Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS)
Program Overview
The Program for Forming Japan’s Peak Research Universities (J-PEAKS) supports core regional universities and universities with strengths in specific research fields to assist the international expansion of their distinctive research and to provide solutions for regional socioeconomic issues and problems facing Japan and the world. The program provides support for expanding the universities’ activities by leveraging their strengths, such as having a research center in specific strong fields, and also for the development of consortiums of research universities by promoting effective inter-institutional collaboration.
This program is operated through the cooperation and collaboration of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
This program is operated through the cooperation and collaboration of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
The target of this program is national, public, and private universities. Each university can only make a single application as the “Applying University.” When applying together with other institutions, then in addition to (1) the Applying University, the application should indicate (2) the Collaborating Institutions.
(1) Applying University: National, public, or private universities that conduct strong and distinctive research, have social implementation hubs, and so on, and that invest resources as a university-wide effort under a clear strategy to enhance research capabilities.
(2) Collaborating Institutions
・Collaborators: National, public, and private universities (including inter-university research institutes) that can leverage their own strengths in areas related to the Applying University’s strategy to enhance research capabilities, and that can use project funds to strengthen their own research capabilities through institutional collaboration with the Applying University.
・Participators: Universities and other institutions that are not eligible for the allocation of funding under this project but that collaborate with the Applying University and are effective in strengthening research capabilities.
(1) Applying University: National, public, or private universities that conduct strong and distinctive research, have social implementation hubs, and so on, and that invest resources as a university-wide effort under a clear strategy to enhance research capabilities.
(2) Collaborating Institutions
・Collaborators: National, public, and private universities (including inter-university research institutes) that can leverage their own strengths in areas related to the Applying University’s strategy to enhance research capabilities, and that can use project funds to strengthen their own research capabilities through institutional collaboration with the Applying University.
・Participators: Universities and other institutions that are not eligible for the allocation of funding under this project but that collaborate with the Applying University and are effective in strengthening research capabilities.
Support is provided for expenditures required to implement the strategy to enhance research capabilities formulated by the Applying University (up to approximately 5.5 billion yen per project).
(A) Strategy execution costs—up to about 2.5 billion yen per project
(Personnel costs for specialists responsible for planning and executing research strategies, providing technical support, etc.; personnel costs for researchers; travel, honoraria, survey costs, and other expenditures necessary to execute strategies to enhance research capabilities)
(B) Research facilities and other costs for research environment improvement— up to about 3 billion yen per project
(Purchase of research equipment; installation costs associated with equipment purchase; costs necessary to create advanced research environments, including research and administrative DX (digital transformation) and promotion of research equipment sharing; and other research facility development costs related to enhancing research capabilities and related administrative expenses)
(A) Strategy execution costs—up to about 2.5 billion yen per project
(Personnel costs for specialists responsible for planning and executing research strategies, providing technical support, etc.; personnel costs for researchers; travel, honoraria, survey costs, and other expenditures necessary to execute strategies to enhance research capabilities)
(B) Research facilities and other costs for research environment improvement— up to about 3 billion yen per project
(Purchase of research equipment; installation costs associated with equipment purchase; costs necessary to create advanced research environments, including research and administrative DX (digital transformation) and promotion of research equipment sharing; and other research facility development costs related to enhancing research capabilities and related administrative expenses)
The project period is five years.
25(FY2023: 12, FY2024: 13)
For more about the institutions that have been chosen, please see the Selected Universities page.
For more about the institutions that have been chosen, please see the Selected Universities page.
・The screening of applications is conducted by the Program Promotion Committee for J-PEAKS, a committee of experts established by JSPS.
・In principle, the screening is conducted through written documents (first round) and interviews (second round).
・Selections in the first round are based on the applicant’s “Research Capability Enhancement Strategy,” “Research Capability Enhancement Plan,” “Financial Plan,” and “Project Overview Diagram.”
・The second round may entail an exchange of opinions, etc. through site visits as needed.
・In principle, the screening is conducted through written documents (first round) and interviews (second round).
・Selections in the first round are based on the applicant’s “Research Capability Enhancement Strategy,” “Research Capability Enhancement Plan,” “Financial Plan,” and “Project Overview Diagram.”
・The second round may entail an exchange of opinions, etc. through site visits as needed.
・MEXT and JSPS provide accompanying support to the selected universities as they work to carry out their strategies, advancing initiatives together with the universities to enhance Japan’s research capabilities. Additionally, we will implement the necessary progress management and evaluation during this process.
・JSPS established an Accompanying Team and the team provides the necessary advice and recommendations to help the selected universities effectively carry out their initiatives.
・An interim evaluation will be conducted around the third year of the project period, and grants will be provided from the fourth year onward based on the results. Additionally, a summary evaluation will be carried out, aiming for the fifth year of the project period.
For more information, please see the Accompanying Support page.
・JSPS established an Accompanying Team and the team provides the necessary advice and recommendations to help the selected universities effectively carry out their initiatives.
・An interim evaluation will be conducted around the third year of the project period, and grants will be provided from the fourth year onward based on the results. Additionally, a summary evaluation will be carried out, aiming for the fifth year of the project period.
For more information, please see the Accompanying Support page.