Ehime University Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation(EU SPRING)
Application Guidelines for September/October 2024 Enrollment
1. Purpose
Ehime University Support for Pioneering Research Initiated by the Next Generation (EU SPRING)(hereinafter referred to as “SPRING”) provides financial support to outstanding doctoral students who play
an important role in the creation of Japan’s science, technology, and innovation to help them devote
themselves to creative and challenging research, as well as educational support such as career development
and training programs to foster doctorate holders who can be active in diverse career paths.
2. Number of Recipients
2 Recipients
3. Eligibility and Requirements
Those who apply for SPRING (hereinafter referred to as “applicant”) must hold a master’s degree fromEhime University (hereinafter referred to as “the University”) or any other university. Applicants must also
fulfill the following eligibility and requirements.
(1) ① Applicants must be scheduled to enroll in a doctoral program of the Graduate School of Scienceand Engineering at Ehime University (hereinafter referred to as “doctoral program”) in September
2024.
② Applicants must be scheduled to enroll in a doctoral program of the United Graduate School ofAgricultural Sciences at Ehime University (hereinafter referred to as “doctoral program”) in
October 2024.
(2) Applicants must have excellent research skills and a strong intention to engage in research work.
(3) Applicants must have excellent aspirations to play a key role for the future of Japan’s science,technology, and innovation.
However, those who fall under any of the following conditions are NOT eligible to apply.
(1) Students who are recognized as receiving a stable income (2.4 million yen or more per year) from theircompany, university, etc., in the form of salary, wages, executive compensation, etc.
(2) Students who receive a scholarship (2.4 million yen or more per year) for living expenses that does nothave to be reimbursed(3) Students who are supported by Research Fellowships for Young Scientists from the Japan Society for
the Promotion of Science (including those JSPS has unofficially selected), Japanese Government(MEXT) Scholarships for international students, or any other scholarships from the home countries ofinternational students (it is possible to apply for these programs, but it is not possible to receive funding
from either of these programs and SPRING at the same time.)(4) Students who have not yet received their master’s degree due to a delay or postponement because of
their poor academic performance(5) Students on a leave of absence
4. Support Period
3 years from October 2024 to September 2027

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5. Research Support Grant and Research Funding
The students supported by SPRING (hereinafter referred to as “SPRING students”) will be provided with
the Research Support Grant and Research Funding.
(1)
Research Support Grant (living expenses): 200,000 yen per month(2)
Research Funding: 280,000 yen per year The Research Support Grant is provided directly to the SPRING students by the University. There are
no restrictions on the use of the grant, and unused portions are not subject to return. However, the grantamount may be reduced depending on the timing of the University’s decision to pay or cancel the grant.
For the SPRING students residing outside of Japan on the support starting date, the grant period will
start from the month following the date of confirmation of their arrival in Japan by the University, andthe grant period will not be extended. In addition, no retroactive payments will be made for the periodprior to the date of arrival.
 The Research Funding will be properly managed by the University on behalf of the SPRING students.
6. Educational Programs
SPRING offers the following 4 mandatory subjects, for 1 credit each. Except the Research Internship, allother subjects are available online.
(1) Fundamental Academic Skills: English language skill enhancement(2) Advanced Academic Skills: Research related skills enhancement(3) Career Path Development: Career development skills enhancement(4) Research Internship: Workplace experience
7. Support for Overseas Activities, etc.
SPRING encourages the SPRING students to cultivate their international skills. For this purpose, SPRING
will provide partial subsidies for travel expenses for short-term study abroad, overseas training, andoverseas internships, etc. However, in principle, SPRING students’ travel expenses for their own research
activities and participation in international conferences, etc., must be paid from their own research funding.
In addition to this, SPRING provides various other supports such as generic skills assessment.
8. Application Procedure
Applicants are required to communicate with their prospective supervisor regarding the application process.
Applications must be submitted electronically in Japanese or English.
(1) Applicants must submit the following materials to their prospective supervisor.
Items① Application Forms② Academic
Achievements
Evaluation Form

