FY2024 Step-up Research Grant Application Guideline
1. Purpose of Step-up Research Grant
The Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders’ (AFRMD) mission is to encourage life
science research, especially the development and practical application of drug discovery and treatments,
and to contribute to the development of public health, and medical progress, and the advancement oftherapeutic drugs. While always keeping an eye on the direction and development of life sciences in theworld, AFRMD has contributed to medical and life sciences through the awarding of grants for research
initiatives which will open a new era of life science, as well as the discovery and nurturing of brilliant
young talent and support for researchers to study abroad.
We will provide Step-up Research Grant to strengthen unique research that will bring about innovationin the future and continuous support for the next generation of innovators, rather than immediate results.
We will continue to support research with high expectations for the next generation from theperspectives of drug discovery and development, practical application of treatments, the creation of new
research areas, and the discovery and training of young human resources,
As a research embodiment, in addition to the applicant continuing the research independently, we also
recommend collaborative research and interdisciplinary collaborative research.
2. Number of recipients of fiscal year 2023 Step-up Research Grant
We received 45 applications for fiscal year 2023 Step-up Research Grant. After in-depth scientificreview by Selection Committee members, 10 applications have been selected to give Step-up Research
Grant of ¥4 million per application. Therefore, in total, ¥40 million has been given to the selected 10applicants.
3. Application period
From 9 AM, April 1 to 4 PM, May 31, 2024
Just before the application deadline, many applications may come together and this over-the-capacity
burden on the application system may make it difficult for applicants to apply research proposals
smoothly. As you will not be able to proceed application on application system after the deadline, please
prepare your application in well advance of the deadline.
4.

Eligibility
Researchers who would like to promote the research programs that were supported from AFRMD in

2019, 2020 (including COVID-19 research grant), and 2021 are eligible to apply. However, pleasecarefully check "5. Precautions" at the bottom.
1)

No references are required.

2)

There are no age limits.

3)

No research grant will be awarded if a researcher has already received funding exceeding ¥25
million per project for fiscal year 2024 (direct costs excluding overhead) as the project leader as

of the time of application, i.e., dispatch of the application form. This involves grants for fiscal
2024 and for multiple fiscal years including 2024.
4)

If you are a researcher being dispatched to a public research institution from a profit-making
organization, you are not eligible to apply.

5)

If you would like your eligibility to be considered due to life events, etc., please contact thesecretariat.

5.

Precautions
1)

Applicants cannot apply for the Step-up Research Grant and the overseas study grant at thesame time. You can apply for both of the Research Grant and the Step-up Research Grant,
however, you cannot receive them at the same time.

2)

You can apply for either individual research or collaborative research. When applying as
collaborative research, only if an applicant that is a recipient of the Research Grant of AFRMD
and a principal investigator, is eligible to apply for the Step-up Research Grant. On the otherhand, the collaborators do not have to be supported by AFRMD.

3)The Step-up Research Grant can be received up to once with the same research.

4)

A clinical study proposal to use products of Astellas Pharma in the market or under thedevelopment is not subject for funding of research.

5)

Research to aim to gain personal or corporate profits is not subject of funding of AFRMD.

6)

We will not support those who have received overseas study grant or research grant fromAFRMD and have not complied with the recipient's obligations, such as submission of various
report documents.

7)

Research grants are issued for the purpose of purchasing goods and consumables related to thepromotion of adopted research, and are not intended to be used for research support expenses(so-called overhead expenses) for the affiliated institution. We accept applications fromapplicants who agree with our policy.

8)

Use of our designated donation application and overhead exemption request forms is acondition for research grant funding. We appreciate your cooperation in simplifying theprocedures.

6.

SubjectResearch that benefits understanding of specific disease conditions anddevelopment of breakthrough treatments, and/or the creation of newresearch areas

7.

FundingStandard ¥4 million per project (maximal ¥10 million)
Maximal 10 projects in total
Total available: ¥40 million

8.

Duration to use Research Grant
January 2025 to December 2026

9.

Selection

Recipients will be selected by the Selection Committee and finalized by
the Board of Directors

10. Notify of the result

With regard to pass/fail, applicants will be notified via email during theperiod from the end of October to early November 2024.

11. Issuance

January 2025

12. Obligations as a Research Grant recipient
1)

Submission of Financial Statement
Recipients will be required to submit a Financial Statement (January 2025 - December 2026) to
AFRMD by the end of January 2027.

2)

Submission of Research Report
Recipients will be required to write up the results of their research in the form of a Research
Report and submit it to AFRMD by the end of January 2027. Research Reports will be publishedin March 2028 at AFRMD website. Please bear that date to publish in mind when writing yourreport.

