Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Types of Grants Programs

Various grant programs are provided based on the objective and nature of the research.Grant administration under these categories is currently divided between MEXT and JSPS. In the future, all administrative functions will be transferred to JSPS.
(*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.
Research categories Purposes and description of each research category Type of fund*1
Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research
  Grant-in-Aid for Specially 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 for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas
  (Research in a proposed research area)
This category is intended to foster novel research areas proposed by diverse groups of researchers that are expected to lead to development and heightening of Japan’s research level in the respective fields, to be conducted by collective research efforts through collaboration, scholarly training, shared use of equipment, etc.
The period is 5 years. The budget range is generally set between 10 million to 300 million yen per fiscal year per proposed area.
[A call for proposals for “budget for collecting research results of Finished Research Area” only is put out in FY2023 and beyond.]
SG
  Grant-in-Aid for Transformative 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 direction of research as well as upgrade and level-up of scientific research in Japan and nurturing young researchers, and will contribute 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 with a smaller budget scale (about 3 or 4 groups), which aim to create research areas that will lead the way to radical transformation 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 the Transformative 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
SG
  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(A) Creative/pioneering research conducted by one researcher or jointly by multiple researchers.
   (A) 3 to 5 years  20 million to 50 million yen
SG
  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(B) Creative/pioneering research conducted by one researcher or jointly by multiple researchers.
   (B) 3 to 5 years  5 million to 20 million yen
SG
  Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C) Creative/pioneering research conducted by one researcher or jointly by multiple researchers.
   (C) 3 to 5 years  5 million yen or less
MF
  Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research
  (Pioneering)/(Exploratory)
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 their budding stages.
   (Pioneering) 3 to 6 years 5 million to 20 million yen
   (Exploratory) 2 to 3 years 5 million yen or less
MF
  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 per project.
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 to2 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 the promotion of the science).
   1 year 100 thousand and 1 million yen
SG
Grant-in-Aid for Special Purposes Research projects of pressing urgency and importance. MF
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 executed by academic associations and other organizations. SG
  Enhancement of International Dissemination of Information Subsidy for efforts by academic societies and other scholarly organizations to strengthen international dissemination of academic information for the purpose of international academic exchange. SG
  Scientific Literature Subsidy for academic publication of research results (books) authored by an individual or a group of researchers. SG
  Databases Subsidy for creation and operation of a database open to public use, by an individual or a group of researchers. SG
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 Research
  International 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 research community in the future.
(7 years (extendable up to 10 years); up to 500 million yen)
MF
  Fostering Joint International Research Support of joint international research project conducted by a KAKENHI grantee in collaboration with researcher(s) at foreign university or research institution over a period of 6 to 12 months. The grant seeks to markedly advance research plans for the root research project and to foster independent researchers who can be internationally competitive. (The budget is up to 12 million yen.) MF
  International Collaborative Research Support of joint international research project conducted by multiple domestic researchers and a researcher who belongs to overseas research institution. In addition to the development of scientific research, the grant seeks to build out infrastructure of joint international research or further strengthen joint international research and to foster researchers who can be internationally competitive. (The period is 3 to 6 years. The budget is up to 20 million yen.) MF
  International Activities Supporting Group Support of international activities within Scientific Research on Innovative Areas. (Set period of the Area, up to 15 million yen per year)
[*After FY2018 call for proposals, “International Activities Supporting Group” has been incorporated into “Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas “Administrative Group”. (It continued until the FY2019 call for proposals.).]
MF
  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 at university or research institution in Japan. (The period is up to3 years. The budget is to 50 million yen.) MF