Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation (SPRING Project),
University of Toyama

Application Guidelines for in late academic year 2024 (October 2024)
and academic year 2025 (April 2025-) Support Program
Aim of the program
The University of Toyama (hereafter referred to as "the University") offers "Support for Pioneering Research
Initiated by the Next Generation (“Tateyama Mountain Range Program”).” This program provides financial
support and various training for PhD course students for their future success in various career paths aftergraduation. The program will promote the PhD dissertation research activities of promising students and thereby
improve the research achievement of the University, which leads to the promotion of regional industries,including medicine, healthcare, light metals, and carbon-neutral technology. This program also aims to improve
Japan's international competitiveness by developing the skills of the students so that they can contribute to thesettlement of global issues.
The application procedure is explained below. The recipients can receive a grant covering the living expenses
and research budget.

1. Total number of scholarship recipients
In late academic year 2024 and academic year 2025, we will select 22 students as recipients.
We will hold second round of recipient selection held in February 2025. For details, please check out theprogram’s website.

2. Eligibility for Application
The program is open to PhD course students at University of Toyama who have excellent research skills
and are expected to contribute to the development of science, technology, and innovation of Japan.
However, the following are not eligible.
(1) Recipients of JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists. If you are selected as a recipient of JSPS
Research Fellowship, you must decline as a recipient of SPRING scholarship.
(2) Students who receive a scholarship including living expenses of ≥2.4 million yen per year.
(3) Students who earn wages of ≥2.4 million yen per year from private companies or institute.
(4) International students receiving support from the Japanese government or home country.
 If you are currently receiving or expected to receive a scholarship other than SPRING scholarship, you
should consult with the SPRING Program Administrative Office as indicated in “12. Inquiry”.
 If you receive SPRING scholarship, you will not be able to apply for scholarship waiver by the Japan
Student Services Organization (JASSO).
 If you have any questions about eligibility, please refer to “12. Inquiry”.

3. Amount to be paid
(1) Research scholarship (living expenses): 180,000 yen per month (2,160,000 yen per year)-1-(2) Research budget: 500,000 yen per year
➢ The research scholarship will be paid every two months upon receipt of invoices from the recipient.
➢ Research budget should be used in accordance with the University's regulations.
➢ International students can receive a research scholarship and a research budget only after their arrival in
Japan.

4. Career development training programs
SPRING Project offers various training programs for developing the following abilities so that the recipients
will be able to play an active role in various career paths in the future.
(1) Career path finding
Long-term internships in cooperation with local companies(2) Internationality
Studies at overseas partner universities or international collaborative research(3) Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinary research under supervision by multiple supervisors of different scientific fields(4) Transferable skills
Convergence Camp, a retreat where all the recipients and supervisors gather

5. Period of support
The scholarship will continue to be paid until the end of the recipient’s standard PhD course period.
Note that the support may be cancelled before the end of the standard course period if the recipient dose notfulfill his/her obligations.

6. Application Procedures
The applicant should submit the application form (Form 1) and the letter of recommendation from thepossible supervisor at University of Toyama (Form 2) to the administrative office of the corresponding
graduate school whose contact information is shown below. Within one week after receiving your application,the SPRING Program office will send you an e-mail to acknowledge the receipt of your application.
NOTE: The applicant should fill out the application form herself/himself. We do not accept the form preparedby someone other than the applicant, an automatic translation application, or a generated AI system. The
applicant may fill out the forms in Japanese or English.
Deadline for submission: Tuesday, JULY 16, 2024, 12:00 (noon)
Method of submission:
 Application form (Form 1):
Please, prepare this form using MS Word and convert the Word file into PDF format. E-mail the PDF fileas an attachment to the administrative office.
 Letter of recommendation (Form 2):
Submit by regular mail a printed copy of the form with the signature of the University faculty member
who is the candidate supervisor of the applicant.
-2-Address for submission:* If you are unsure where to submit, please contact the office whose address isshown in “12. Inquiry”.

Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Graduate School of Pharma-Medical Sciences
Pharmaceutical Science and Technology
Applied Natural Medicine
Cognitive and Emotional Neuroscience
Educational Affairs Division, Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences
E-mail: mpgakusei1”@”adm.u-toyama.ac.jp *Please remove the ” ”.
Graduate School of Science and Engineering
Graduate School of Pharma-Medical Sciences
Medical Design
Educational Affairs Division, Science and Engineering
E-mail: kyomeng”@”adm.u-toyama.ac.jp*Please remove the ” ”.

