Information and Call for Collaborative Research Partners for FY2024
With the Collaborative Research Network for Asian Children with Developmental Disorders
Under MEXT Policy Initiative

The Collaborative Research Network for Asian Children with Developmental Disorders is aunique initiative among national universities in Japan. It is an education research network set up
by several national universities that have come together to promote mental health in children, witha scientific focus. This is a project initiative of the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Participating universities and centers areOsaka University United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, KanazawaUniversity, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University and University of Fukui(“UGSCD”), Molecular Research Center for Children’s Mental Development, United Graduate
School of Child Development, Osaka University, Research Center for Child Mental Development,Kanazawa University, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University
School of Medicine, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, andResearch Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui.
The project goes beyond the bounds of the five academic institutions named above. TheNetwork is to play a key role as a hub for collaborative research aimed at promoting the mental
health of children, with participation from other Japanese and non-Japanese institutions,international researchers and research centers around the globe. The Network aims to respond to
the requests and needs of Japanese as well as international researchers.
To this end, the Network is calling for research partners who will work in collaborative researchwith the five universities that comprise UGSCD. The collaboration will utilize the resources andfacilities that have been acquired and created at these centers and research support and funding
will be made available. Potential research partners from far and wide are invited to apply toundertake collaborative research.
General Information for Applicants1.

Research Topic
The research topic for application should be relevant to clinical/ interventional/ basic researchon child mental development conducted at UGSCD and the research centers of Network member
institutions (The center at Osaka University will be Molecular Research Center for Children’s
Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, and thecenter at Chiba University will be Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba
University).

1Collaborative research which will utilize the resources and facilities that have beenacquired and created at Osaka University UGSCD and 5 centers of the participating
universities in Japan.
General Collaborative Project themes will be proposed freely by researchers outside theNetwork of Japan. The proposal should include at least one researcher (Prof / Assoc. prof. Asst.
prof.) of UGSCD or the 5 universities participating the Network.
Please refer to the following websites for the research being undertaken at each institution
and the belonging researchers.
List of research topics
Theme 1Brain and behavioral phenotypes in children and adolescents(Topics) Neurogenesis; Molecular mechanisms of mental development/disorders; Genomics/ epigenomics / other omics studies; Neuropathology; Neuropharmacology; Phenotypes andsymptomatology of normal/abnormal mental development, etc.
SATO Makoto (Professor, Osaka U), KATAYAMA Taiichi (Professor. Osaka U),
YOKOYAMA Shigeru (Professor, Kanazawa U), MATSUZAKI Hideo (Professor, FukuiU), TACHIBANA Masaya (Assoc. Professor, Osaka U), OKA Yuichiro (Lecturer, Osaka U),
YOSHIMURA Takeshi (Lecturer, Osaka U), XIE Min-Jue (Assist. Professor, U Fukui),
MIYOSHI Ko (Assist. Professor, Osaka U),
Theme 2 Mental development and support for development(Topics) Parenting support and interventions; Regional childcare / school support; Childabuse; Birth cohort study; Cognitive behavioral therapy; Language and communication, etc.
TOMODA Akemi (Professor, U Fukui), SHIMIZU Eiji (Professor, Chiba U), MOHRI Ikuko(Assoc. Professor, Osaka U), FUJINO Haruo (Assoc. Professor, Osaka U), NISHIMURA
Tomoko (Lecturer, Hamamatsu U Sch Med), URAO Yuko (Lecturer, Chiba U),
YAMAMOTO Tomoka (Assist. Professor, Osaka U), YOSHIZAKI Arika (Assist. Professor,Osaka U), ISHII Atsuko (Assist. Professor, Osaka U), TANAKA Sanae (Assist. Professor,Osaka U)
Theme 3 Measurement of brain and mind in children and adolescents(Topics) Brain studies using imaging techniques (e.g. MRI, MEG); Sleep studies; Eye gazestudies, Biomarkers of neurodevelopment and neurodevelopmental disorders; Psychometricstudies; Artificial intelligence; ELSI (ethical, legal and social issues) in researches of childmental development, etc.
TANIIKE Masako (Professor, Osaka U), TSUCHIYA Kenji (Professor, Hamamatsu U SchMed), HIRANO Yoshiyuki (Professor, Chiba U), KAGITANI-SHIMONO Kuriko (Assoc.
Professor, Osaka U), MIZUNO Yoshifumi (Assoc. Professor, U Fukui), IKEDA Takashi(Assoc. Professor, Kanazawa U)
Osaka University UGSCD
2http://www.ugscd.osaka-u.ac.jp/
Molecular Research Center for Children’s Mental Development, United Graduate School ofChild Development, Osaka University
http://www.med.osaka-u.ac.jp/pub/kokoro/
Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University
http://kodomokokoro.w3.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/
Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
https://rccmd.net/
Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University
http://www.m.chiba-u.ac.jp/class/rccmd/
Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui
http://www.med.u-fukui.ac.jp/CDRC/welcome.html
2.

Eligibility
Teaching staff, researchers, graduate school students, physicians and co-medical professionals

of universities and research institutions or healthcare institutions in Japan and other countries
3.

Research Timeframe
From April 1,2024 to March 31, 2025 (Possible extension into the following fiscal year uponreapplication)
4.

