Fiscal 2024
Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University
Application Guidelines for Joint Research Program and Symposium
1. Outline
On April 1, 2016, the Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University (hereinafter referred to as IGM)
renewed its designation as a Joint Usage/Research Center for “state-of-the-art research on cancers caused bysustained bacterial or viral infection.” The mission of this Joint Usage/Research Center is to elucidate
the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and malignant progression and to establish new therapeutics andprevention by providing facilities at the IGM for researchers who study infection-associated cancers. We aim
to achieve this mission not by focusing solely on the specialized field of infection-associated cancer, but by
promoting close collaborations with other related fields such as immunity and inflammation. We also encourage
research and technologies that expand our projects to new research fields. Accordingly, we are publicly recruiting
applications for (1) General Joint Research Programs, (2) Challenge Joint Research Programs, and (3) ResearchMeetings.
General Joint Research Programs focus on t h e research proposed by the applicants based on the IGM’s
research projects. Research Meetings refer to conferences or symposia that are held to report research findings
and discuss directions for future research. All of the above activities must be carried out primarily by using
the facilities, equipment, technology, and data resources of the IGM. Challenge Joint Research Programs support
trial research projects using research samples possessed by host researchers. Moreover, we have obtained some
software programs and video cameras for web meetings to promote communications between researchers evenduring the SARS-CoV2 disaster.
The IGM has established the Center of infection-associated cancer to promote joint research activities. The center
is headed by Prof. Masahiro Sonoshita.
2. Application Details(1) General Joint Research Program：
We invite applications for injection-associated cancer studies related to the 13 research projects described below.
In 2024, the IGM will adopt 50 studies under the General Joint Research Program. In principle, only travel andlodging expenses will be granted. (At maximum, lodging expenses that cover a few weeks may be provided if
necessary for research purposes and within the allocated budget.) However, if necessary, applicants may also
apply for a grant to cover the cost of other items such as consumables (up to 100,000 yen may be used toward thecost of purchasing consumables such as reagents, the cost for submission and reprints, and the cost fortransporting experimental animals). (Application form: Attachment 1)(2) Challenge Joint Research Program:
We invite applications for studies related to the 13 research projects described below. In 2024, the IGM will adopt
50 studies under the Challenge Joint Research Program. In principle, expenses for sample shipping andcommunication will be granted. Below shall not exceed 60,000 yen. (Application form: Attachment 2)《The 13 Research projects of host researchers at the IGM》
*Circle the number of the project(s) applicable to your research project. 》
Research projects of host researchers at IGM*Circle the number of the project(s) applicable to your research project.
1. Molecular mechanism of tumorigenesis caused by infection-associated genes: Toru Kondo(Stem Cell Biology)
2. Immune regulation for cancer and transplantation: Ken-Ichiro Seino (Immunobiology)

3.