③ Research
Accomplishments
Evaluation FormForms

Forms 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3

Form 2Form 3

word file filled out by theapplicant by calculating
the evaluation points
based on the Ehime
University Study Support
System or ④ transcript
must be a final academic
record that includes all
grades at the time ofcompletionofthemaster's program. [※].

word file filled out by theapplicant by calculating
the evaluation points
based on ① Application
Forms (Form 1-3)

word file
File Formats

Notes

Additional PDF files ofscholarly articles must
besubmitted
ifavailable(onlyifapplicable).

2④ Transcript
official form issued byeach university
Pdf file of the certificate
issued by the university at
the time of completion of
the Master’s program

must be a final academic
record that includes all
grades at the time ofcompletionofthemaster's program. [※].

Due date forsubmission
to theprospective
supervisor

Please note that the deadline for submission to the SPRING Office from the prospective supervisor isWednesday, August 21, so please consult with the supervisor well in advance and submit your application to
the supervisor well in advance of the deadline.

(2) The prospective supervisor is requested to check the documents submitted by the applicant.
In particular, please carefully check ② Academic Achievements Evaluation Form (Form 2) and ③
Research Accomplishments Evaluation Form (Form 3) for any errors in the scoring concept or calculation
method, and correct them if necessary.
Based on the ①Application Forms, please prepare another file named“⑤ Evaluation of EU SPRING
Applicant (Form 4)”.
(3) The prospective supervisor is requested to send the application documents ① through ⑤ to thefollowing address by email during the submission period.
 Email Address for Submission：SPRING Office, spapply@stu.ehime-u.ac.jp
 Submission Period: Thursday, August 1, 2024, to Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
[※] Regarding ②Academic Achievements Evaluation Form (Form 2) and ④ Transcript, if a transcript
containing the final academic record including all grades at the time of completion of the master's program
is not issued by the submission deadline, Wednesday, August 21, the prospective supervisor should submit
only the electronic files of Application Forms ①, ③ and ⑤ by Wednesday, August 21.
After that, please submit Application Forms ② and ④ by 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 18.
(Note: This is for those who will complete their master's program at Ehime University in September 2024.)
9. Selection and Notification of Results(1) Selection
The SPRING Operating Committee (hereinafter referred to as “Operating Committee”) screens theapplication documents in line with the following evaluation criteria.
Evaluation criteria

Evaluation points① The research work to be conducted during the doctoral program must clearly describe theresearch topic background and the research focus must be prominent. The researchmethod must also be original, and the future vision of the research topic must be clearlydescribed.

30 points② Applicants who are expected to become outstanding researchers to play a significant role
for the future of Japan’s science, technology, and innovation after the completion of theresearch work at Ehime University

20 points③ Applicants with excellent academic performance in their master’s program

20 points④ Applicants with outstanding research accomplishments for the past 3 years

30 points

Total

100 points(2) Notification of Selection Result
Notifications of the selection result will be sent to all the applicants and their prospective supervisors byemail in late September or early October 2024. The names and affiliations of the successful applicants will
be announced on the University website.

