The Global Research Council (GRC) is a forum that brings together the heads of science-promotion organizations from around the world for such purposes as searching for effective avenues to advance international joint research while forming common principles and forging consensuses on ways to promote international research collaboration. The GRC was launched in Washington DC based on a proposal by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in May 2012. From the time of the GRC’s establishment, JSPS has been a member of its Governing Board, which is the GRC’s operational and decision-making body. As such, JSPS is proactively engaged in the GRC’s operations and activities.

Every year, the GRC holds an annual meeting cohosted by two of its member organizations. Each annual meeting is preceded by a number of regional meetings held around the world to lay the groundwork for the discussions to be advanced in the larger annual meeting. Each annual meeting compiles the fruits of its discussions in statements of principles.