August 9th, 2024
Institute for Strategic Research Initiatives
Overview of the 2024 International Joint Research Matching/Seed Fund Call for
Proposals
Top-level International Network Development Support Program
The University of Tsukuba implements the programs I-I and I-II below to encourage
publications of high-quality research results as international co-authored papers, successfulacquisition of domestic and international grants, and fostering of early-career researchers bycreating or accelerating international networks with top-level research teams ※ from theCampus-in-Campus (CiC) partner universities and overseas research institutions.
Research teams composed of multiple (two or more) researchers (may include master's anddoctoral student(s)) from the University of Tsukuba and research teams composed of multiple(two or more) researchers (may include master's and doctoral student(s)) from overseas
research institutions are required to participate jointly. Further, it is also possible to co-fund
this project with other expenses.
* The representative of a collaborating top-level international research team must be a
researcher who has achieved internationally outstanding research results according to thecharacteristics of their field and disseminated them widely. The following are examples of sucha researcher:A researcher affiliated with a research institution recognized worldwideA researcher who has published in influential academic journals or presented atprestigious international conferences

A researcher who has taken leadership or major roles in large-scale international
collaborative research projects.

A researcher who has taken leading roles in international academic societies ororganizations.



A researcher who has authored excellent academic books and other materials evaluatedinternationallyⅠ

Support Program for International Network Development with Top-level Overseas

Research Teams(Starts in the FY 2024), Maximum of 1 million yen per project, total budget: 6 million JPY...... 4-5 pages
Ⅰ-Ⅰ International Network Creation & Acceleration Program through Overseas
Travel: Maximum of 1 million yen per projectⅠ-Ⅱ International Network Creation & Acceleration Program by holding
Symposium or Seminar: Maximum of 1 million yen per project1

Ⅱ The University of Tsukuba – DAAD Partnership Program(starts in FY 2025), Maximum of 1.5 million per project, total budget: 3 million JPY... 6-8 pages
Application deadline
Ⅰ Support Program for International Network Development with Top-level Overseas ResearchTeams
Application deadline: Monday, October 7th
Ⅱ The University of Tsukuba – DAAD Partnership Program
Application deadline: Friday, September 20thAs Ⅰ and Ⅱ have different support periods, please refer to the details on page 4 and page 6.
Application Procedure
Applicants should carefully read the details on the open call page (COTRE) and complete
all required application documents (in the specified format). Submit these documents via uRad. Additionally, please email the application to your department's academic service officeand cc the Research Management Office at global_ra@un.tsukuba.ac.jp to ensure that bothoffices are aware of your application.
COTRE (call for proposals’ details page: all necessary forms):
https://ura.sec.tsukuba.ac.jp/archives/43156
u-Rad (submission): https://u-rad.sec.tsukuba.ac.jp/login/※Ⅱ The University of Tsukuba – DAAD Partnership Program requires the submission of thecorresponding application to DAAD by the German research collaborators. Please note that if
DAAD cannot confirm this submission, funding cannot be provided.
Important Notes
１． Expenses provided by this program abide by the university regulations.
２． This program does not permit the same researcher to apply to multiple programs, including
both Program I and Program II, nor does it allow simultaneous applications to this program
and the University of Tsukuba's program for inviting overseas educational and researchunits.
３． From next year onwards, we will only issue calls for the same support program if there is aconfirmed prospect of securing the budget. Based on the strategic overview of theInternational Joint Research Matching/Seed Fund (see Figure 1), please develop this year's
implementation plan considering future potential, regardless of the continuity of expenses.
４． An implementation report must be submitted within one month after each project ends.
After the implementation, there will be a follow-up period during which you may be asked
to present progress reports at adopters’ meetings or other events. Additionally, support fromhighly specialized professionals in research and industry-academia collaboration will beprovided, and you may be requested to apply for external funding to build international
networks.

