Thank you for agreeing to provide a reference letter in support of an applicant to the 2018 Naktani RIES Fellowship for Japanese Students. Your letter will help us better understand this applicant’s background and interest/motivation in pursuing a research internship experience in the U.S.  It is strongly preferred that all reference letters be submitted in English but, if this is not possible, you can compose your letter in Japanese and we will translate it into English on your behalf.

Content: To the best of your ability, please address the following in your reference letter:

• The name of the student that you are submitting this reference letter for.
• Your name, professional title, and university/organization.
• How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?
• The student’s academic background and/or interest in the U.S.
• The student’s motivation and/or potential in science and engineering.
• The student’s maturity and ability to work as part of an international and interdisciplinary team.
• The student’s conversational English language skills and potential for success in an English-speaking environment.
• If the student has previously conducted research in your lab, please address their prior research performance. Based on their prior performance, would you recommend them for a research internship in the U.S.?

Letter Format: Please compose your reference letter on university or organizational letterhead. Letters must be submitted as either an Adobe PDF document (preferred) or Word document (.doc or .docx).

Submission: Email your completed letter to nakatani-ries@rice.edu. Reference letter must be submitted on February 2, 2018 by midnight, Japan time.

If you have questions regarding the submission of your recommendation letter please email nakatani-ries@rice.edu.