RJS-KX (US)For fiscal 2025-2026
For US applicants only

Institutional Project Support Program in Japanese Studies
Application Guidelines & Instructions

Table of Contents
I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................................... 1
II. ELIGIBILITY ................................................................................................................................ 1
III. GRANT COVERAGE .................................................................................................................. 2
IV. GRANT CONDITIONS ................................................................................................................ 2
V. PRIORITIES................................................................................................................................... 4
VI. SCREENING CRITERIA ............................................................................................................ 4VII. SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS ................................................................. 5
VIII. APPLICATION MATERIALS AND DEADLINE .................................................................... 5
IX. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS ............................................................................................... 6
1. APPLICATION FORM ................................................................................................................................ 6
2. DETAILED PROJECT BUDGET ................................................................................................................. 6
3. PROJECT NARRATIVE .............................................................................................................................. 7
4. PROJECT TIMELINE .................................................................................................................................. 8
5. CURRICULA VITAE................................................................................................................................... 8
6. LETTERS OF SUPPORT ............................................................................................................................. 8
7. PROOF OF 501(C)(3) STATUS .................................................................................................................. 8
X. TERMS OF AGREEMENT ........................................................................................................... 80

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONThis program is designed to encourage innovative and sustained growth of Japanese Studies in the
United States. Applicants should formulate convincing proposals that will help stimulate and respondenergetically to substantial initiatives in Japanese Studies.
The Japan Foundation (“JF”) welcomes Institutional Project Support (“IPS”) proposals designed tomeet institutional needs in Japanese Studies, whether for a single institution, collaborating institutions
or consortia. Applications that propose a new permanent faculty position in Japanese Studies areespecially welcome, and tenure-track hires will be given strong priority.
Small institutions, newly established institutions, and institutions without an established program ofJapanese Studies at the graduate level are highly encouraged to apply.
Applicants must be prepared to match the JF grant equally, and optimally, at higher levels. Matchingfunds can be both cash and in-kind contributions.
JF requires a Concept Paper be submitted prior to the Full Proposal Application. Concept Papers must
be completed using the Concept Paper Form and are due no later than October 31, 2024.
Projects must commence between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026 and their duration can be up to
three years.* The maximum amount of the grant request from JF is $150,000 per year. The decisionof whether to fund beyond year one will not be made automatically, but upon assessment of thereporting from the institution.
*There are some exceptional cases for faculty hires. For details, please refer to IV. Grant Conditions,
Section 3.
II. ELIGIBILITY
 Only submissions from U.S. institutions and organizations with 501(c)(3) status and otherqualifying tax-exempt statuses will be accepted.
 In principle, institutions that have received IPS support for three consecutive years, ending in the2024-2025 fiscal year, are not eligible to apply to this IPS round. Current IPS grantees who will
receive JF funds between April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026 may not apply.
 Multiple applications from one institution will not be accepted.
 Applicants for this program are not eligible to apply to the IPS Small Grant program for fiscal
year 2025-2026.
 Projects must fulfill the following requirements to be eligible for application:- They must not be used for political, religious, social welfare, or commercial activities.
- They must not be activities in support of specific doctrines or claims.
 The aim of the project must be to promote Japanese Studies. The following proposals are noteligible:1- Projects in the field of medicine, manual training or natural sciences- Organization of or participation in sporting events and training- Projects in the field of art (art-related projects such as exhibitions, film series, etc. that form a
portion of a larger, comprehensive Japanese Studies project may be funded)- Goodwill exchanges- Social welfare or international development projects- Tourist-oriented programs
Japanese language-related components may be supported if they are part of a morecomprehensive Japanese Studies project. For grant opportunities designed specifically forJapanese language programs, please visit the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (“JFLA”) website.

III. GRANT COVERAGE Full-time or part-time faculty, instructor, or staff salaries and benefits*
 Travel expenses, including per diem and accommodation expenses for scholars, lecturers, andstudents
 Honoraria for lectures
 Visiting scholar support
 Graduate and undergraduate support**
 Research and teaching materials
 Conference and seminar related expenses*** Library and digital resource support* The institution’s salary scale and individuals’ CVs must be attached to the application form.
** This includes scholarship and internship support, study abroad opportunities, and semester-longplacements or exchanges.
*** ‘Related expenses’ may include venue/equipment rental fees, translation fees, and expenses
toward the production or publication of proceedings. Costs for receptions and meals will be given
low funding priority.
IV. GRANT CONDITIONS
1. Applicants must be prepared to match the JF grant equally, and optimally, at higher levels.
Matching funds can be both cash and in-kind contributions from the host organization(s), butshould also include commitments from other partner organizations, donations and grants.
Although bringing outside resources is highly recommended, it is expected that there will besignificant and continuing administrative support within the host organization(s) as well.
2. Financial assistance from JF must begin between April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026. The grantee
must start using funds from March 2026 at the latest. Preparatory activities that are regarded as
sufficient can mark the beginning of the grant period.
3. It is recommended that the grant period be scheduled so that all of the projects fall within theinstitution’s full academic year, e.g. August 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026. For hiring of faculty, please2

be aware of the following regulations: Ordinarily, funding will be awarded only for the creation of incremental positions. In allcases, it is expected that the grantee institution will continue to support the position on along-term basis after the initial period of JF funding ends. Neither temporary additions, nor
new positions filled by relocating current faculty members of the institution will besupported. JF does not support costs related to searches for new faculty.
 If the search for the new hire takes place in 2025-2026, financial assistance from JF may
begin between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, during which time the hire will formally
begin employment. Please be sure that each grant year and the pay period match each other.
In such cases, JF funding for the formal appointment will not exceed three years (36 months)
from its commencement and the total grant request still cannot exceed $450,000.
<Sample Cases>
Case 1 Funding request for the new hire only, where the new hire starts from August 2025:
Year 1: August, 2025 to July, 2026 $X
Year 2: August, 2026 to July, 2027 $X
Year 3: August, 2027 to July, 2028 $X
Case 2 Funding request for the new hire only, where the search will take place in the fall of2025 by the institution’s own resources, and the new hire will start from August 2026:
Year 0: August, 2025 to July, 2026 $0 provisional approval for grant to begin in 2026
Year 1: August, 2026 to July, 2027 $X
Year 2: August, 2027 to July, 2028 $X
Year 3: August, 2028 to July, 2029 $X
Case 3 Funding request for combination of the new hire and other components, where thesearch for the new hire will take place in the fall of 2025 by the institution’s own resources,
and the new hire will start from August 2026:$X = new hire salary$Y = costs for sub-projects other than the new hire salaryYear 1: August, 2025 to July, 2026 $Y (Year 1 does not include the new hire salary)Year 2: August, 2026 to July, 2027 $X + Y
Year 3: August, 2027 to July, 2028 $X+ Y
Year 4: August, 2028 to July, 2029 $X
JF contributions are limited to up to half of the total cost for the appointee's salary andbenefits during the grant period. Applicants may propose to have the new appointee’s salary
matched at 50% by JF for each year of the three years of salary support, or at a declining JF
match (such as 75% - 50% - 25%) over the three years, as long as the JF support for thesalary portion does not exceed 75% in any year.

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4.

JF prioritizes expenses deemed crucial to the success of the project. Such items that are givenhigh priority may include transportation (international and domestic), accommodation fees, andhonoraria, while items such as reception costs and lunch/dinner expenses will be given lower
priority.

V. PRIORITIES
1. Applications that make permanent/sustainable faculty positions in Japanese Studies are especiallywelcome, and tenure-track hires will be given strong priority.
2. Strong consideration will be given to proposals that identify and respond to national needs inJapanese Studies.
3. The 10 Universities that received sizable Japanese government donations in 1973 as well as theuniversities that were selected as recipients of The Japan Chair Program are eligible to apply but
will be given lower priority except in cases in which their proposals are involved in outreach,consortium building, or partnering with institutions and organizations in Japan.
VI. SCREENING CRITERIA
1. Criteria for Evaluating the Content of the Proposals are:
 Significance within the field Potential for lasting impact and sustainability
 Potential for expansion
 Cost efficiency of funding request
2. Criteria for Evaluating Applicants are:
 Firm commitment from the institution, including support from senior institutional officials, suchas the president and provost Competence of project leaders and their institutions to execute proposals
 Viability of cooperative frameworks
 Geographical distribution/balance Likelihood of expanding the Japanese Studies program at the institution through the applied
project (higher priority may be given to institutions without well-established graduate level
Japanese Studies programs)
 Necessity of grant support (level of financial need)
3. Criteria for Assessing Matching Funds are:
 Extent of the match Feasibility of implementation
 Variety of matching fund resources Likelihood of continuation and self-support