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５． Inquiries: Institute for Strategic Research Initiatives, global_ra@un.tsukuba.ac.jp

Figure 1 Strategic overview of International Joint Research Matching/Seed FundInternational Network Creation & Acceleration Program by holding Symposium or Seminar

Figure 2 Support Program for International Network Development with Top-level Overseas
Research Teams3Figure 3 List of Campus-in-Campus (CiC) partner universities

Ⅰ Support Program for International Network Development with Top-level Overseas
Research Teams
１． Purpose
Ⅰ-Ⅰ International Network Creation and Acceleration Program through Overseas Travel:Maximum of 1 million JPY per projectThis program provides travel and research expenses for overseas travel aimed at creating oraccelerating international networks between University of Tsukuba’s research teams and toplevel overseas research teams. The goal is to facilitate the submission and publication of highquality international co-authored papers, including conference papers, enhance grantacquisition both domestically and internationally, and promote fostering of researchers fromthe proposed international joint research.
Please note that applications solely for travel to international conferences or activities that
do not involve substantial international collaborative research are not eligible for review.
I- II International Network Creation & Acceleration Program by holding Symposium orSeminar: Maximum of 1 million JPY per project
The purpose of this program is that the University of Tsukuba’s research team (consisting of
two or more researchers) and an overseas top-level research team (consisting of two or more4researchers) jointly organize international symposiums or seminars in order to create researchcollaboration between the teams. For this purpose, the program provides expenses related toorganizing symposiums and seminars, including travel expenses, honoraria, and conferenceorganization expenses.
2. Eligibility for Application:
The full-time researchers of the University of Tsukuba (professors, associate professors,lecturers, assistant professors, junior assistant professors, researchers, postdoctoral fellows,
junior researchers, etc.)※ In the selection process, priority will be given to those who have applied for external
competitive fundings within the past three years (regardless of the result) or those whocurrently hold such fundings.
※ Researchers employed through university management expense grant or other externalfunding must obtain permission from the lead researcher or employer for the applicationand its content.
3. Support Period, etc.
Projects starting from April 1, 2024 and must be completed by March 31, 2025
※ Applications are also allowed for projects already underway or completed if they match
the program contents. However, in the selection process, projects yet to be implemented
will be given priority, and the ones already underway or completed will be consideredrunners-up.
4. Selection Criteria
Ⅰ-Ⅰ International Network Creation & Acceleration Program through Overseas Travel
・Clarity of the purpose of international joint research, the necessity and significance ofthe creation and acceleration of international networks

・Contents of the proposed international joint research (novelty, originality)・Team collaboration structure and feasibility

・

Expected outcomes (such as the potential for high-quality international co-authoredpapers, acquisition of domestic and international grants, and fostering of early-career
researchers from the proposed international joint research)Ⅰ-Ⅱ International Network Creation & Acceleration Program by holding Symposium orSeminar・The necessity and significance of international collaboration to be created or accelerated
by holding the international symposium or seminar

・The content of the international symposium or seminar (including its uniqueness andpotential for establishing new collaborations)・

Expected outcomes (such as the potential for future international joint research and itsripple effect)5Ⅱ The University of Tsukuba – DAAD Partnership Program
1 Purpose
This program is a matching fund program implemented in collaboration with theDeutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD: German Academic Exchange Service). It’s
funded by the German Federal Education and Research Ministry's Programs for ProjectRelated Personal Exchange (PPP). The goal is to carry out joint research in the field ofleading-edge study with German research groups, with each group augmenting the other'sspecialization and both groups benefitting from bilateral cooperation.
This program provides support to establish excellent international higher education
research institutions, create sustainable networks, and contribute to the internationalizationof higher education research institutions. The support focuses on:① Helping early-career researchers gain international research experience and further
develop their global skills.
② Strengthening bilateral research relationships, leading to additional collaborative
research opportunities.
2 Application Conditions
・All faculty members affiliated to the University of Tsukuba as a full-time staff may apply.

・

There are no restrictions on the field of study.

・The project leader (applicant) is responsible for carrying out the project and managing thebudget.