Dissecting the mechanisms and developing therapeutics for cancers caused by persistentbacterial or viral infection: Masahiro Sonoshita (Biomedical Oncology)
4. Analyses of innate immune responses associated with infection (SARS-CoV-2 etc,), cancer,and inflammation: Akinori Takaoka (Signaling in Cancer and Immunology)
5. Structural biological studies of factors related to infectious tumors: Nobuo Noda (Divisionof biological molecular mechanisms)
6. Analysis of DNA structure and transcriptional regulation during the development ofdiseases including infectious cancers: Kenichi Noma (Genome Biology)
7. Roles of Gateway reflexes and IL-6 amplifier on infectious tumors, COVID-19,
autoimmune diseases: Masaaki Murakami (Molecular Psychoimmunology)
8. Functional analysis of cell polarity factors in infectious cancer development: Fumio Motegi(Developmental Physiology)
9. Sstudy on the molecular mechanisms of viral hepatitis-induced infectious cancers: Kouji
Moriishi (Hepatitis Virology)
10. Mechanisms inducing genome instability in infection-associated cancer ： Masanori
Hatakeyama (Center of infection-associated cancer)
11. Molecular mechanism underlying Helicobacter pylori-mediated gastric carcinogenesis：
Naoko Kamiya (Division of Microbial Oncology)
12. Understanding the cell fate determination after oncogenic DNA or RNA virus infection:
Tomohiko Okazaki (Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology)
13. Establishment of animal models for infectious tumors including HPV+ cervical cancers andCOVID-19: Kumiko Yoshimatsu (Laboratory of the animal experiment)(3 ) Symposium：
In 2024, the IGM plans to hold about four symposia or research meetings to deal with adopted topics.
(Application form: Attachment 3) We especially, welcome applications for research meetings organized by and/orfor young researchers.
3. Application eligibility
An applicant for a collaborative research project under a principal investigator of either a General Joint
Research Program or a Challenge Joint Research Program must be a researcher affiliated with a university
or with a federal, o r public institution, or a researcher approved by the IGM’s Director. Both domestic
and international applications are accepted.
The primary organizer (applicant) of a research meeting at the IGM must be a researcher affiliated with auniversity or with a federal, o r public institution, or a researcher approved by the IGM’s Director. Bothdomestic and international applications are accepted.
4. Research organization
An organizer of a symposium or a research meeting at the IGM or a principal investigator of a General o r
Challenge Joint Research Program need not be a member of the IGM, but a research group should
include at least one faculty member of the IGM as a host. We encourage graduate students to participate injoint programs.
5. How to Apply
An applicant must consult with the appropriate IGM faculty member about research projects, equipment to beused, and expected expenses before applying. Application forms can be downloaded from the homepage of
the Joint Usage/Research Center (Attachment 1, 2, and 3). Please Send completed application forms as Word files
in an e-mail with the subject line reading “Application for 2024 Joint usage/research” to kyodo@igm.hokudai.ac.jp.
1) If you are applying for either the General Joint Research Program, indicate the project(s) from thelist of research projects mentioned above (2. Application Details) in the application form (Attachment 2).
2) If you are applying for travel expenses, the destination must be the IGM (Sapporo, Japan).
3) Please refer to the following points regarding expenses.
【 Points regarding expense 】
For expenses related to joint research, please do not exceed 400,000 yen for 1) and 100,000 yen for 2).
Expenses

1) Travel and lodging
expenses, daily
allowance

1.

2.

3.
4.
5.

2) Expenses for
consumable supplies,of the General
Research Program(includes printing andbinding costs andcosts for transportinganimals)

Points of attention
Travel expenses will be calculated according to the “HOKKAIDO
UNIVERSITY TRAVEL EXPENSE RULES” and “HOKKAIDO
UNIVERSITY TRAVEL EXPENSE REGULATIONS”, and granted within
the budget.
Airfare shall be as much as possible for the use of non-changeable flights. The
difference in fares will not be paid when you upgrade your seat class (e.g.,
ANA: Premium Class, JAL: Class J). Please make your schedule as early aspossible and try to take the cheapest non-changeable flight possible (e.g.,
ANA: Super Value, JAL: Special Saver).
As a lodging fee, up to 13,500 yen/night for international guests and up to
12,000 yen/night for domestic guests will be reimbursed according to the“HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY TRAVEL EXPENSE REGULATIONS”.
As a daily allowance, 4,500 yen for international guests and 2,200 yen fordomestic guests will be provided.
The destination for your travel expense should be IGM, Hokkaido University(Sapporo, Japan).

[Consumable supplies]
1. The expenses of consumable supplies will be covered only when the supplies aredelivered to the IGM.
2. For the General Joint Research Program, the following items are not coveredby our financial support.
i. Office equipment (even if below 100,000 yen, no grant is available for
equipment that can be used repeatedly, such as printers.)
ii. Office supplies (including printer toners)[Printing and binding]
1. Printing and manuscript submission fees are granted only if support from theIGM is mentioned in the acknowledgments of the printed material.
2. The printed material must be submitted and billable to the IGM within theapplicable fiscal year.
[Transporting animals]
This refers to expenses incurred in the transportation of animals related to joint
usage or research activity to and from the IGM.

