qualification in the respective field; not related to the project)
- Endorsement of the application by the head of institute and one additional instructor from the field of study, each providing a signature on the recommendation letter
- 1-page project concept* on a socially relevant and current topic, including content, target group, and budgeting, and directly connected to the applicant’s own artistic or research activity. The project budget may not exceed EUR 3,000. Personal contributions by nominated SYLFF Fellows cannot be compensated through this project budget.
*The project proposal is part of the internal mdw selection process. The projects of nominated SYLFF Fellows will be funded separately by the mdw with up to EUR 3,000. The SYLFF scholarship itself may not be used to finance this project.
Selection and awarding:
The submitted materials will be examined and evaluated by an expert jury. Final decisions on nominations are made by the mdw’s SYLFF Steering Committee.
Application deadline for the academic year 2026/27: 16 October 2026 (11:59 p.m.)
Application Link
The documents can be submitted via Mobility Online under the following link: Application link