Art Research Center –International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC),
Ritsumeikan University
Guidelines for FY 2021 International Joint Research with Research Fund
The Art Research Center (ARC), Ritsumeikan University, has been actively promoting cooperative research
between the humanities and cutting-edge information technology with a strong focus on digital archiving ofJapanese art and cultural properties, both tangible and intangible. The ARC has been selected as an
International Joint Usage/Research Center Program by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology, Japan, in October 2019. To promote international joint research activities for Digital Humanities
in Japanese art and culture, we are pleased to fund outstanding joint research projects.
I. About the Joint Research Projects
There are three types of project:(A) International Fixed Theme Project: An international joint research project that works on one of thefollowing themes set by the ARC.
1: Joint research to digitally archive and utilize Japanese art and cultural resources at museums
abroad.
2: Joint research to construct and/or utilize digital archives targeting cultural resources, such as
World Cultural Heritages and intangible cultural heritages in Japan and beyond, which makes
international comparative studies possible.
3: Joint research to contribute to the global society beyond the Humanities area by utilizing
cultural resources with applications of digital-archiving technologies.
(B) International Open Theme Project: An international joint research project that works on an open theme
set by the research team. The project is required to utilize the ARC’s digital resources listed below andrelated research material for its research. The leader of the research project should be based outsideJapan.
(C) Open Theme Project: A joint research project that works on an open theme set by the research team.
The project is required to utilize the ARC’s digital resources listed below and related research material
for its research.
The list of ARC’s digital resources for types (B) and (C):Japanese history, historical GIS, Japanese art and crafts, Japanese literature, Japanese performing arts,
Japanese movies, videogames, and TV commercials
If you would like to continue your research on the same theme funded in FY 2020, please apply for the “ongoing research.”
II. Eligibility
The research leader of the joint research team should be a faculty member/researcher/curator who belongs toa university or a research institution. For Type (B), the leader should be a faculty member/researcher/curator
who belongs to a university or a research institution overseas (including those who are based in Japan onsabbatical).
Note: a graduate student cannot be a leader.
III. Organization of a research team
1. A research team consists of a researcher (research leader) or researchers (research leader and co-2.

researchers).
While it is recommended that the team includes a faculty member of the ARC as its team member, you
can also apply without one. In either case, the ARC-iJAC’s Technical Support Board will support you.
Successful applicants can contact the Technical Support Board for more details.

IV. Research period
April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2022
V. Amount of research funds to be awarded for each type of proposals(A) International Fixed Theme Project: Up to seven hundred thousand yen(B) International Open Theme Project: Up to four hundred thousand yen(C) Open Theme Project: Up to three hundred thousand yen-The research fund can be used to cover expenses necessary for conducting a joint research in line with
Ritsumeikan University’s Guidelines for Research Funding Spending.
The university’s Research Office will manage the fund.
The fund cannot be used for purchases of equipment worth more than 500,000 Yen and indirect
expenses payable to organizations that the applicant belongs to.
The ARC may change the type of a research project between A, B and C upon selection.
The International Joint Research Reviewing Committee may reduce the research fund from the amountthat the team requests in the application.
If you are continuing an “on-going research” from FY 2020, you cannot use the research fund for FY
2021 until you submit a final report for FY 2020.

VI. How to submit a proposal
Please submit the Application Form for FY 2021 International Joint Research with Research Fund by e-mail.
The form is available on the ARC’s website: https://www.arc.ritsumei.ac.jp/index.html
Application deadline: Monday, February 1, 2021 10:00 AM (JST)Submit to: Office of the Art Research Center
Research Office at Kinugasa Campus
Ritsumeikan University
E-mail: r-darc@st.ritsumei.ac.jp
We will send you a confirmation of receipt by the next business day. If you did not receive a confirmation bythen, please contact the office of Art Research Center.
VII. Selection process and notification
The International Joint Research Reviewing Committee of the Art Research Center will evaluate the researchproposals. We will send out the evaluation results in late March by e-mail.
Please note that we take the following points into consideration when evaluating proposals:- Whether or not a project utilizes the digital research materials managed by the ARC in order to promoteinternational joint research.
- Whether or not a project can be led to a significant research collaboration involving digital culturalresources.
- Whether or not a research plan includes international collaboration.

-Whether or not a project includes plans to develop its activities internationally. (For Types A and B)
Whether or not a project can be expected to get involved in international activities.
Whether or not a project is interdisciplinary, combining the humanities and sciences.
Whether or not a project helps fostering young researchers, such as postdoctoral fellows and doctoral
students.
Whether or not a project can be expected to conduct new research activities and dissemination of research
results that would be feasible in the society after the spread of COVID-19 (With Corona Society).
VIII. Research outcomes
1. We expect digital publications and making research results available online, as well as improvementand dissemination of databases.
2. After the end of the fiscal year, the research team is expected to submit its research outcomes in areport, which the ARC will publish on its website and include in its bulletin Art Research.
3. Copyrights related to the research outcomes belong to their authors/creators/database builders.
4. The research leaders of the fund-awarded projects are expected to present the project outlines andoutcomes at symposiums and conferences.
5. Research outcomes should be shared with researchers from other universities and research institutions,
unless there are special circumstances.
IX. Notes
1. The ARC invites the research leader to be a visiting researcher of the Kinugasa Research
Organization, Ritsumeikan University--the umbrella organization to which the ARC belongs. The
visiting researcher can use the ARC’s facilities and research resources by following the ARC’s rules.
When co-researchers wish to use the ARC’s facilities and research resources, they can use them byapplying for a visiting researcher position.
2. A visiting researcher can obtain Ritsumeikan University’s Rainbow User ID, with which you can use
Zoom, an online meeting system, under the bundle agreement between the university and Zoom.
(Maximum number of participants: 300)
3. Before submitting a research proposal, in principle, the research leader needs to secure agreements not
only from his or her research organization for applying for the International Joint Research but also
from the team’s co-researchers for their participations.
4. Graduate students of Ritsumeikan University may be assigned to joint research teams as part of theirtrainings.
X. Contact
E. Nakamura (Ms), Y. Fukatsu (Ms), and K. Murai (Ms)
ARC-iJAC (Art Research Center - The International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture)
Office of the Art Research Center, Research Office at Kinugasa Campus,
Ritsumeikan University
E-mail: r-darc@st.ritsumei.ac.jp