2023

Creating New Knowledge
̶For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Creating New Knowledge

̶For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

What is the Grants-in-Aid for
Scientiﬁc Research (KAKENHI) program?

2023

2

Research Categories

3

Grant Applications

5

Review

8

Use of Research Funds

10

Assessment Following the Adoption of Research Projects

13

Research Results of KAKENHI-funded Projects

14

Supplementary Material and Data

18

Management of the KAKENHI System

18

Application/Adoption Numbers and Annual Budgets

19

Review Sections

21

Selection of Reviewers (in the case of Scientiﬁc Research category)

22

Disclosure of Review Results

23

Initiatives for Ensuring Appropriate Use of KAKENHI Funds
and Fair Research Activities

24

Public Release of Research Results

26

Information Dissemination and Public Relations Activities

28*This booklet has been produced based on information as of October 2023, unless otherwise speciﬁed.

1

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023

What is the Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research(KAKENHI) program?

Universities and research institutions across Japan conduct many diﬀerent kinds ofresearch. As one means of supporting the research, the Grants-in-Aid for ScientiﬁcResearch (KAKENHI) program supports scientiﬁc research across all ﬁelds from thehumanities and social sciences to the natural sciences and across the spectrum frombasic to applied research. The budget for ﬁscal 2023 is approximately 237.7 billion yen.
In ﬁscal 2022, KAKENHI supported approximately 83,000 outstanding research
projects, including newly adopted proposals and ongoing research projects that havealready been adopted. These features make KAKENHI the largest competitive researchfunds in Japan.
Research activities take many forms, including those in which the researchers carry out
their work with curiosity, projects in which the area of concentration and goals aredeﬁned in advance, and those intended to lead to speciﬁc product development. The
starting point for all these activities is scientiﬁc research based on the researcherʼscreative ideas. By broadly supporting this scientiﬁc research, which is the foundation of
all research activities, the KAKENHI program plays a major role, in the fostering anddevelopment of scientiﬁc advances.
KAKENHI provides funds necessary for research activities, following adoption based on
the rigorous review of research plans submitted by researchers.

■The placement of “KAKENHI” in the policy on the promotion of science,technology and scientiﬁc research in Japan
Research
type

Scientiﬁc research basedon researcher'screative ideas【curiosity-driven research】

R&D on policy imperatives【mission-oriented research】

Competitive
Research Funds(Selected throughopen calls
and review)Research supported
by Grants-in-Aid for
Scientiﬁc Research

Research funded by open calland selection in line withthe missions set byindividual Ministries

Basic funds（Provision ofmanagement andoperation funds,
etc.）

Research conducted atuniversities And
inter-university
research institutes

National projects led by
the initiative of Government,
strategically promoted
R&D projects conducted by
National Research andDevelopment Agencies

Funding type

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

2Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023

Research Categories
KAKENHI covers all ﬁelds of research.
This scheme oﬀers a variety of research categories, depending on the contents and scale.
KAKENHI supports all types of curiosity-driven research (i.e. scientiﬁc research based on
researcherʼs creative ideas) from basic research to applied research, covering all ﬁelds,from the humanities and social sciences to natural sciences.
Research categories are deﬁned based on the stage and scale of the research. Researchers
applying for KAKENHI can select a research category based on the contents and scaleof their own research plan.

■Image of research categories in FY2023
Research Categories of“Scientiﬁc Research”

Fund for the Promotion of
Joint International Research
Research categories to promotejoint international research andinternational network-building inorder to raise the pesence of Japanese scientiﬁc research in the international community.

Research Categories toconsolidate scaﬀolds foracademic research which
supports research aimed atdeepening and developing
academic disciplines based on
accumulation in past.

Specially Promoted
ResearchResearch Categories of“Tramsformatove Research”
Research Categories to support
research based on innovative ideas
and have the potential to drive transformation and conversion of the existing scientiﬁc framework and direction,and the development of new areas.

Transformative Research Areas(A/B)
Scientiﬁc Research(S/A/B/C)

International Leading
Research
Fostering Joint
International Research

Challenging Research(Pioneering/Exploratory)
Research Categories of“Early-Career Scientists”

International
Collaborative ResearchHome-Returning Researcher
Development Research

3

JSPS Fellows

Reserarch Activity Start-up

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Early-Career Scientists

Research Categories
provide opportunities forindependent research by
early-career researchers
to support growth asresearchers and to facilitate step-up to Research
Categories of “ScientiﬁcResearch”.

Details on each research category are as follows.
Research categories

As of July 2023

Purposes and description of each research category

Type of fund*1

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
Grant-in-Aid forSpecially Promoted
Research

Outstanding and distinctive research conducted by one or a relatively small number of researchers expected to achieve
remarkably excellent research results that opens up a new scientiﬁc ﬁeld.
The research period is 3 to 5 years. (In a truly necessary case, period up to 7 years is acceptable.) The budget ranges from
200 million to 500 million yen per project (Only in a truly necessary case, budget exceeding 500 million yen is asked for.).

SG

Grant-in-Aid forTransformative
Research Areas(A) Research areas proposed through co-creative and interdisciplinary eﬀorts of diverse researchers, which aim to create
research areas that will lead the way to radical transformation of and change in the existing framework and/or directionof research as well as upgrade and level-up of scientiﬁc research in Ja pan and nurturing young researchers, and willcontribute to the development of the proposed research areas through eﬀorts for joint research and shared use of
equipment, etc. (5 years; more than 50 million yen and up to 300 million yen per ﬁscal year per research area (In a truly
necessary case, a budget exceeding 300 million yen may be requested.))(B) Research areas proposed by compact groups of researchers who will be bearers of the next generation of research witha smaller budget scale (about 3 or 4 groups), which aim to create research areas that will lead the way to radicaltransformation of and change in the existing framework and/or direction of research as well as upgrade and level-up of
scientiﬁc research in Japan through more challenging and exploratory research, and expected to lead to theTransformative Research Areas (A) in the future. (3 years; 50 million yen or less per ﬁscal year per research area)

SG

Grant-in-Aid for
Scientiﬁc Research(S): Creative/pioneering research conducted by one or a relatively small number of researchers.
5 years (in principle) 50 million to 200 million yen(A), (B), (C): Creative/pioneering research conducted by one researcher or jointly by multiple researchers.
(A)
3 to 5 years;
20 million to 50 million yen(B)
3 to 5 years;
5 million to 20 million yen(C)
3 to 5 years;
5 million yen or less

（S）
（A）

SG

（B）
（C）

MF

Grant-in-Aid for
Challenging Research

Research conducted by a single or multiple researchers that aims at radically transforming the existing research framework
and/or changing the research direction and has a potential of rapid development.
The scope of the (Exploratory) category encompasses research proposals that are highly exploratory and/or are in theirbudding stages.
(Pioneering) 3 to 6 years; 5 million to 20 million yen(Exploratory) 2 to 3 years; 5 million yen or lessMF

Grant-in-Aid for
Early-Career Scientists

Research conducted by an individual researcher (*2) who is less than 8 years after Ph.D. acquisition.
2 to 5 years; 5 million yen or less.

MF

Grant-in-Aid for
Research Activity Start-up

Research conducted by a single researcher who has been freshly appointed to a research position, or who has returned from
his/her maternity, childcare or other kinds of leave.
Up to 2 years; Up to 1.5 million per ﬁscal year

MF

Grant-in-Aid for
Encouragement of Scientists

Research conducted by an individual who is ineligible for application for other KAKENHI categories (e.g., Individuals who
belong to educational or research institutions, private companies, etc. and engage in the researches to contribute to thepromotion of the science).
1 year; 100 thousand to 1 million yen

SGResearch projects of pressing urgency and importanceMF

Grant-in-Aid for Special Purposes

Grant-in-Aid for Publication of Scientiﬁc Research Results
Publication of Research
Results

Subsidy for publication and/or international dissemination of research achievements of high academic values executedby academic associations and other organizations.

Enhancement of International
Dissemination of Information

Subsidy for eﬀorts by academic societies and other scholarly organizations to strengthen international dissemination ofacademic information for the purpose of international academic exchange.

Scientiﬁc Literature

Subsidy for academic publication of research results (books) authored by an individual or a group of researchers.

Databases

Subsidy for creation and operation of a database open to public use by an individual or a group of researchers.

Grant-in-Aid for
JSPS Fellows

Funding period is up to 3 years for research conducted by JSPS Fellows (including Foreign JSPS Fellows). As for Cross-border
Postdoctoral Fellowship (CPD) the period is up to 5 years

SG

MF

Fund for the Promotion of Joint International ResearchInternational Leading
Research

This grant aims to enable research groups led by top-level researchers in our country to play a central role in the international
network, thereby achieving research results of high scientiﬁc value internationally. With the participation of postdoctoral
fellows and graduate students, the grant seeks to foster researchers who can play leading roles in the international researchcommunity in the future.
(7 years (extendable up to 10 years); up to 500 million yen)

Fostering Joint International
Research

Support of joint international research project conducted by a KAKENHI grantee in collaboration with researcher(s) at aforeign university or a research institution over a period of 6 to 12 months. The grant seeks to markedly advance researchplans for the root research project and to foster independent researchers who can be internationally competitive. (Thebudget is up to 12 million yen.) [The category name is changed from FY2023 call for proposals.]International Collaborative
Research

Support of joint international research project conducted by multiple domestic researchers and a researcher who belongs tooverseas research institution. In addition to the development of scientiﬁc research, the grant seeks to build out infrastructureof joint international research or further strengthen joint international research and to foster researchers who can beinternationally competitive. (The period is 3 to 6 years. The budget is up to 20 million yen.)[The category name is changed from FY2023 call for proposals.]Home-Returning Researcher
Development Research

Support of research to be conducted by a Japanese researcher with current aﬃliation abroad who is to be newly appointed atuniversity or research institution in Japan. (The period is up to 3 years. The budget is up to 50 million yen.)MF(*1) SG: Series of Single-year Grants, MF: Multi-year Fund(*2) Individuals who are in the prospect of acquiring Ph.D. are also eligible. When counting the years after Ph.D. acquisition, the period of maternity leave and childcare leave can be excluded.

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

4Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023

Grant Applications
You may apply for KAKENHI grants if you meet the eligibility requirements for KAKENHI
applications.
Researchers who meet the eligibility requirements for KAKENHI application may apply for
KAKENHI grants. Not only researchers at universities, but also researchers at research
institutes of private corporations or other organizations designated by the MEXT Minister
may apply for KAKENHI grants.
Any researcher considering applying is kindly requested to check with their research
institution for speciﬁc procedures.
Under the KAKENHI, the schedule is set up in order to enable research projects tocommence from April, the beginning of the ﬁscal year. Accordingly, a series of calls for
proposals start in April or later of the previous year, and after a review process, a noticeof review results is sent promptly to each research institution by the end of the previous
ﬁscal year.
Application Procedures for KAKENHI and relevant documents, including the Research
Proposal Document, which forms part of the application documents, are available on therespective KAKENHI websites of MEXT and JSPS. English versions of the Application
Procedures and the Research Proposal Document forms are available, and applications
may be submitted in English.
Applications are accepted online through the electronic application system.
Application Procedures（JSPS）
https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-grants/howt
oapply.html
Application Procedures（MEXT）(Japanese version only)
https://www.mext.go.jp/a̲menu/shinkou/hojyo/boshu/1351544.htm

5Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

■Flow from Call for Proposals to Provisional Grant Decision
The diagram below describes the ﬂow from call for proposals to provisional
grant decision in the 2024 funding year in the case of the most common
research categories, “Scientiﬁc Research (A/B/C)” and “Early-Career
Scientists”.
Mid-July“Scientiﬁc Research(A/B/C)”,“Early-Career Scientists”

Meetings explaining
Grants-in-Aid for
Scientiﬁc Research(Early to mid-July)

Submission deadline: Mid-September“Scientiﬁc Research A/B/C)”,“Early-Career Scientists”

Decision on screening
and assessment rules inScientiﬁc Research Grant
Committee

Application Procedures are notiﬁed to eachresearch institution, and are also madeavailable on the Internet

Acceptance of Research Proposal
Document

Two-Stage Document Review

Mid-September
to Early October“Scientiﬁc Research (B/C)” and“Early-Career Scientists”
Preparing forreview
Comprehensive Review“Scientiﬁc Research (A)”Late January to
Early February

Mid-October to Late January＜Document review＞

Results tallied fromdocument reviews

Screening results tallied;
preparations for informal decision＜Panel review＞
Grant awardees are
adopted bassed on
document review
outcomes (conductedby same researchers
as those involved in
the document reviews)

Late February

Notiﬁcation of review results toeach researcher

Mid-October to Late January＜First-stage
document review＞

Results tallied fromﬁrst-stage document
review＜Second-stage document review＞
Borderline proposals are assessed for anotherround and assigned scores for the second time
based on the results of the ﬁrst-stage document
reviews and taking into account the individualcomments of other reviewers, in order todetermine grant awardees (conducted by same
reviewers as those involved in the ﬁrst-stage
document reviews)

Early April
Notiﬁcation of provisional grant
decision and procedures forformal application for grantdelivery to each research
institution

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

6Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023■Year-round schedule of KAKENHI process＜Schedule for FY2024 Call for Proposals and Notice of Review Results for Main
Research Categories＞
Start of Call for
Proposals

Deadline for Submissionof Applications

Timing of Notice ofReview Results

Specially Promoted Research

Mid-April 2023

Mid-June 2023

Early January 2024

Scientiﬁc Research (S)Mid-April 2023

Mid-June 2023

Mid-February 2024

Transformative Research Areas (A/B)

Mid-April 2023

Mid-June 2023

Late February 2024

Transformative Research Areas (A)(Publicly Oﬀered Research)

Mid-July 2023

Mid-September 2023

Late February 2024

Scientiﬁc Research (A/B/C), Early-Career Scientists,
Encouragement of Scientists

Mid-July 2023

Mid-September 2023

Late February 2024

Challenging Research (Pioneering/Exploratory)

Mid-July 2023

Mid-September 2023

Late June 2024

Publication of Scientiﬁc Research Results

Mid-July 2023

Mid-September 2023

Late March 2024

Research Category＜Schedule for FY2023 Call for Proposals and Notice of Review Results for Main
Research Categories＞
Research Category

Start of Call for
Proposals

Deadline for Submissionof Applications

Timing of Notice ofReview Results

International Collaborative Research(formerly Fostering Joint International Research (B))

Early March 2023

Early May 2023

Early September 2024

Fostering Joint International Research(formerly Fostering Joint International Research (A))、Home-Returning Researcher Development Research

Mid-July 2023

Mid-September 2023

Late February 2024

For the timeline for research categories not listed above, please refer to therespective Application Procedures and other documents.
7

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Review
Researchers serve as reviewers to support an fair and highly transparent review system.

A peer review* process is carried out in order to select high quality research projects.
*A system in which researchers selected by the scientiﬁc community itself mutually evaluate and review theacademic value of each research project according to their conscience as scientists.

More than 8,000 researchers are involved in the review proess. Review Sections are
established for review, and applicants choose their own Review Section for application.
Review methods include “Two-Stage Document Review” and “Comprehensive Review”.
In the “Two-Stage Document Review”, the same reviewers conduct document reviews in
two stages and determine adoption.
In the “Comprehensive Review”, adoption is determined pursuant to a document review
followed by a multi-faceted review by a panel composed of the same reviewers who
conducted the document review.
We ensure the transparency of reviews by disclosing the review results to applicants andby publishing the names and other information of reviewers on the website after thereview process is completed. In addition, since impartial reviews are always required, theResearch Center for Science Systems in the JSPS veriﬁes and analyzes the status ofreviews and other matters.
Details on review policies and criteria, among other things, are available on the MEXT and
JSPS websites.
Review Criteria (KAKENHI website)
https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/egrants/grants03.html■KAKENHI Review Methods ―A Fair, Impartial and Transparent Review Process
Decide review policies
Fair selection of reviewers

Peer review by ScientiﬁcResearch Grant Committee

In the case of “Scientiﬁc Research (A)”,“Challenging Research (Pioneering) ”

Decide review policies(Scientiﬁc Research
Grant Committee)

Review rules are all disclosed
Persons with conﬂicts ofinterest are excluded

Comprehensive
Review

Panel Review
involving same
reviewers asDocument Review

In the case of “Scientiﬁc Research(B/C)”,“Early-Career Scientists” and“Challenging Research (Exploratory)”

Selection of reviewers(Research Center for
Science Systems)
Two-Stage
Document
Review
Reviewers are
selected carefully,
striving for balance

Document
Review

Document
Review

Document Review
involving same
reviewers as
First-stage
Document Review

Disclose and publicallyrelease information

Provisional/oﬃcial grant decision

Inform unsuccessful candidates whorequest them the contents of
their review results

Post registry of reviewers' nameson the program's webpage after selection
process is completed.

Publish outlines of opinions expressedin the review results for adopted“Scientiﬁc Research (A)”and “Challenging Research (Pioneering)”
projects in the Grants-in-Aid for
Scientiﬁc Research Database(KAKEN)

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

8Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023■Review Process■【Two-Stage Document Review】（Examples)― “Scientiﬁc Research (B/C)”,“Early-Career Scientists” and “Challenging Research (Exploratory)” ―Each “Scientiﬁc Research (B)” proposal is reviewed by six reviewers*１; each “Scientiﬁc Research (C)”and “Early-Career Scientists” proposal is reviewed by four reviewers; each “Challenging Research(Exploratory)”proposal is reviewed by six to eight reviewers. In the event that the number of
proposals received is large, reviews are conducted following a preliminary screening (in the
Challenging Research category only).
First-stage Document Review(in each Basic Section*1,2)

Second-stage Document Review(in each Basic Section*1,2)

Each proposal undergoes a document
review (relative evaluation) via theelectronic application system, conducted bymultiple reviewers appointed in theapplicable Basic Section*1,2

Proposals mainly close to the borderline areawarded scores for the second time based on
the results of the ﬁrst-stage document reviews
and taking into account the individual commentsof other reviewers＜Reviewers＞＜Reviewers＞

A

B

A

B

C

D

C

D

Grant
AwardsFinalized

Conducted by same reviewers as ﬁrst-stage document review*1 For Grant-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research (B), joint reviews will be conducted by consolidating several Basic Sections for which thenumber of applications is notably small. Joint reviews will be conducted by six to twelve reviewers.
*2 For “Challenging Research (Exploratory)”, reviews are conducted in each Medium-sized Section.

■【Comprehensive Review】（Examples)― “Scientiﬁc Research (A)”, and“Challenging Research (Pioneering) ” ―Between six and eight reviewers are appointed for each proposal in the “Scientiﬁc Research (A)” and“Challenging Research (Pioneering)”, and each proposal is subject to both a document review and amore thorough and multi-faceted panel review. In the event that a large number of applications isreceived, the review may include processes such as preliminary screening (“Challenging Research”
only) or random assignment*3 of research proposals.
Document review(in Medium-sized Section)

Panel review(in Medium-sized Section)

The document review (relative evaluation)for each research project is conducted bymultiple reviewers assigned (for each
Medium-sized Section) across a broader
range of disciplines

Based on the cumulative results of the
document review, a panel made up of the same
reviewers who conducted the document review
will carry out a multi-faceted review, and decideto adopt or not the application.

Document
Review

Panel
Review＜Reviewers＞＜Reviewers＞

B
A

B

C

D

A

C
D

Results ofDocument Review

E
E

F

G

H

Grant
AwardsFinalized

H
F

G

Same reviewers as for document review*3 In order to alleviate the burden on reviewers in sections with large numbers of applications, multiple review groups are
established and proposals assigned to them randomly.
*4 For such as “Scientiﬁc Research (S)”, in addition to the Comprehensive Review, we have introduced a system of review comments
produced by researchers in closely-related specializations, taking into account the specialized nature of applications.
*5 “Reviews in the Challenging Research (Exploratory)” category were conducted in a comprehensive review format up to the call for
proposals for the 2021 funding year, but the two-stage document review format has been used from the 2022 funding year.

9

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

References
and Data

Review Sections
P２１
Selection of Reviewers
P２2Disclosure of Review Results P２3

Use of Research Funds
You can use research funds for a wide range of purposes, as long as they are necessary
for your research. We are making improvements every day to make the funds easier to use.
Based on requests from researchers and research institutions, we are making various
improvements of KAKENHI to facilitate the use of research grants.

■Examples of major system improvements■Use of research grants free from the constraints of a single ﬁscal year system:
Introduction of the Multi-year Fund to KAKENHI

JSPS has established the Multi-year Fund to enable the use of research grants over multiple ﬁscal
years. You can ﬂexibly use research grants for the entire research period of multi-year projects
under the research categories eligible for the Multi-Year Fund.
For the eligible research categories, please refer to the research category details on page 4.
Advantages of Implementing the Multi-year Fund
◆Flexible use of research grants
・In pace with the progress of their research projects, researchers can spend researchfunds in advance or spend unused funds in the following year or later.
・Researchers can enter into multi-year contracts.
・It is acceptable for goods ordered at the end of one ﬁscal year to be delivered in the next.
◆No need to request carryover of unused funds
This helps researchers to secure their research time and research institutions to reduce
their administrative burden.

■Image of Multi-year Fund grant usage

Initialscheduled
grant
usage

Actualusage
based on
needs

1st
ﬁscal
year

2nd
ﬁscal
year

3rd
ﬁscal
year

4th
ﬁscal
year

¥1 million¥1 million¥1 million¥1 million¥0.7 million¥1 million¥0.3 million(moved forward)¥0.3 million
Amount that can be moved forward¥0.8 million¥1 million¥0.2 million(carried over)¥0.2 million
Carried over without any processing

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

10Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023■Adjustment Funds system of KAKENHI (Series of Single-year Grants)
We have introduced the Adjustment Funds system to enable funds in projects under research
categories outside the scope of the Multi-year Fund to be brought forward for use or carried over for
use in the next ﬁscal year, thus realizing ﬂexible use of research grants.
Amount that can be moved forward

Initialscheduled
grant
usage

Amount that can be used in the next ﬁscal year

1st
ﬁscal
year

2nd
ﬁscal
year

3rd
ﬁscal
year

4th
ﬁscal
year

¥10 million¥10 million¥10 million¥10 million¥1 million (carried over)

Actualusage
based onneeds

¥7 million¥10 million¥3 million (reduced amount)¥7 million¥1 million (carried over)¥2 million (unused amount)¥2 million (Adjustment Fund)¥3 million (Adjustment Fund)
Adjustment Fund
In 1st year, ¥3 million isadded to initially scheduledamount of Adjustment Fund

¥10 million

In 2nd year, ¥3 million
reduced from initially scheduled amountTo Treasury
In 3rd year, ¥2 million ofunused funds is returned toTreasury, and ¥1 million isrequested to be carried overto the 4th year.

Adjustment Fund
In 4th year, ¥1 million iscarried over and ¥2 million isadded to the initially scheduled amount of the Adjustment Fund

■Extension of research periods in line with interruptions such as
maternity/childcare leave and long-term overseas stay
Research can be suspended temporarily when taking leave for maternity, childcare and the like andresearch periods extended in accordance with their request. And, a system was introduced toenable research to be suspended temporarily during periods of residence outside Japan for research
purposes and research periods extended accordingly.

11

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

■Purchase of joint-use facility using funds combined from multiple grants
To promote eﬃcient use of KAKENHI grants and joint use of equipment, it has been possible topurchase equipment that is used jointly (joint-use facility) by combining funds from multiple grants.
In addition to combining funds across multiple KAKENHI grants, it is also possible to purchasejoint-use equipment using KAKENHI funds in combination with funds from other competitive
research funds schemes.
For details of schemes that are eligible for combination, please refer to the MEXT website.
Concerning the purchase of joint-use facilities with funds from diﬀerent
research funds (a combined use) (Japanese version only)
https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20200910-mxt̲sinkou02-100001873.pdf
Image of combining KAKENHI funds (in the case of joint-use equipment)
XX Research Institute, Graduate School…

XX Research Institute, Graduate School…
KAKENHILab A

KAKENHILab B
Costs borne jointly

KAKENHIHard to use
equipment fromother labs

R1000
Used
separately

Lab A

Two devices
exactly the same…

Lab B

Lab C

KAKENHI
R1000

Joint-use equipment

Research assistants

R3000DX

Use

Anybody
can use■Ensuring Appropriate Use of KAKENHI Funds and Fair Research Activities
As KAKENHI is funded by taxpayers' money, we must prevent any improper grant spending andresearch misconduct. To this end, we have made eﬀorts to raise awareness of the KAKENHI rules,
including distributing handbooks and holding seminars. At the same time, we demand that eachresearch institution ensure the use of research grants under an appropriate management structure.

■Online application procedures
Applications for KAKENHI grants are accepted online through the electronic application system,
rather than on paper, in order to secure research time for researchers and reduce the administrative
burden on research institutions.