3(3) If the number of selected students is less than the planned number, or if there are vacancies, a second
recruitment or vacancy recruitment may be conducted. In such cases, some of the application andrequirements and the support period, etc. are subject to change.
10. Important Reminders regarding the Application Documents and Selection(1) Any changes or additions to the application documents are not accepted once submitted.
(2) If false information is found in the application documents, even if it is after being selected, the student
may be disqualified from SPRING and the student’s support from SPRING may be terminated,
retroactive to the support period starting date.
11. SPRING Students Obligations
SPRING students have the following obligations.
(1) Commit to carrying out research in accordance with the submitted research plan(2) Complete the required subjects designated by the University(3) Periodical reporting on research progress to their supervisor(4) Periodical meeting with their mentor(5) Give presentations outside the University on their research accomplishments as periodically set by theirfield(6) Take a research ethics education course(7) Prevent misconduct in research and take measures in case of problems arising from misconduct inaccordance with the Regulations Concerning Prevention of Misconduct in Research of Ehime
University.
(8) Cooperate in providing information about their career for at least 10 years after completing SPRING
12. Suspension or Termination of SPRING Student Status/ Return the Funds Provided by SPRINGThe Operating Committee will suspend or terminate the status of SPRING students when they fall under
the following conditions other than the terms as indicated in (1) to (5) after “However” in “3. Eligibilityand Requirements”.
(1) Proof that the SPRING student’s research plan progress or implementation as indicated in “11. SPRING
Students Obligations (1) to (7)” is significantly inadequate(2) Withdrawal of the SPRING student(3) Proof that the Operating Committee deems valid for suspension or termination
If the suspended or terminated Research Support Grant and Research Funding have already been provided,
they must be returned immediately.
For the SPRING students who have life events such as study abroad, leave of absence from school, or
childbirth/childcare, the support period can be suspended or extended depending on individual
circumstances. (in principle, for 2 years).
13. Handling of Personal Information
 The personal information contained in the application documents is used only for this selection andnotification of the results.
 After the selection, the SPRING students’ personal information will be used to implement this project
including provision of information to JST, the Japan Science and Technology Agency.
 Information on the results of the post-completion career follow-up survey will be provided to JST.

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14. Contact Information
SPRING Office, Ehime University (2nd floor of the Main Building, Faculty of Engineering)
Email address: spapply@stu.ehime-u.ac.jp
Phone Number: 089-927-8850 (Monday 9:30 - 12:00, Tuesday - Friday 9:30 - 15:30)
15. Special Remarks(1) About this project
Since this project is implemented with support from the Japanese government, the details of the project
may be subject to change depending on the budgetary measures.
(2) Research Support Grant under the Tax Laws
 The Research Support Grant is not a salary, but it is treated as “miscellaneous income” according tothe tax laws. Since the Research Support Grant is subject to income tax and resident tax, every SPRING
Student is required to declare their own income to the National Tax Agency. (Please note: someinternational students may not be required to declare their income if they follow the procedures underthe tax conventions.)
 Applicants who are currently supported by a person who makes a living (parent, guardian, etc.) must
inform the person responsible for their support (parent, etc.) that “the Research Support Grant is treatedas miscellaneous income under the tax laws”. They must also inquire at the workplace of the person
responsible for their support (a person who makes a living) about the treatment of dependents regardinghealth insurance, support allowance, etc. For the treatment of dependents for income tax purposes, they
may need to contact the local tax office. SPRING students must take the necessary steps to enroll in
National Health Insurance, National Pension, etc. on their own by inquiring at the municipal office ofthe city, ward, town or village where they reside.
(3) Tuition Fee Waiver
Please note that there will be no tuition fee waiver for SPRING students under this project.
(4) JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization) Scholarship
SPRING students will not be eligible for “Exemption from Return of Scholarship for ParticularlyOutstanding Achievement”.
(5) Remarks about Human Rights Protection and Compliance with Laws and Guidelines
In the process of implementing the research plan, if the research activities require consent and/orcollaboration of a third party, careful attention dealing with personal information, or appropriate actions
to comply with bioethical and/or security measures; the kind of measures taken under the laws andguidelines must be described in concrete terms. For example, this applies to investigations, research, andexperiments which need to obtain the approval from the Information Committee or the Ethics Committee
inside and outside the University. And therefore, this applies to questionnaires/interviews including
personal information, cultural assets inside and outside the country, usage of provided samples, invasive
research, human genome, genetic modification, or animal experiments.
(6) Application for JSPS Research Fellowship for Young Scientists
SPRING students may apply for this program even during their SPRING support period and may switch
to this program if selected.

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