4VII. SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS
1. Proposals will be reviewed with the confidential assistance of the American Advisory Committee,
which is comprised of distinguished scholars from various cultural and educational institutions
across the United States and Japan.
2. During the screening process, the Japan Foundation, New York (“JFNY”) staff may ask theapplying organization questions as the need arises.
3. Applicants will be notified of the results of the screening in April 2025 through JFNY.
VIII. APPLICATION MATERIALS AND DEADLINE
JF now requires a Concept Paper be submitted prior to the Full Proposal Application. Concept Papers
must be completed using the Concept Paper Form and are due no later than Thursday, October 31,
2024. Please send the Concept Paper to Japanese_studies@jpf.go.jp
The following list details the items required for the Full Proposal Application.
Please complete the following, making sure to fill out all required sections:
1. Application Form
2. Detailed Project Budget
3. Project Narrative
4. Project Timeline
5. Curricula Vitae
6. Letters of Support
7. Proof of applying institution’s 501(c)(3) status
Application materials must arrive at the JFNY office no later than Monday, December 2, 2024.
Please submit an Excel version of the Detailed Project Budget via email.
JFNY accepts applications submitted by e-mail as well as by post.
Application Deadline:
E-mail Address:
Mailing Address:

Monday, December 2, 2024
Japanese_studies@jpf.go.jp
The Japan Foundation, New York
Attn: Japanese Studies Program
1700 Broadway, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10019

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IX. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
1. Application Form Please include all signatory names on the application form, with their titles and signatures. The
Authorized Representative, the Project Director, and the Bursar must be three different
individuals.
 Please include a 200-word abstract of the project.
 Institutional Information: Please provide a brief summary of the history and current status ofJapanese Studies programs within your institution, such as course offerings, department activities
and number of faculty and students. The necessity for grant support and level of financial need
may also be included.
 Please list all grants received from JFNY, JFLA, and the Center for Global Partnership (CGP)
within the past 10 years.
2. Detailed Project Budget Please include a separate budget sheet for each year of requested funding (For ex. “Sample Cases”
on pg. 3).
 All budget items for the entire project must be indicated on the form, including all expenses not
requested through JF funds. All revenue sources including funds requested from JF, from theapplicant, and any amounts or grants requested or received from other funding sources (separate
from the applying institution) should also be included. Please indicate the status of any grant
proposals submitted to other organizations.
 Use the Project Summary section to list the activities that correspond with the narrativedescription of the project. Please provide a short description of each activity here. Then, use theabbreviations (A, B, C…) in the Project Summary section to mark each line item listed under theSpecification and Breakdown section. Even if the project is accepted, JF may not grant funds for
all requested activities. Therefore, applicants should list these in order of precedence.
 Budget items for each activity must be categorized under JF’s designations: Honoraria/Wages;
Travel Expenses (Transportation: International/Domestic; Lodging and Per diem); Other
Expenses (Acquisition of Research Materials, Production of Proceedings & Reports, Rental Fees
for Venues and Equipment, Interpretation Cost, Translation Cost, Editing Cost, etc.).
 For items to be covered by JF, please provide as detailed a breakdown as possible. For example:
Unit Price x Time (days) x Number of Persons. You may use additional space/sheet to provide
these breakdowns (e.g. Hotel: $200/day x 2 days x 3 persons = $1,200). Budget items should bejustified in the narrative.
 The applicant may not request JF funding for the following (excluded items can be included in
the budget but should be covered by other funding resources):- Indirect costs; or costs that are not directly needed to carry out the applied projects.
- Overhead costs of the administrative body of the institution.
- Salaries of administrative staff (funds may be requested for assistants directly related to theproject, up to a limit of 30 days).
6- Costs to purchase equipment that may remain for a long time, such as computers, PC supplies,
office supplies such as a photocopier, facsimile machine, electric appliances, furniture such as
desks, chairs, racks, and all kinds of furnishing equipment, etc.
- Costs to acquire real estate, and construction fees.
- Rental fees for facilities that would be used long term.
- Rental fees for facilities within the applying institution.
- International airfare that is higher than the estimated fare for the shortest route from the city ofboarding to the destination using economy class discount fare.
Please submit an Excel version of the Detailed Project Budget via email.