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

12Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023

Assessment Following the Adoption of Research Projects
We conduct assessments after adoption based on the size and progress of the research.

Research funded by KAKENHI undergoes regular assessment by the scientiﬁccommunity, such as when the research results are published as academic papers. A
research funding organization, however, also has a crucial role in properly assessing theresults of KAKENHI-funded research. For researchers, as well, third-party assessment isuseful as a basis for reviewing research conducted up to now or for leading todevelopment into new research.
For these reasons, the KAKENHI program, based on the “General Guidelines for
Evaluating Government Funded R&D”, carries out assessment in keeping with the scopeand progress stage of research, and makes public all the assessment results on the
KAKENHI website and elsewhere.
Assessment Method

Details of Assessment (Projects adopted after ﬁscal 2018)

・Document
・Interviews（On-site surveys）

・Self-assessment by researchers themselves as to the progress of
their research (each ﬁscal year)
・Interim assessment (middle year of the research period)
・Ex-post assessment (next ﬁscal year after end of the research
period)・Document
・Interviews

・Self-assessment by researchers themselves as to the progress of
their research (each ﬁscal year)
・Interim assessment (third year of a ﬁve-year research period)
・Ex-post assessment (next ﬁscal year after end of the research
period)Grant-in-Aid forTransformative
Research Areas (A)•Document review• Interviews• Self-assessment by researchers themselves as to the progress of
their research (each ﬁscal year)
・Interim assessment (third year of a ﬁve-year research period)
・Ex-post assessment (next ﬁscal year after end of the research
period)Grant-in-Aid for
Scientiﬁc Research (S)・Document
・Interviews（On-site surveys）

・Self-assessment by researchers themselves as to the progress of
their research (each ﬁscal year)
・Interim assessment (middle year of the research period)
・Ex-post assessment (next ﬁscal year after end of the research
period)Grant-in-Aid
for Specially
Promoted Research

Grant-in-Aid for
Scientiﬁc Researchon Innovative Areas*Researchers themselves conduct annual self-assessments on the progress of their research under the categories
of Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (B), Scientiﬁc Research (A/B/C), Challenging Research(Pioneering/Exploratory), Early-Career Scientists, and Research Activity Start-up.

13

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Research Results of KAKENHI-funded Projects
KAKENHI-funded research projects have produced a wide variety of results, ranging from basic
research to those that play a role in our daily lives.

■Introducing Research Achievements Resulting
Development of cancer immunotherapy using
PD-1 blockade
HONJO Tasuku, Distinguished Professor,
Kyoto University
Killer T cells
In 1992, Professor HONJO identiﬁed
programmed cell death 1 (PD-1), a T cellsurface molecule related to T-cell selection in
the thymus gland. The function of PD-1 within
the body remained unknown for many years
thereafter.

Brake

Killer T cells

PD-1
Ready
antibody to attack

T cellreceptor

Tumor cells

Research Outcome

Funding by KAKENHI began in the early 1990s

Activate

PD-1
antibody Further developments from research achievements

Tumor cells

・In 2002, proved in laboratory experimentswith mice lacking PD-1 or PD-1 blockade thatblocking PD-1 can activate killer T cells andthereby inhibit the growth of cancer: aworld-ﬁrst achievement.

Tumor volume

Wild type・I n 1 9 9 9 , s h o w e d i n e x p e r i m e n t s u s i n glaboratory mice lacking PD-1 that PD-1 is an
inhibitor molecule, acting as a brake on
excessive immune reactions.
・Showed that in mice lacking PD-1 there wasno brake applied to immune function and thisled to auto-immune disease.

KAKENHI ﬁnancial support
Mechanism of lymphocyte diﬀerentiation, molecularmechanisms of gene rearrangement and clonaldeletion by antigens(Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research,
1992‒1994) etc.

・Created a human antibody for human PD-1 andconducted clinical trials with Bristol-Myers Squibb
and Ono Pharmaceutical. The therapy was eﬀective
even in around 30% of stage-4 cancer patients who
had no other treatment options remaining.
・Today, this therapy is applied to many types ofcancer and used on patients throughout the world.
・Professor HONJO continues to pursue research on
causes of non-eﬀective therapy, concomitanttherapies to strengthen therapeutic eﬀects, andmethods of reducing side-eﬀects.

After inoculation of tumor J558L (day)Figure: By blocking the PD-1 brake, theinhibition of killer T-cells can beremoved and they can attack the cancer(see ﬁgure above). Professor HONJO
showed for the ﬁrst time in the world Professor HONJO was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology orthat stronger antitumor eﬀects were Medicine in 2018 for “discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition
found in mice lacking PD-1 than in wild of negative immune regulation.”© Nobel Media AB The Nobel prize Medal is a registered trademark of the Nobel Foundation
mice. Iwai et al., PNAS, 2002.
KAKENHI ﬁnancial support

Research on Neutrino Oscillations“Study of atmospheric neutrinos”(from ﬁscal 1995, ScientiﬁcResearch (C)), etc.

KAJITA Takaaki, Director, Professor,
The University of Tokyo

Research Outcome
・Observations of atmospheric neutrinos using
Super-Kamiokande revealed that of muon
neutrinos produced on the other side of the
Earth, some changed to tau neutrinos as aresult of their long journey. Their number was
only about half the number of neutrinos thatcame down from directly above the detector.

・T h i s p h e n o m e n o n c a m e t o b e k n o w n a s
neutrino oscillation, neutrinos changing into
other types of neutrinos while in ﬂight. Thisoccurs only if neutrinos have mass. The
discovery of neutrino oscillations becamedeﬁnitive proof that neutrinos have a mass thatis not zero.

rin
ut

Atmosphere

ZenithNumber of observed muon neutrinos

SuperKamiokande

o

os

ci

lla

tio

ns

Cosmic rays
entering
atmosphere

Ne・Neutrinos are elementary particles, of which
there are three “ﬂavors”̶electron neutrinos,
muon neutrinos, and tau neutrinos. Being
extremely light, for a long time they were
believed to have zero mass.
・Based on the observation that the ratio of theelectron neutrino and muon neutrino
components of the Kamiokande experimentʼs
atmospheric neutrino data did not agree withexpectations, the issue of the “atmospheric
neutrino anomaly” was raised. Then the study
on atmospheric neutrinos which produced whencosmic rays collide with atoms in theatmosphere was begun.

Funding by KAKENHI began in the 1990s
Predicted number of muon neutrinos
without neutrino oscillations
Predicted number of events withneutrino oscillations
Actual observed data

Muon
neutrinos
observed with
Super-Kamiokande

Direction of neutrino ﬂight (zenith angle)

Atmospheric neutrinos produced in the atmosphereon the other side of the Earth pass through the Earthand arrive at the detector.
Further developments from research achievements
・Since this discovery, studies of neutrinomass and of elementary particle theory
incorporating these ﬁndings haveprogressed, leading to the conﬁrmation ofoscillations of all three ﬂavors of neutrinos
in solar neutrino, T2K, and otherexperiments.
・I t i s h o p e d t h a t l e a r n i n g a b o u t t h eproperties of neutrinos will bring us closer
to solving the mystery of how the Universe
came to be made only of matter, instead ofequal amounts of matter and antimatterthat should have existed when the Universe
ﬁrst came into being.

Inside of Super-Kamiokande
Photo:
Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, The University of Tokyo
Kamioka Observatoryⓒ Ⓡ The Nobel Foundation.
Photo: Lovisa Engblom.

The Nobel Prize inPhysics was awarded in2015 to Prof. KAJITA
and Prof. Arthur B.
McDonald “for the
discovery of neutrino
oscillations, whichshows that neutrinos
have mass.”

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

14Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research2023

New technology to boost the output power ofvisible and ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
AMANO Hiroshi, Professor,
Nagoya University

KAKENHI ﬁnancial support“Study of a high-performance GaN-based blueLED” (from ﬁscal 1987, Developmental
Scientiﬁc Research; Principal Investigator Dr.
AKASAKI Isamu)
Funding by Kakenhi began in the late 1980s

Having a higher eﬃciency than incandescentor ﬂuorescent lamp, LED lamps are rapidly
ﬁnding wider use. With earlier device designs,
however, light extraction eﬃciency was toolaw, requiring development of technology to
extract the light more eﬃciently. Moreover,compared with visible light LEDs, the eﬃciency of ultraviolet LEDs was extremely low.