7. Selection and notification of results
The recipients will be selected through two-step selections as explained below. The SPRING Program
Selection Committee will rank the applicants by evaluating the submitted documents and interviews. TheProgram Manager will make the final decision.
（1）1st step: Application screening
The committee will review the submitted application forms. The results of the screening will be notified tothe applicants by e-mail.
（2）2nd step: Interview
The applicants who have passed the application screening will be interviewed by the committee.
The results of the final decision will be notified to the applicants by e-mail. In the case of the 1st round of
academic year 2025, the notification will be sent by late September.
NOTE: The student will be officially selected as the recipient if the committee confirm that he/she has
joined the PhD course on April 1, 2025 or October 1, 2024.

8.Points evaluated for selection(1) Achievements of academic activities such as presentations at scientific meetings, patents, journal papers,and language proficiencies
1) Conference presentations
2) Patent application
3) Original papers and other publications
4) External language examinations(2) Plans of research, internship, and study abroad(1) Novelty, importance, relevance, and possible future impact of the research plan-3-

(2) Motivation for and rationale of the plan of the internship or study abroad
NOTE: The scholarship recipient should participate in an internship or study abroad to develop their career.
The applicant who is willing to seek a future job in the industrial sector should state her/hismotivation and plan for an internship. The applicant who is willing to seek a future job in theacademic sector should state her/his motivation and plan to study abroad.
(3) Motivation to become a researcher or developer working in a Japan-based firm or institute who will playa leading role in the science, technology, and innovation of Japan.
NOTE: This scholarship program aims to support graduate students who will contribute to the developmentof science, technology, and innovation of Japan. We strongly recommend that the scholarship
recipients take a job in Japan-based firms or institutes including their overseas branches after her/hisgraduation.
(4) Interview by the Selection Committee
The Selection Committee will examine whether the applicant can perform a challenging and integrative
research project that could possibly lead to the establishment of a new field of science/technology or thesettlement of social issues. The Selection Committee also examines whether the applicant has a global pointof view and an ability to contribute to the development of the science, technology, and innovation of Japan.
To this end, the interview will be held in English for the Japanese applicants. Although the foreign
applicants may speak in Japanese or English, we recommend that the foreign applicant make her/his selfintroduction and outline her/his research project in Japanese as far as possible.

9. Obligations of students eligible for support
The scholarship recipients should carry out the following obligations.
(1) The recipients are strongly advised to apply for a JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists (DC2).
(2) Concentrate on the research activities based as proposed in the application.
(3) Participate in the internship or study abroad as proposed in the application.
(4) Every year, submit at least one manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal or make at least one presentation
at an international scientific meeting.
(5) Participate in the University’s special educational programs for improving research skills, etc.
(6) Present the progress report at the campus meetings held on a regular basis.
(7) Students must be interviewed by their supervisor and associate supervisor on a regular basis.
(8) Complete the e-learning program of the Association for the Promotion of Research Integrity (eAPRIN).
(9) Register her/himself to the system operated by the National Council for the Promotion of Job-Based
Research Internships.
(10) Register her/himself to the Japan Graduates Database (JGRAD) operated by the National Institute ofScience and Technology Policy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT). The student must also report to JGRAD when she/he finds a job.
(11) Cooperate for various surveys related to the Project.
(12) Carry out tax law procedures such as tax declaration for the scholarship.

10. Tax law procedures, etc.
Although there is no employer-employee relationship between the university and students, the scholarshipis legally taken as a miscellaneous income under the tax law and is subject to income tax and inhabitant tax.
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Therefore, it is necessary for the recipients to file an income tax return. Note that the person on whom you
are dependent financially should also report your status to the tax office for filing paperwork for healthinsurance, support allowance, etc.

11. Privacy policy(1) Personal information such as names provided in the application form will be used for recipient selection
and the administration of the SPRING Program.
(2) The names, affiliations, photographs, etc. of the recipients will be used for publication on the website andin various reports, and other printed materials.
(3) The names and affiliations of the recipients will be used as a record of the project activities. The
photographs taken in the classes, events, etc. will be used on the website and in various reports, and otherprinted materials.
(4) This scholarship is funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), JST will directly follow
up with the supported students regarding the implementation status of the project, etc. JST will also
ensure that the supported students have access to the department in charge at JST, directly receive theiropinions, etc., and use the results directly in the evaluation of this project. We will provide JST with thenames and other personal information listed in the application form, as well as e-mail addresses andother information that will enable us to contact you, and we ask for your cooperation when we receive
requests for evaluation and other surveys.

12. Inquiry
University of Toyama SPRING Administrative OfficeE-mail: jisedaipro”@”adm.u-toyama.ac.jp*Please remove the ””.
NOTE: The above e-mail address is not for application submission. See 6. Application Procedures for thee-mail address for application submission.

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