Application Procedure
Use the application form available from the websites of Osaka University UGSCD and theresearch centers listed above or the project webpage below.
http://www.ugscd.osaka-u.ac.jp/crnacdd/index.html
Applicants for this research support and funding should first liaise with the relevant prospective
academic collaborator belonging to the respective Network member research institution, anddiscuss the theme, plan, and research expenses beforehand.
Please refer to the following webpage or the websites listed above for information on theresearch domain, faculty/staff members and details of ongoing research.
http://www.ugscd.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/
If the applicant has difficulties in finding relevant collaborator at the research institution ofchoice, or wishes to discuss the collaboration with the prospective academic collaborator, pleasee-mail the Application Contact given in Section 6.
Submit the completed application form by e-mail or by post to the Application Contact givenin Section 6.
35.

Application Deadline
No later than 17:00 hrs (JST) on Friday , March 22, 2024.

→extended to No later than 17:00

hrs (JST) on Friday , March 29, 2024
6.

Application Contact

Committee of Collaborative Research Promotion / Globalization / Joint Resource Promotion
Chair: TACHIBANA Masaya, Osaka Univ., Assoc. Professor orChair: TSUCHIYA Kenji, Hamamatsu Univ. School of Med., Professor
Collaborative Research Network for Asian Children with Developmental Disorders
United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka UniversityE-mail:kyodokenkyu@ugscd.osaka-u.ac.jp

Phone:+81-6-6879-3863

Address:
7.

2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

Review of Research Proposal
Research proposals submitted will be reviewed under the criteria listed below. The successful

application shall:(1) Further drive forward and enhance the developmental research undertaken at UGSCD
and the five-member university research centers.
(2) Be highly practicable and have a clearly defined role to play in the ongoing work at therelevant research center.
(3) Have a global perspective and scope of application(4) Be pioneering or have the potential of benefiting/contributing to society at large(5) Fulfil the purpose and mission of the project initiative(6) Be ethically acceptable*Please refer to the webpage below for the purpose and mission of the project initiative.
http://www.ugscd.osaka-u.ac.jp/crnacdd/index.html
8.

Successful Applications
Adoption of one or two applications in total is planned. Adoptive decisions will be made upondeliberation by the executive committee of the Network after reviewed by Collaborative Research
Promotion/Globalization Subcommittee and Joint Resource Promotion Subcommittee. The
successful applicants will be contacted directly by the Network.

49.

Expenses
Research expenses required for the collaborative research shall be paid for with projectfunding from the Network up to a maximum of 500,000 JPY per adopted project. The items which
will be paid are travel expenses and purchase of materials for which the Network agree to pay
beforehand.
10.

Research Using Genome-Editing Techniques / Animals / Human Samples, Researchwith Intervention to Human and Analysis of Human Genome / Genes
If the adopted research plan includes genome-editing, animal experiments, use of humanderived samples, intervention to human subjects, and human genome analysis at institute within
the Network, review and approval from the relevant committee (IRB, IACUC, etc) of the Network
institute are necessary. The recipient of this funding and the collaborator inside the network shallsubmit necessary application for approval to the relevant committee of the institutes where thenetwork collaborator belongs, before the recipient starts applicable experiments or research.
11.

Presentation at Research Liaison Conference
The successful recipient of the research collaboration funding shall report on the progress andresults of the research in English at the international symposium which will be held aroundFebruary or March 2025. Detailed information will be given after application approval.
12.

Collaborative Research Report
The principal investigator shall submit a summary of the research results for FY 2024. This

shall be a report covering 2 to 3 pages of A4 paper. The report should be submitted by April 30,
2025 to the UGSCD contact given in Section 6 above.
The copyright of the report, including the right of public transmission, shall be the propertyof the research centers of each university undertaking the project belonging to the Collaborative
Research Network for Asian Children with Developmental Disorders (namely, Molecular
Research Center for Children’s Mental Development, United Graduate School of ChildDevelopment, Osaka University, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa
University, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School ofMedicine, Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, and ResearchCenter for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui).
*Format and other instructions on compiling the report will be made available at a later date.
12.

Publication of Research Paper
If the findings of this collaborative research are to be published, the paper should carry the5following sentence as acknowledgement: “This study was supported by the Collaborative
Research Program of the Collaborative Research Network for Asian Children with
Developmental Disorders: MEXT Policy Initiative FY2024, under joint research conducted
through the initiative.” Please submit a printed copy of the paper to the contact address given inSection 6.
13.

Intellectual Property Rights
Regulations on Collaborative Research at Osaka University will apply to the handling ofintellectual property rights.
http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/jp/about/kitei/reiki_honbun/u035RG00000471.html
14.

Health and Safety Provision
After approval of the research project, if students are recruited to participate in the research,

insurance must be taken out (e.g. Accidents and Disasters Insurance for Students in Educationand Research). Experiments must be conducted under the supervision either of a member of theinstitution concerned who is of assistant professor position or higher, or a faculty member ofUGSCD, research centers of member universities.
15.

Reapplication for Research Funding
Even if funding has been received for collaborative research in one fiscal year, application

can be made for collaborative research funding in the following fiscal year. The application will
be considered carefully alongside other applications. If your application is successful, funding forthe collaborative research will continue for the new fiscal year.
16.

Contact Us

Committee of Collaborative Research Promotion / Globalization / Joint Resource Promotion
Chair: TACHIBANA Masaya, Osaka Univ., Assoc. Professor or
Chair: TSUCHIYA Kenji, Hamamatsu Univ. School of Med., Professor
Collaborative Research Network for Asian Children with Developmental Disorders
United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University
E-mail:kyodokenkyu@ugscd.osaka-u.ac.jp

Phone:+81-6-6879-3863

Address:2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan6