From their website:

Support for Doctoral Candidates

The Metropolitan Center supports projects that reflect advanced scholarship and offer new insights into East Asian art. Doctoral students who have completed all the requirements for the Ph.D. (except the dissertation) and are engaged in field work for the dissertation may apply for a grant as a supplement to other sources of funding.

General Instructions

Applicants must certify that they have completed doctoral examinations by March 1st prior to the grant period. Grants to doctoral candidates generally cover overseas travel and living expenses of graduate students who have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except the dissertation.

Additional Information

Grants to doctoral candidates are intended to supplement other support to a maximum (from all sources) of $22,000 for a single student, $27,000 for a couple. Candidates who receive funds in excess of the above are expected to notify and return the surplus to the Center.

The Center will consider applications for a second year of dissertation research, provided the applicant submits evidence of substantial progress made in the first year.

Timeline

Applications must be submitted by 11:59 pm, December 31, Japan Standard Time (JST).

Letters are mailed out announcing grant awards around April 15.

May 1 is the earliest date grant funds are available.

See their website for more information.