3.7 times

ﬂat

It was discovered that, by forming surface
irregularities shorter than the wavelength ofthe light, the overall reﬂection of light could
be suppressed, enabling the light to extract
the device. Using low-energy electron beams,
a moth-eye structure was created of regularly
arranged cone-shaped structures 500 nm
wide. The resulting LED achieved 1.7 to 2.5
times higher light output compared withconventional LEDs. Growing crystals at higher
temperatures improved the internal quantum
eﬃciency of the emitting layers of ultraviolet
LEDs.

Further developments from research achievements
The technology is applicable towhite LEDs and a wide range ofother LED products requiring higheﬃciency and output. Ultraviolet
LEDs are also thought to be thekey for a variety of environmental
friendly products, including thosefor cleaning air and water. They
may also have medical applications such as for treatment of skindiseases.

Elucidating the Maritime Networks in
Prehistoric Southeast Asia fromthe Perspective of Ear Ornaments
MIYAMA Emilｙ, Visiting Fellow,
Kanazawa University

Dr. AMANO, Dr. AKASAKI Isamu
of Meijo University, and Dr.
NAKAMURA Shuji of the University of California Santa Barbara,
were awarded the 2014 Nobel
Prize in Physics for their development of blue LEDs.
ⓒ Ⓡ The Nobel Foundation. Photo: Lovisa Engblom.

KAKENHI ﬁnancial support
Transition of social structures beyond prehistoricSouth China Sea - Study on the spatiotemporal
distribution and social use of ear-ornaments(ﬁscal 2013〜2014, JSPS Fellows, etc.)

Further developments from research achievements
・Dr. MIYAMA newly established a network modelof “itinerant artisans,” in addition to “migration”
and “trade,” which have been pointed out inprevious studies.
・I n o r d e r t o g a i n a m o r e m u l t i - f a c e t e dunderstanding of the actual conditions of themaritime networks, Dr. MIYAMA is advancing
research by revealing 1) the characteristics of
local communities through a comparative studyof burial practices and 2) crafting techniques
and resource arquisitions through analysis ofpottery clay and then examining them withtypological features, with the aim of making it
possible to diﬀerentiate between local andimported pottery.

Research Outcome
This research presents a concept of “production
system” that shows how ear ornaments were
made, based on the analysis of the morphology,
crafting techniques, and material use of theornaments. At the same time, the study
examined how these ornaments were used inorder to ﬁnd out their social functions and roles.

The research revealed that in local communities
around the South China Sea, ear ornaments wereused for burials and other purposes in diﬀerent
contexts, and that “itinerant artisans” who moved
around the region and crafted ear ornaments
played a signiﬁcant role in the maritime networks
in prehistoric Southeast Asia.

Example of moth-eye structure

Funding by KAKENHI began in the 2013s

In prehistoric Southeast Asia, ear ornaments ofthe same shape have been found in various partsof the region and have drawn attention as
artefacts showing the existence of maritime
networks in the South China Sea. However, they
have not been adequately studied.

15

Improvement inblue LED light
outputUltraviolet laser diodeResearch Outcome

Distribution and transition of ear
ornaments and the overview of
the networks

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Dr. MIYAMA was awarded a 19th
JSPS Prize and the 12th Young
Researcher Award of the Japan
Society for the Southeast Asian
Archaeology in 2022 for her“Elucidating the Maritime Networks in
Prehistoric Southeast Asia from the
Perspective of Ear Ornaments.”

Exploration of habitability in solar system bodies
SEKINE Yasuhito, Professor,
Tokyo Institute of Technology

KAKENHI ﬁnancial support
Aqua planetology(ﬁscal 2013~2014, JSPS Fellows, etc.)
Funding by KAKENHI began in the late 2000s
Further developments from research achievements

One of the major goals of natural sciences is toanswer the questions “How did life come into
being?” and “Are there other bodies outside ofthe earth where life exists? With the progress of
solar system exploration, we have discovered one
after another piece of evidence that shows alarge amount of water, i.e., ocean, exists (orexisted) on bodies other than the earth.

(Illustrations of research results)

Research Outcome
We have focused on the oceans and lakes of
early Mars and the underground oceans of theicy moons of Jupiter and Saturn and examined
their aqueous environments, or the presence ofdissolved chemicals, in particular substancesthat serve as nutrients and food available forlife.

As a result, for instance, we revealed thathydrothermal vents which could harbor life
existed on Enceladus, Saturnʼs satellite, andthat lakes on early Mars were rich in minerals
and had water quality suitable for life.

Conceptual image of underground oceanand hydrothermal vents of Saturnʼs satellite
Enceladus (by courtesy of NASA)

Professor SEKINE was awarded
a 19th JSPS Prize in 2022 for
his “Study of the Atmospheres,
Oceans, and Habitability of Icy
Bodies in the Solar System.”Mars Curiosity rover traveling on a former
lake (by courtesy of NASA)

Research to protect the brain from ultraﬁneparticles in the air pollution
ONODA Atsuto, Assistant Professor,
Sanyo-Onoda City University
Ultraﬁne particles (nanoparticles) of 100 nm or
smaller in the environment, particularly thosesuspended in the air, have properties not seenin coarse particles and have speciﬁc eﬀects on
living organisms. In order to prevent healthhazards caused by ultraﬁne particles, it is now
an important global challenge to unravel how
they induce their unique eﬀects not found inother pollutants.

Control group

Exposed group

Our results suggested the following adverse
outcome pathway: exposure to ultraﬁneparticles generated and increases abnormallystructured proteins in the brain, which are thenreleased and accumulate around brain
perivascular area, leading to injuries to thesurrounding cells (Fig. 2).
The study indicated that conformationalchanges in proteins that occur on the surfaceof particles may be especially important inunderstanding the principles by which theultraﬁne particles impact on the brain.

KAKENHI ﬁnancial support
Mechanism of abnormal brain development
induced by nanoparticle: protein
conformational changes associated withsurface interactions(Scientiﬁc Research (B) from ﬁscal 2022),
etc.
Funding by KAKENHI began in the 2015s
Further developments from research achievements

Research Outcome
Animal experiments revealed that cells aroundcerebral blood vessels (CBVs) were highly
responsive to exposure to even a small amountof particles that stopped short of causing
inﬂammation or acute response (Fig. 1).
They also revealed that, in spite of the young
age of the animals, the cells around cerebral
blood vessels in charge of waste clearance,
showed an increasing resemblance to those ofold animals in terms of their conditions.
However, ultraﬁne particles themselves were
not localized around those blood vessels.

・These results have received wide coverageon TV and in newspapers, with a growing
recognition among the general public that wehave entered the era of searching for life inouter space. The publication of many related
books has served as a catalyst forelementary, junior high, and senior highschool students to develop interest in anddreams for natural sciences.
・Knowledge of the water quality of lakes on
early Mars and the chemical composition ofunderground oceans of icy moons will give us
the idea of how much life can survive there.
As future developments, these can leadJapan to conduct its own exploration
activities and make its presence felt inlarge-scale international exploration of life.

Fig. 1: Example of abnormalities of cells around
CBVs
caused by exposure to ultraﬁne particles
Denatured digestive granules (arrow) of brain
perivascular macrophages (dashed line) incharge of removing waste materials

Fig. 2: Part of infrared spectra around CBVs
Peak shift suggesting conformational changes inproteins observed only around CBVs withabnormalities.

・Each of the ﬁndings in this study turnedout similar to initial lesions commonly
observed in neurodegenerative diseases
including dementia. This points to theimportance of understanding from a newperspective, namely, the interaction ofproteins with ultraﬁne particles in theenvironment, as one of the strategies forpreventing neurodegenerative diseases.
・These outcomes led to the adoption for
the JST FOREST program, resulting inresearch toward the “identiﬁcation ofbrain proteins whose abnormal structures
are induced by ultraﬁne particles andtheir eﬀects on the brain” and “elucidationof characteristics of particles that tend
to induce abnormal structures ofproteins.”
・In the future, Assistant Professor ONODA
aims to develop models for predicting theimpacts of particles in the environment
without using animals or cells, and createtechnical knowledge that will be
conducive to the design and rapid
screening of medical-use nanomaterials
to improve their biocompatibility.
Assistant Professor
ONODA was awarded a
JSPS Ikushi Prize in
FY2017 for his“Mechanisms and Eﬀects
of Maternal Exposure to
Ultraﬁne Particle on theCentral Nervous Systemof Oﬀspring.”