・Projects that include early-career faculty members and early-career researchers (master'sand doctoral students, as well as researchers who have completed their PhD within thepast five years, including postdoctoral researchers) will be given priority.

・Researchers from other universities and institutions can participate in research groups at
our university, but cannot use the project budget.

・The representative on the German side must submit the corresponding application to theDAAD.

3 Research Period
From April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2027*(Reference) The German side's research period will be from January 1, 2025, to December31, 2026.
*There will be a stage-gate review in the first year. Additionally, there is a possibility ofextending the program into the third year.
4 Budget Limit and Uses
Limit: Up to 1.5 million yen per year (18,000 euros per year for the German side) *1
Uses: Travel expenses for faculty and researchers from the University of Tsukuba traveling toGermany *26

*1 The maximum amount may be reduced depending on the number of approved projects andthe overall budget for this program.
*2 This budget cannot be used for expenses related to goods, honoraria, or other incidentalcosts, nor for travel expenses of faculty or researchers not affiliated with the University ofTsukuba.
5 Application Procedures & Submission of Documents
Applicants should carefully read the details on the open call page (COTRE) and complete
all required application documents (in the specified format). Submit these documents via uRad. Additionally, please email the application to your department's academic service officeand cc the Research Management Office at global_ra@un.tsukuba.ac.jp to ensure that bothoffices are aware of your application.
COTRE (call for proposals’ details page: all necessary forms):
https://ura.sec.tsukuba.ac.jp/archives/43156
u-Rad (submission): https://u-rad.sec.tsukuba.ac.jp/login/
Please note that both ' Comprehensive Project Description (Form 4, in English, using thecommon format for Japan and Germany)' must be identical for both the Japanese and Germansides.
Also, if the application cannot be confirmed at either the University of Tsukuba or DAAD,
neither the University of Tsukuba nor DAAD will provide funding. Upon your application,please ensure that the representative in Germany for Joint Research has (will) submit theirapplication form to DAAD.
【Application Documents】(Form 3) University of Tsukuba/DAAD Partnership Program Application Form for FY 2025
(Form 4) Comprehensive Project Description (in English, using the common format for Japanand Germany)
Research Profile/CV of the applicant from the University of Tsukuba (in English)
List of project-related publications for the past 5 years of the applicant from the University ofTsukuba (in English, up to 4 pages)
Research Profile/CV of the German collaborator (in English)
List of project-related publications for the past 5 years of the German collaborator (in English,up to 4 pages)
6 Application Submission Deadline
September 20, 2024 (Friday)
7 Evaluation Criteria
Projects will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
・Quality of the Project: Clarity of objectives and methods, scientific novelty, and innovation

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・

Involvement of Young Researchers: Appropriate engagement of early-career researchers・

Knowledge Transfer and Added Value: The transfer of knowledge between Japanese andGerman research groups, added value from joint research (including research themes,
synergy from inter-organizational collaboration, and interdisciplinarity), and the scientificusefulness of project outcomes (including potential industrial applicability, if relevant)・Feasibility of the Research Project: Especially financial backing, preparatory work andfuture plans, appropriate travel plans and duration of stay, capabilities of both researchgroups related to the project, and complementarity of the research groups in the joint
project (methodology, content, equipment, etc.)

8. Reporting
If there are changes to the participants or visit plans to Germany as outlined in theapplication after the project is approved, please promptly submit a Project Change
Notification.
Submit a progress report and budget expenditure report for the fiscal year by the endof March. Failure to submit these reports will result in the suspension of funding for thefollowing year.
If the German group does not pass the DAAD stage-gate review or fails to provide othernecessary reports, resulting in the termination of DAAD funding, funding from theUniversity of Tsukuba will also be discontinued.
Submitted reports will be used by the University of Tsukuba and DAAD to assess theachievement of the program's goals.
9. Application, Inquiries
Research Management Office, Institute for Strategic Research Initiatives:
global_ra@un.tsukuba.ac.jp8