6. Research Period
The research period of the General Joint Research Program, the Challenge Joint Research Program, andSymposia is throughout the fiscal year 2024. In addition, applicants can apply for the same topic(s) fromthe previous year under the General Joint Research Program, or the Challenge Joint Research Program. In thiscase, a summary of the results and significance of the previous study must be described in the application form.
7. Facilities Available to Joint Research Activities
Regarding facilities, equipment, and data available for joint research activities, please refer to theattachment “Available Instruments.”
8. Application Period
Applications are accepted during the period from December 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. No applications
outside this window are accepted.
Note: Exceptions can be made for the Challenge Joint Research Program depending on the budget.
Applications for the usage of facilities for joint research without requesting financial support to cover travel
expenses or printing costs, etc., are always welcome, although another procedure is required. Please ask thefaculty member in charge for more details.
Personal information disclosed in the application form will not be used for purposes other than thosedescribed below except when requested by law or other regulations.
(1) For reviewing by the Screening Committee of the Joint Usage/Research Center of the IGM(2) When a topic is adopted by the Committee, the title of the research, the name, job title, and affiliation of
the representative researcher will be published in the newsletter and HP of the Joint Usage/ResearchCenter.
(3) For administrative procedures regarding business trip requests or travel expenses for the representativeand members of the research project.
(4) For mailing the newsletter and other publications by IGM(5) For statistical information that does not enable the identification of the specific individual.
9. Screening Results and Allocation of Budget
All application amounts will be decided by the director of the IGM according to the review by the Screening
Committee of the Joint Usage/Research Center. Achievements in previous studies may be taken into
consideration. The results will be announced to all applicants by the end of March 2024.
If applications are adopted, the representative researchers are required to submit an “Agreement to theJoint Usage/Research” (Form 4) immediately.
The allocation amounts of financial support will be informed to the representative researchers through the Joint
Usage/Research Promotion Office. Please note that the allocation amounts may be less than the applicationaccording to the evaluation by the Screening Committee of the Joint Usage/Research Center.
If researchers not belonging to the IGM use the facilities or equipment, representative researchers are required tosubmit a letter of commitment. Representative researchers for Symposia are exempted from this requirement. Please
note that the representative researchers or host researchers may be requested to present the achievements of theproject at the end of the fiscal year.
10． Report of Findings and Decisions from the Joint Research Programs and Symposiums
After a Joint Research Program or Symposium is completed, the organizers (representative researchers) arerequired to report their activities and findings (around 1,000 words). They are also required to inform thepublication of the papers and the presentations at scientific or public meetings. The report form can be
downloaded from the HP of the Joint Usage/Research Center. The report has to be sent via e-mail during theperiod from December 1st, 2024, to March 31, 2025. No reports will be accepted outside this window.

When representative researchers report the findings of a Joint Research Program in an academic paper, they should
clearly state in the paper that the research activities were carried out in collaboration with the IGM and a copyof the paper is to be sent to the IGM.
<Sample of Acknowledgement>
For financial support: This study was supported (partly) by the Grant for Joint Research Program of the Institutefor Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University.
For joint usage of facilities, equipment, and data without financial support: This study was carried out under theJoint Research Program of the Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University.
Furthermore, shares in the patents associated with the findings of the Joint Research Programs will be among
the parties involved.

11． Contact
Applications and inquiries should be addressed to:Center of infection-associated cancer, Institute for Genetic Medicine
Hokkaido University
Kita-15, Nishi-7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0815 TEL: +81-11-706-6083
e-mail: kyodo*igm.hokudai.ac.jp
Please replace * with @