3. Project Narrative
Please explain the importance and relevance of the proposed project. Please state how the project will
stimulate growth and expansion of Japanese Studies in the United States; include the implementation
plan and provide concrete details about the project’s objective, its significance within the field, andits likelihood of continuation and self-support. If this proposal was submitted in a previous year,
please clarify the changes made. The narrative is limited to 7 pages (single spaced, 12 point font).
The following must be included:
 Significance of the Project
Please be as specific as possible when describing the significance of the project within the field ofJapanese Studies in the United States. Include the potential for lasting impact and sustainability,
potential for expansion, including any pertinent coordination, collaboration and networking. In
addition, include how the proposal might build upon existing work and/or research in the field andhow it will contribute to new knowledge or innovative approaches to Japanese Studies.
 Participating Organizations and Individuals
Please specify the names, affiliations, and titles of all proposed participants, as well as information
on past collaborative work, as appropriate. Explain how labor will be divided among primary project
participants.
 Status of Preparation
Please explain any research and/or work done in preparation for the project prior to proposal
submission.
 Activity Priorities Within the Project
If the project involves more than one activity during its duration, the narrative should emphasize therelative priority accorded to the multiple activities planned. This must match the project summary
section of the Detailed Budget Sheet.
 Benchmarks for Project Evaluation
Please include clear benchmarks for evaluating the project by both the project leaders and third parties7

(faculty, relevant institutional officers) to measure the success of the project.
 Sustainability / Future Plan
Please explain how project outcomes will be maintained when the grant ends. Please describe theapplying institution’s plans to sustain any grant-supported faculty hires beyond the funding period.
4. Project Timeline
A detailed timetable should show when each aspect of the project, from the planning stage throughthe dissemination stage, will be carried out.
5. Curricula Vitae
CVs of all significant faculty participants must be submitted using the JF “Curriculum Vitae” form.
Attachments should be a maximum of two pages per person.
6. Letters of Support
Letters of support from the applying institution and letters of support from collaborating
institutions/individuals can be included as applicable. The letters should clearly indicate acommitment to participate in the proposed project and what form the participation will take. The lettershould also refer to the steps the applicant plans to take in order to sustain this initiative past the JF
funding cycle. If a commitment has not yet been secured, then the applicant should explain the statusof their discussions with potential counterparts or participants as a separate attachment. Outside lettersof recommendation are not required.
7. Proof of 501(c)(3) status
X. TERMS OF AGREEMENT
By applying to our program, the applicant will be deemed to have agreed to this statement:
1. Obligations
a. The Grantee shall acknowledge JF’s financial support when the Grantee produces any materials
related to the Grant Project such as publicity materials (e.g., websites, catalogs, posters, flyers,etc.), conference materials, books, videos, etc.
b. The Grantee shall submit the Final Project and Financial Reports about activities and expenditures
upon completion of the project. In addition, the Grantee shall donate the designated quantity of
publicity materials and deliverables to JF.
c. JF does not tolerate any fraudulent activity by applicants during the application process andthroughout the grant period. Once a grant has been provided, committing any form of fraud with8