3)

Acknowledgement in scientific/medical journals or other publications
When recipients will publish results of the study which is supported by the Step-up ResearchGrant, recipients are requested to list the name of Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic
Disorders in the section of Acknowledgement of scientific/medical journals or other publications
and submit a copy of the article or summary of the article to AFRMD. Submission of electronic
version of the article to AFRMD is accepted.
4)Attendance at Research Conference
Recipients will be required to give a presentation on progress or the results of their fundedresearch at Research Conference organized by AFRMD (scheduled on February 6th in 2027).
Presentation by someone on behalf of a recipient will not be accepted. The Research Conference
will be open to the public so that we can provide opportunities for further collaboration after thecompletion of the Step-up Research Grant.
13. Compliance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information
1) AFRMD will only use personal information obtained in relation to the above Step-up Research
Grant program for administrative purposes including the selection process, notification ofpass/fail to applications, requests to recipients to prepare essays to be listed in AFRMD website
or to respond to questionnaire prepared by AFRMD.
2) Once Step-up Research Grants have been finalized, AFRMD will publish details of recipientson its website and in other publications, including recipients’ names, job titles and the nature of
their research.
3) Any inquiries regarding personal information should be directed as follows.

Personal information officer: Yoshito Abe, Secretary General, AFRMD
14. Languages permitted on application form
Japanese or English
15. Application steps
The application steps are as follows.
1)

Create My Page

2)

Submit application documents through “My Page”

16. Application procedure
Application Form／English Version <Sample, For Viewing Purpose Only>※This is a sample for viewing purpose only. For application, please download the application form
from “MY PAGE”.
1)

Application procedure(1)

Creating “My Page”
Create your account by clicking、"「基本情報登録（ID・パスワードの取得）」Registrationof basic information (acquisition of ID / password)" and fill out the form. You can continue
to use My Page from next year onwards.
※If you already have “My Page”, please proceed to (2).

(2)

Login to “My Page”
Please login to My Page using the ID and password you obtained.
Confirm your information by opening the "Confirm and Change" from My Page.

(3)

Fill out the research grant application form and submit the required documents

After logging in to your account：My page, click the red button: 「応募はこちら」
under the“Information”tab and select the program, "Research Grant", "Step-up ResearchGrant", or "Overseas Research Grant". Or, you can also select the program by opening
the "Submit Application" tab.
Fill out the " Step-up Research Grant Application Form「助成申請受付フォーム」", download the application format, and prepare the application documents.
(4)

Submit documents
Click “「確認する」（Confirm）” after filling out all the forms and uploading the required
documents, then check the contents and click the "「応募する」(Apply)" button at the bottomof the page.
The contents cannot be modified after submission, so please check carefully beforesubmission.

2)

Preparation of application documents(1) Required documents for the application

The filled-in application formats（PDF）is required documents for application.
(2) Download the format
The format is available on the application form on "My Page".
(3) Points for the preparation of application documents(i) The Application Formats
Please check the followings when filling in the application format.
・Please enter your name in the upper right corner.
・Use 11 pt. font size or more (no specified font).
・You may change the size of the designated frame, but please briefly fill in the application
items from [I] to [IX] within 5 pages. Please do not change the left and right margins as it will
be printed. Applications that exceed 5 pages will not be accepted.
・Please include figures and tables such as preliminary data within the text, if necessary.
・Delete the ”Notes in the frame” in the format and increase entry fields. Please delete
the “Notes outside the frame” before submission.
・Graphical Abstract
 Summarize your research concept, appeal points, points to be stepped up, andfuture vision in a single conceptual diagram.
 Provide a simple conceptual diagram so that non-specialists can understand themain points easily. Please refer to the following links to create a conceptual
diagram; 「Cell Press Graphical Abstract Guidelines」(https://www.cell.com/pb/assets/raw/shared/figureguidelines/GA_guide.pdf) 、ACS Publications「Guidelines for Table of Contents / AbstractGraphics」(https://pubsapp.acs.org/paragonplus/submission/toc_abstract_graphics_gu
idelines.pdf)、Royal Society of Chemistry Guideline(https://www.rsc.org/journals-books-databases/author-and-reviewerhub/authors-information/prepare-and-format/figures-graphics-images/) Please use a font size of 11pt or more and keep the number of characters small.
No font is specified. Japanese or English is acceptable as the language.
(ii) PDF conversion of application documents and total file size
・ The completed application formats must be converted to PDF.
・ Total file size of the application documents must be 3MB or less.
17. Confidentiality

All the AFRMD officers, the selection committee members, and secretariat members signed
the "Pledge for Confidentiality" and obliged to retain confidential information such as
contents of an application form.

18. Inquiries
Secretariat, Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders (AFRMD)#702 Nihonbashi Life Science Building 23-11-5, Nihonbashi-Honcho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0023
Tel: 03-3244-3397
Email: byoutai@jp.astellas.com
Website: https://www.astellas-foundation.or.jp/