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

16Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023

Furthermore, we oﬀer HIRAMEKI☆TOKIMEKI SCIENCE, an initiative to share the fun andfascination of science with students through the KAKENHI scheme.
This is an experiential program that allows students to visit research laboratories atuniversities and other institutions across Japan, gain ﬁrst-hand experience inexperiments and other activities, and come into direct contact with the results of
cutting-edge research. Since its launch in ﬁscal 2005, the program has attracted theparticipation of a total of approximately 81,000 students.
We welcome participation and visits by teachers from schools with students who wish toparticipate in HIRAMEKI☆TOKIMEKI SCIENCE and other nearby schools. We also takecare for parents, family members, and other relatives of participating students to visit
and observe the program.
https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-hirameki/（Japanese version only）■Scenes from HIRAMEKI☆TOKIMEKI SCIENCE

September 19, 2022 Hokkaido University of Science

August 13, 2022 Hokkaido University

What is metal?
- Letʼs look, touch, and do experiments!

What is a survey?
Approaching how river ﬁsh live by individual tracking

TATSUNAMI Ryosuke (Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences)

KISHIDA Osamu (Associate Professor, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere)

October 22, 2022 Kanazawa Medical University

July 24, 2022 Osaka Kyoiku University

Let's make the body transparent and look inside-Can we make an invisible man? -2022

Letʼs experience history, architecture, and daily life in a minka private house
designated as an important cultural property, and think about how to passon the minka to the next generation.

HATTA Toshihisa (Professor, Faculty of Medicine)

USUDA Tomoko (Professor, Faculty of Education)

References and Data

17

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Public Release of Research Results

P２6

Supplementary Material and DataManagement of the KAKENHI System
MEXT and JSPS operate the KAKENHI program under their cooperation andcollaboration. While MEXT decides the basic policy of the program, JSPS conducts
reviews in many research categories and grants all research funds. Sections under the
Science Subdivision of the Council for Science and Technology as well as the ResearchCenter for Science Systems* are working to improve the system based on the insights ofcurrently active researchers.
Have jurisdiction over the KAKENHI system

Conduct review, evaluation, and grant delivery

MEXT

JSPS

○Improve systems

Notify the review policy
and other matters

Review andimprove
where
necessary

The Council for Scienceand Technology○Decide on the basic review
policy○Submit reports and makedecisions in the Council

In charge of the KAKENHI system○Conduct reviews andevaluations○Formulate rules for review
and evaluation

Collaborate

Submit improvement
requests and other issues

Matters to be
improved regarding
the management of
the review
committee andassessment criteria
and other issues

Research Center for
Science Systems○Select reviewer candidates○Verify reviews○Consider reviewing andimproving the review
mechanism/management,deliberation method andother issues from theperspective of POs(researchers).

＊The Center was established in the JSPS in July 2003, mainly based on the"System Reform in Competitive Research Funds" decided by the then Council
for Science and Technology Policy. It plays a wide range of roles aimed at
establishing an impartial and highly transparent review and evaluation system.

Research Center for Science Systems（Japanese version only）
https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-center/

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

18Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023

Application/Adoption Numbers and Annual Budgets■Trends in KAKENHI Applications, Adoptions, and Adoption Rate
Although the number of applications for KAKENHI has been on the increase in recent
years, the number of new applications in ﬁscal 2022 was 92,470, down 2,738 from theprevious year due to the extension of continuing research projects following the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The adoption rate for ﬁscal 2022 stood at 28.6%, showing an increase year on year, andbringing the total number of adopted projects to 83,444, including ongoing projects.

(number)
120,000

101,234
100,000

103,672

101,857

Number ofapplications(New Proposal)

104,158
95,20894,44083,54880,000101,247

91,73775,832

82,76875,29075,56375,09583,97392,47083,44478,650

Number ofadoptions(New Proposal)(Adoption rate)

63,72160,00047,28537,26840,00030,73420,000020,085
17,400（21.3％）（20.8％）

28,56928,892
26,55026,676
26,17025,79626,43525,313（28.4％） （27.4%） （27.9％）（26.4％）（28.5％）（28.6％）（25.0％） （24.9％）

19,781（26.1％）

1996

2001

2006

2011

2016

2017

2018

* Data for main research categories only.

19

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

2019

Number ofadoptions(New Proposal
and Continued)

2020

2021

2022 (ﬁscal year)

■Budget Transition
The amount budgeted for KAKENHI increased signiﬁcantly during the periods of the Firstand Second Basic Plans for Science and Technology. However, growth was more gradualin the Third Basic Plan period due to national budgetary constraints. ﬁscal 2021 saw amajor improvement in the adoption rate, along with the introduction of the Multi-year
Fund, which allows the budget to include funds for the entire research period of adopted
projects. These changes resulted in an increase in the budget of 63.3 billion yen
compared to the previous ﬁscal year.
The initial budget for ﬁscal 2023 is 237.7 billion yen, which is the same amount as theinitial budget for the previous ﬁscal year.

(100 millions of yen)

FY2023 budget:
237.7 bil. Yen (Initially)

2,800
2,633

Multi-year Fund introduced
Adoption rate improved
FY2011 budget: 263.3 bil. yen

2,600
2,400

2,566
2,381
2,276 2,273 2,273 2,284

2,336

2,372 2,374

2,487

2,533
2,377

2,200
2,000

Indirect Expense
introduced (FY2001)

1,800
1,600

1,765 1,830

1,880 1,895

1,913 1,932

1,970 2,000

1,703
1,580

1,419
1,400

1,359

1,200

1,122

1,179

1,018
1,000

924

800
600
420

400
168

200
34
0

1965 1975 1985 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 (ﬁscal year)
（*1）
（*2）
（*3）
（*4）

First Basic Plan
(FY1996‒2000)(+49.5 bil. yen)

Second Basic Plan
(FY2001‒05)(+46.1 bil. yen)

Third Basic Plan
(FY2006‒10)(+12.0 bil. yen)

Fourth Basic Plan
(FY2011‒15)(+27.3 bil. yen)Fifth Basic Plan
(FY2016‒20)(+10.1 bil. yen)

Sixth Basic Plan
(FY2021-25)*1 FY1999 budget includes supplementary budget of 4.5 billion yen*2 FY2018 budget includes supplementary budget of 5 billion yen*3 FY2021 budget includes supplementary budget of 11 billion yen*4 FY2022 budget includes supplementary budget of 15.6 billion yen

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

20Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023

Review Sections■Review Sections Tailored to Research Categories
The Review Section Table is made up of an “Overview”, “Table for Basic Sections”, and“Table for Medium-sized and Broad Sections”. The overview allows applicants to grasp
the overall picture of the review sections. The Basic Sections have been established totake into account the diversity of scientiﬁc research and address the varied themes
cultivated to date. They comprise research categories which attracted large numbers ofapplications per research ﬁeld in the review system that operated up to the 2017
funding year, such as “Scientiﬁc Research (B/C)” and “Early-Career Scientists”. The Basic
Sections are not rigidly deﬁned, but rather expressed as “-related” so they can ﬂexibly
encompass new advancements and diverse expansions in scientiﬁc research.
Several Basic Sections are brought together under each Medium-sized Section for use in
the “Scientiﬁc Research (A)” and “Challenging Research (Pioneering/Exploratory)”
research categories. These enable selection of outstanding research proposals in acompetitive environment employing a broader scope in line with the aims and characterof the research category in question. The content of each Medium-sized Section is not
limited by the content of the Basic Sections it contains : applicants need not feel boundby the Basic Sections listed when choosing a Medium-sized Section.
Broad Sections bring together multiple Medium-sized Sections to enable selection ofoutstanding research proposals in a competitive environment under the “ScientiﬁcResearch (S)” category.
Applicants should select a review section under which to apply after checking theexamples of related research content shown in the “Table for Basic Sections” and “Tablefor Medium-sized and Broad Sections”.
The Broad Section applies to “ScientiﬁcResearch (S)”. Applicants for this category
select one of the Broad Sections listed, from A
through K.

■The Review Section Table（Overview Excerpt）
Broad Section A
Medium-sized Section 1：Philosophy, art, and related ﬁelds
Basic Section

The Medium-sized Section applies to “ScientiﬁcResearch (A)” and “Challenging Research”.
Applicants for these categories select one of
the Medium-sized Sections listed.

01010

Philosophy and ethics-related

01020

Chinese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Buddhist philosophy-related

01030

Religious studies-related

01040

History of thought-related■The Review Section Table（Table for Basic Section Excerpt）

The Basic Section is the fundamental unit, andused in the “Scientiﬁc Research (B/C)” and“Early-Career Scientists”. Applicants for thesecategories select one of the Basic Sections
listed.

Basic
SectionExamples of related
research content

01010[Philosophy and ethics-related]
Philosophy in general, Ethics in general,W e s t e r n p h i l o s o p h y, W e s t e r n e t h i c s ,Japanese philosophy, Japanese ethics,
Applied ethics, etc.

01020

Each item of Basic Section oﬀers someexamples related research contents. They help
applicants understand the concrete contents.

Medium-sized Sections and Broad
Section corresponding Basic Sections
MediumBroad
sized Section
Section

1

A

1

A

[Chinese philosophy, Indian philosophy andBuddhist philosophy-related]
Chinese philosophy/thought, Indianphilosophy/thought, Buddhist philosophy,
Bibliography, Philology, etc.

■The Review Section Table（Table for Medium-sized and Broad Sections Excerpt）
Broad Section A
Medium-sized Section 1：Philosophy, art, and related ﬁelds
Basic Section
01010

Examples of related research content[Philosophy and ethics-related]
Philosophy in general, Ethics in general, Western
philosophy, Western ethics, Japanese philosophy,
Japanese ethics, Applied ethics, etc.

01020

[Chinese philosophy, Indian philosophy and Buddhist philosophy-related]
Chinese philosophy/thought, Indian philosophy/thought,
Buddhist philosophy, Bibliography, Philology, etc.

21

Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Selection of Reviewers (in the case of Scientiﬁc Research category)Eﬀorts are made to ensure that reviewers are selected fairly and appropriately, tochoose outstanding, high-quality research projects, and to raise the reliability of the
KAKENHI review process. Program oﬃcers at the Research Center for Science
Systems create a list of reviewer candidates from those in the database of potential
review committee members. The reviewers are then selected by the JSPS. (Until ﬁscal
2004, the selection was based on recommendations by the Science Council of Japan.)This database lists KAKENHI Principal Investigators and other potential reviewers, andcontinues to grow each year. (Number of candidates as of ﬁscal 2022: approx.148,000.)
To keep the database entries up to date, the researchers themselves are able to check
and update their registered information when necessary.
In the Research Center for Science Systems, several program oﬃcers in each ﬁeld are
responsible for preparing lists of potential reviewers, based on their discipline, publishedpapers to date, awards received, and other factors. In putting together the list of
candidates, the emphasis is on ﬁnding persons who are fully conversant in the ﬁeld, fair,and suﬃciently capable of conducting evaluations, while also enabling review to take into
account a broad range of viewpoints. Moreover, from the standpoint of allowing fordiversity of reviewers, program oﬃcers endeavor to make use of women researchers andthose from public and private universities, independent administrative agencies, private
enterprises and the like, ensuring that reviews are free from any bias in light ofapplicantsʼ attributes.
In addition, with a view to cultivating the next generation of review committee members,from reviews conducted in ﬁscal 2019 the database is being expanded to include
researchers who have received “Early-Career Scientists” and “Young Scientists (B)”, andthe assignment of ﬁrst-time reviewers of a relatively young age (49 and under) is being
pursued proactively for reviews in the “Scientiﬁc Research (B/C)” and “Early-Career
Scientists categories”.

■Trend in entries in database of potential review
committee members
Total entries(persons)

Newly entered in each ﬁscal year

■Status of database entries(FY2022)
National

160,000

Total entries

150,000

147,623

140,000

135,876

130,000

141,092

38,181
26%

125,635

91,76280,00075,52081,065

10,436
7%■Number of review committee members
National(for FY2022 applications)
universities

86,30069,76470,00058,44160,00048,95550,00064,32553,722

189
10%
2,251
27%

31,08830,00023,24018,95620,00010,000 7,375

11,590 12,123 10,321

7,994

4,833 4,815 5,965 5,597 5,752 5,677

Total number of screening
committee members

819
10%

41,40940,0005,408 5,658 5,706 5,652

54,726
37%

2,857
9%

97,06590,000

0

9,743
32%

44,28030%

102,507

100,000

Women

12,075
39%

120,000
110,000

6,276
20%

universities
Other public
universities
Privateuniversities
Other

10,5298,281 7,165

829
44%

705
37%

590
7%

Women

Other public
universities
Privateuniversities
Other

4,752
56%

168
9%

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 (FY)

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

22Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research2023

Disclosure of Review Results
Review results are disclosed to the applicants themselves to make the review process
more transparent. Researchers whose proposals were not adopted can make use of thereview results in devising their future research plans.
The opinions expressed in the review results are disclosed for each unsuccessful
research project or area for which proposals were invited, in the case of the categories of“Specially Promoted Research”, “Transformative Research Areas (A/B)”, “ScientiﬁcResearch (S)” , “Scientiﬁc Research (A)”, “Challenging Research (Pioneering)” ,“Publication of Scientiﬁc Research Results (Publication of Research Results,
Enhancement of International Dissemination of Information (A), Open-Access Publication
Support, Scientiﬁc Literature, and Databases)” and “Fund for the Promotion of Joint
International Research (International Leading Research)”.
Moreover, in the categories of “Specially Promoted Research”, “ Transformative Research
Areas (A/B)”, “Scientiﬁc Research (S)”, “Scientiﬁc Research (A)” and “Challenging
Research (Pioneering)”, “Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research(International Leading Research) ” and “opinions expressed in the review results for
adopted projects are also disclosed, and outlines of opinions expressed in the review
results are made public in the Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research Database (KAKEN).

■Example of Document Review Results Disclosed on Internet (Excerpt)

23 Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Initiatives for Ensuring Appropriate Use of KAKENHI Funds and Fair Research Activities○To prevent any improper grant spending and research misconduct, related to KAKENHI,
every eﬀort has been made to increase awareness of the rules, including distribution of
handbooks and holding of explanatory meetings. At the same time, each research
institution, rather than the individual researcher, is asked to perform the managementof KAKENHI grants and various procedures, under an eﬀective management structurein accordance with the “Guidelines on the Management and Audit of Public ResearchFunds at Research Institution (Implementation Standards)".
Through this policy we are working to reduce the burden on researchers while helping
to prevent inadvertent rule violations.
○We have introduced a mechanism in the electronic application system, which requiresthat before a formal application for grant delivery can be ﬁled, the applicant must not
only pledge to use the KAKENHI grant fairly and eﬃciently and not to commit any
research misconduct, but must also complete a checklist of the minimum items
necessary regarding the conduct of KAKENHI-funded research.

■Development of Structures and Mechanisms based on the Guidelines on
the Management and Audit of Public Research Funds at Research Institutionsand Guidelines for Responding to Misconduct in Research
Research institutions are required to comply with the “Guidelines on theManagement and Audit of Public Research Funds at Research Institution” (Decisionof the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, revised
February 1, 2021) and the “Guidelines for Responding to Misconduct in Research”(Decision of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,
August 26, 2014). Such institutions are now expected to set up structures andmechanisms in line with these guidelines.
Outline of Initiatives○Initiatives for preventing misconduct in advance○Making clear the management responsibilities in the organization○Supervision and support by the national government■Measures Taken against Researchers Who Commit Misconduct
Researchers who commit misconduct in KAKENHI projects may be required to returnthe research funds, as well as being barred from receiving KAKENHI grants for a set
time period. Moreover, the nature of such researchersʼ misconduct will be madepublic.
Also researchers who commit misconduct in a project supported by competitive
research funds other than KAKENHI (including those administered by othergovernment al organs) and are barred from receiving grants under that program for a
set time period will also be barred from receiving KAKENHI grants for the same
period.

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

24Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023■Period of KAKENHI suspension“Improper Grant Spending and Fraudulent Grant Acquisition of KAKENHI”
Extent of the improper grant spending
and Period of KAKENHI suspension

Subject of Measures

Misappropriation of KAKENHI for personal gain ; 10 years
Researchers who committed improper
grant spending of KAKENHI andresearchers who conspired in such
fraudulent act

Other than misappropriationof KAKENHI for personal gain

(1) Cases of major seriousness and maliciousness ; 5 years(2) Cases other than (1) and (3) ; 2 to 4 years(3) Cases of minor seriousness and mailiciousness ; 1 year

Researchers who acquired KAKENHI bydeception or other fraudulent means
and researchers who conspired insuch acts

5 years

Researchers who were not directly
involved in the improper grant spending of KAKENHI, but failed to exercise
due care

The upper limit is 2 years and the lower limit is 1 year depending on the degree of the breach of
duty by the researchers who have the duty of care as a good manager.

*A “Sharp Reprimand” shall be issued to researchers instead of KAKENHI suspension in the event that the inﬂuence on society and the maliciousnessof the conduct are judged to be insigniﬁcant and the amount of money involved is small.

■“Research Misconduct”
Subject of Measures(a) Particularly malicious individual(s) who, for example, had intention ofresearch miscondust from the very beginning of the research

Negative Impacts on Science and on Public at Large
Degree of Maliciousness and Periodof KAKENHI Suspension

10 years

Subject of Research Misconduct

Responsible author(s) of the paper(s)in question (corresponding author,
lead author of other authors bearing
equivalent responsibilities)(determined in accordance with the impact on the
progress of the sclence in the ﬁeld in question and thesocial impact, and on the level of maliciousness
involved in the acts) ; 3 to 7 years

Authors(s) of the paper(s) in question
other than the responsible author(s)described above

2 to 3 years(c) Individual(s) involved who are not the authors of the research paper(s) for which research misconduct(s) are identiﬁed

2 to 3 years(b) Author(s) of paper(s), etc.
related to the research inwhich research misconduct(s) have been identiﬁed(other than(a) above)

Responsible authors(s) of paper(s), (corresponding author, lead author orother authors bearing equivalent responsibilities) for which research
miscondunt(s) are identiﬁed, but not involved in the alleged research
misconduct

25 Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets(determined in accourdance with the impact on the
progress of the science in the ﬁeld in question and thesocial impact, and on the level of maliciousness
involved in the acts) ; 1 to 3 years

Public Release of Research Results
The results of research supported with KAKENHI are made widely available to the publicthrough the Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research Database (KAKEN) in an eﬀort topromote their application in society as well as to deepen the publicʼs understanding of
the KAKENHI program.
From ﬁscal 2019 we have been pursuing further enhancements of the information madeavailable on KAKEN, as follows.
○To enable users to see what kind of research is being conducted using KAKENHI
from the start of projects (after oﬃcial grant decisions have been made), outline of
the research has been added to information already published in the database suchas project title and budget amount.
○In the Report on the Research Achievements published after project completion, we
have newly added content explaining the academic and social signiﬁcance of theresearch results in simple terms, in addition to the pre-existing specialist explanationof the results. This move both raises researchersʼ awareness of their accountability,and enables people to know what kinds of research results are generated through the
KAKENHI system.
Research using KAKENHI funds should be carried out based on researchersʼown
self-awareness and responsibility. Therefore the publication on the implementation of theresearch or research achievements, etc. should not come from the government request
and the views and responsibilities on the research achievements should be attributed to
the researchers themselves.

■About the Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research Database (KAKEN)○This database posts information on projects adopted for KAKENHI (from 1965 todate) and summaries of the Report on the Research Results (from 1985 to date).
○Information in the database can be searched by research category, researcher name,discipline, and a variety of other items. The latest research results can therefore beaccessed by wide-ranging keyword searches.
〇 In December 2021, the search function was improved to make it easier to ﬁnd
information on international joint research. A search function for research projects
that have resulted in international co-authored papers was added. A search function
for partner nations etc. for international joint research projects was also added.
○Moreover, DOIs (digital object identiﬁers) of research papers in journals are publishedalong with other information on research results, making it possible to accesspublished papers directly from KAKEN.

KAKEN(National Institute of Informatics)
https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/en/index/

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

26

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research
2023■GRANTS (Integrated Research Project Search)
GRANTS Integrated Research Project Search is a service that enables users to perform
integrated searches for research projects conducted as part of national government
programs for the promotion of research and development and the like, beyond theboundaries of any single program or implementing institution. The service came into
operation in the 2021 ﬁscal year. Its search functions currently cover data held in boththe Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research Database (KAKEN) and the JST Project
Database.
https://grants.jst.go.jp/(Japanese version only)■Acknowledgements and Financial Support for Publishing Research Results
Researchers are asked to acknowledge the KAKENHI program when reporting theirresearch results in papers, conferences, and other fora.
The program also allows researchers to use direct expense to cover the cost for
publicizing their research results widely to the public.

■Promotion of “Open Access (OA)” to the research papers supported by
KAKENHI grants
Open science initiatives, including OA of research papers and data, which promote thesharing and publication of research results and encourage the acceleration of researchand the creation of new knowledge, have gained momentum worldwide.
In line with government policies, JSPS promotes OA by requiring research papers fundedby research funds granted by JSPS, including KAKENHI, to be opened to the public inprinciple.
The JSPS policy for implementing OA to research papers (Japanese version only)
https://www.jsps.go.jp/ﬁle/storage/general/data/Open̲access.pdf

27 Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

Information Dissemination and Public Relations Activities
Please view the following webpages and web contents for various information on the
KAKENHI program■KAKENHI Websites
１．MEXT provides information like the following, mainly on the research categories forwhich MEXT performs review and assessment, on its KAKENHI website○Application Procedures, Research Proposal Document form
○Regulations on assessment in funding of scientiﬁc research○List of reviewers○Proﬁles of research in “Scientiﬁc Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a
proposed research area)” and “Transformative Research Areas (A/B)”○Overview of review for “Scientiﬁc Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a
proposed research area)” , “Transformative Research Areas (A/B)” and validation
results○KAKENHI funding results○Reports by the Subdivision on Grants-in-Aid for Research, and Research Grant
Screening Section of the Academic Deliberation in the Subdivision on Science,Council for Science and Technology
https://www.mext.go.jp/a̲menu/shinkou/hojyo/main5̲a5.htm（Japanese version only）

2. The JSPS provides information like the following, mainly concerned with the research
categories for which the JSPS performs review and assessment, on its KAKENHI
website○Application Procedures, Research Proposal Document form
○Rules Concerning the Review and Assessment for Grants-in-Aid for ScientiﬁcResearch○JSPS rules on the use of funds (for research institutions and for researchers)○KAKENHI Handbooks (for research institutions and for researchers)○List of reviewers○Summary of KAKENHI review○Information on electronic application
https://www.jsps.go.
jp/english/e-grants/

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

28Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research2023■Public relations contents
MEXT and JSPS publish the following contents, which can be downloaded from theirwebsites.

1．“KAKENHI Handbook” (for researchers)
This Handbook, prepared primarily for researchers, provides an easy-to-understanddescription of the basic contents of the KAKENHI program.
https://www.jsps.go.jp/engl
ish/e-grants/handbook

2．Research Results Topics
This page showcases outstanding research results generated through KAKENHI grants,
with content created and provided by researchers and research institutions themselves.
It is the result of a renewal in March 2020 designed to bring research activities andresults, which were previously introduced in KAKENHI NEWS, to a wider audience in amore accessible format. We plan to increase the number of articles and enhance searchfunctions on this page, allowing users to browse more research results and an evenlarger number of research institutions and researchers to share the outcomes of theirresearch.
https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-gra
ntsinaid/37̲topics/(Japanese version only)

29 Creating New Knowledge ‒ For Shaping and Transmitting World-leading Knowledge Assets

3．Abstracts of Large-scale Research Projects
Includes the titles of newly adopted projects under such categories as “Specially
Promoted Research”, “Scientiﬁc Research (S)”, “International Leading Research”, and“Transformative Research Areas (A/B)”, along with the names of their principal
investigators and summaries of their research content.
https://www.jsps.go.jp/en
glish/e-grants/lsrp/

Grants-in-Aid for Scientiﬁc Research

30

Contact information for KAKENHI：
Scientiﬁc Research Aid Division,
Research Promotion Bureau, Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science ＆ Technology
3-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8959, Japan
Tel：＋81-3-5253-4111（Reception）（ex. 4087, 4094）（Scientiﬁc Research Funding, etc.）
URL: https://www.mext.go.jp/a̲menu/shinkou/hojyo/main5̲a5.htm

Research Aid Planning Division,
Research Program Department,
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
Tel：＋81-3-3263-0964
URL: https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-grants/index.html*The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science welcomes feedback
and suggestions regarding KAKENHI.
Please access the online portal shown below.
（URL for feedback and suggestions on KAKENHI:
https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-iken̲youbou/index01.html）
Issued February 2024