regard to JF grant funds could result in penalty measures such as a revocation of the decision toprovide a grant in whole or in part, the required return of the rescinded portions of the grant
including additional charges, late payment charges, suspension of the applicant's eligibility toapply for a grant for a certain period of time, and/or other legal actions (Ref. “Act on Regulationof Execution of Budget Pertaining to Subsidies, etc.” (Act No. 179 of 1955)).
2. Disclosure of information on the projecta. If the project is selected, the information such as the name of the applicant/organization and theoutline of the project will be made public in the Detailed Annual Reports of JF (Kokusai Koryu
Kikin Jigyo Jisseki), the Annual Report, on the JF’s website and in other public relations materials.
b. When JF receives a request for disclosure of information in accordance with the “Act on Accessto Information Held by Incorporated Administrative Agencies” (Act No. 140 of 2001), application
forms submitted to JF, except for non-disclosure information stipulated in such act, will be
disclosed.
3. Handling of personal informationa. Compliance with applicable laws
To the extent applicable, JF will comply with the “Act on the Protection of Personal Information”(Act No. 57 of 2003) (the “Act”), relevant cabinet and ministerial orders, various guidelines
stipulated by the Personal Information Protection Commission or other organizations to which the
Personal Information Protection Commission has delegated authority, the “EU General Data
Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”),” the Personal Information Protection Law of the People’s
Republic of China and related laws and regulations (the “Chinese Laws”), and other laws andregulations in relation to protection of personal information in relevant countries and regions, etc.,
and when handling any personal information, JF will properly collect, use and control the same.
For more information on the JF’s efforts to protect personal information (privacy policy), please
visit the following websites:(Related to the Act): (Japanese) https://www.jpf.go.jp/j/privacy/(English) https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/privacy/(Related to the GDPR): https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/privacy/index.html#gdrp(Related to the Chinese Laws): https://www.jpfbj.cn/jp/personal_information/b. Acquisition of personal information
JF may acquire the following personal information (the “Personal Information”) from theapplicants through the application forms, attachments, project reports, deliverables, etc. (the“Project Materials”). In addition, JF may acquire the applicants’ Personal Information throughpublicly available websites.
[Basic information of applicants]Name, date of birth, nationality, permanent residence, gender, place of employment, job and workduties, home address, postal code, telephone number (including mobile phone number), fax
number, e-mail address, ID number, passport number, family structure, names of family members,
dates of birth of family members, nationalities of family members, genders of family members,
addresses of family members, jobs of family members, photographs taken during or prior to the9program, etc.
[Information on applicants’ educational background, career history and abilities]
Resume (including educational background and career history), major achievements, foreign
language proficiency, overseas residence history, overseas residence plan, contact information
during the residence period, etc.
[Sensitive data on applicants]
Personal data such as medical history, medical examination results, other health-related
information and bank account information* JF may acquire the Personal Information of the applicant’s family members from the applicant.
On such occasion, the applicant must obtain consent from his/her family members regarding
the content of this “Handling of personal information” section before providing such Personal
Information to JF.
c. Purposes of use and period of personal information(a) Based on the consent of the applicant and his/her family members, JF will use the Personal
Information acquired from the applicant for screening, notification of screening results,
implementation of the project, post-evaluation, communication to successful applicants and forany and all other purposes for management of applicants and successful applicants (the“Purposes of Use”).
(b) For the proper and smooth operation of JF projects, any information such as the applicants’names, genders, jobs, titles, affiliations, project periods, project content, etc. will be: posted on
published materials, such as the Detailed Annual Reports of JF (Kokusai Koryu Kikin Jigyo
Jisseki), the Annual Report and the JF’s website; used for preparation of statistics materials; andused for formulation of future JF projects.
(c) In addition to the information specified in (b) above, the applicants’ contact information (i.e.,address, e-mail address and phone number) will be used to: request the applicants to answer
questionnaires as follow-up to the project after completion thereof; provide a notice regarding
other JF projects; request the applicants to provide information for formulation of future JF
projects, and so on.
(d) JF will handle the Personal Information of the applicants and their family members for the period
necessary to achieve the Purposes of Use stated above.
d. Provision of personal information(a) JF may provide the Personal Information acquired from the applicants to the following
organizations, to the minimum extent necessary. JF will make sure that the recipients takemeasures to ensure the security of the Personal Information.
i. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Embassies or Consulates-General of Japan, etc. (forarrangement of visas, handling of security control, support for project implementation, etc.)
ii. Airlines, insurance companies and the agencies thereof, etc. (for procurement of overseas travel
accident insurance, etc.)
iii. Evaluators such as outside experts, etc. (for screening, post-evaluation, etc.)
iv. News media and other organizations (for public relations for the projects)
v. Other organizations and individuals who receive the information as needed for the projects
10(b) The applicant’s medical examination results and health information may be provided to medical
institutions, medical professionals, insurance companies, organizations or individuals who
provide cooperation for training (including host families) and relevant government agencies for
immigration procedures, procurement of overseas travel insurance and claims therefor, andhealth care and safety control after entry into or departure from Japan.
(c) The Personal Information acquired from the applicants may be used or provided for purposes
other than those specified in the Purposes of Use, in accordance with Article 69, Paragraph 2 of
the Act, such as providing such Personal Information for administrative organs, otherincorporated administrative agencies, local public entities or local incorporated administrative
agencies (the “Administrative Organs”) as long as the Administrative Organs use the same within
the scope necessary to conduct the affairs or services prescribed by applicable laws andregulations and where there is a reasonable ground for such use.
e. Cross-border transfer of personal information(a) JF may handle the Personal Information acquired from the applicants by transferring the sameto the base located in Japan (including the JF headquarters) or other countries or regions for the
Purposes of Use specified above. JF shall appropriately control the Personal Information in suchcountries or regions.
(b) In addition to the case specified in the preceding paragraph, JF may provide the Personal
Information acquired from the applicants to necessary organizations or individuals in Japan orother countries or regions for the Purposes of Use specified above as needed for the projects,
only when the conditions stipulated in laws and regulations are satisfied.
f. Security control of personal information
JF shall endeavor to prevent unauthorized access and leakage of the Personal Information of theapplicants by way of taking appropriate security control measures and control means.
g. Rights pertaining to personal information of applicant
The applicant has the right to access his/her Personal Information, correct inaccurate Personal
Information, suspend the use of the Personal Information, etc., to the extent that the Act, the GDPR,
the Chinese Laws and other laws pertaining to protection of the Personal Information in therelevant country or region apply.
h. Filing of objections against handling of personal information
In the case where the applicant is dissatisfied with the handling of the Personal Information in JF,
such applicant may state his/her objections to JF to the extent permitted by the applicable laws
and regulations. In accordance with the applicable laws and regulations, the applicant may also
file objections to the authority that has jurisdiction over protection of the Personal Information in
the country to which the applicant belongs.
i. Personal information of persons involved in the project
The Personal Information of persons involved in the project other than the applicant, which is
submitted by the applicant to JF, shall also be handled in the same manner as stipulated in a. to h.
above, and therefore, the applicants should provide explanations in advance to the persons
involved in the project and obtain their consent.
j. Contact information
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Please contact JFNY by e-mail at Japanese_Studies@jfny.org for any opinions, questions, etc.
regarding any matters specified in this “Handling of personal information” section.
k. Revocation of consent
The applicant has the right to revoke his/her consent to any matters specified in this “Handling of
personal information” section at any time. The revocation of consent does not affect the legalityof the handling of the Personal Information prior to the revocation. In addition, when the applicant
does not provide his/her consent or revokes his/her consent, such applicant may not be able toreceive necessary information and/or services from JF.
4. Response to the spread of infectious diseases
Depending on the spread of infectious diseases, appropriate measures may be required when
implementing a project in accordance with the regulations and instructions of the relevant authorities.
Please understand that JF may unavoidably change the substance of its grant or the conditions
attached as a result of changes in circumstances that have occurred after the decision to provide thegrant.
5. Ensuring the necessary safety and security of projects
Considering the recent instability in global security, with the increase of terrorist attacks in particular,
JF highly recommends that you take the necessary security measures to ensure safety when you carryout your projects, including the following:a. Check and obtain security information about the area in which your project will be conducted toensure the safe travel and accommodation of all related parties;
b. Provide information on security and safety issues for your international guests (if any).

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