About SATREPS

About SATREPS

SATREPS: Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development

SATREPS (Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development) is a Japanese government program that promotes international joint research targeting global issues. Global challenges cannot be met by a single country or region acting on its own, so engagement by the international community is essential. To address these issues, SATREPS works through three- to five-year projects involving partnerships between researchers in Japan and researchers in developing countries. SATREPS projects are expected to lead to outcomes with potential for practical utilization, and to enhance research capacity in the developing country. The program is a collaboration between two Japanese government agencies: the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Background: Global issues need international collaboration

Many of the greatest threats that we face today—including global warming, infectious diseases, and natural disasters—are global issues that are intractable without further advances in science and technology. In order to resolve such issues it is essential to have an active commitment from the research community to develop and apply new technology, acquire new knowledge, and encourage innovation and economic development. Global issues affect more than a single country or region, and cannot be resolved without international collaboration. Developing countries tend to be hit particularly hard by such issues, and have a strong need for research and development based on local needs. Japan has strengths in science and technology, so partnering with Japan is an excellent way for a developing country to address these issues.

Many developing countries also have an urgent need to enhance their independent capacity to comprehensively handle global issues and train appropriate human resources. Japan is often approached by countries working towards sustainable development and hoping to boost their capacity for science and technology. They aim to do this by enhancing the self-reliant R&D capabilities of universities and other research institutes, and by constructing sustainable systems for problem solving. In order for human society to develop in a sustainable manner, and in order to make progress with research on the global issues that are increasingly important for the research community, Japan considers it essential to put more effort into collaborative research between researchers in Japan and in developing countries.

Addressing global issues, advancing science, developing capacity

SATREPS is a collaboration between JST and JICA with the following aims.

SATREPS joins and coordinates functions, activities, and capabilities that were once separate, using scientific research potential as a mediator for developmental diplomacy.

Projects in progress

SATREPS projects are selected each year from project proposals submitted by Japanese research institutions. In the first four years beginning in April 2008, a total of 59 projects commenced in 32 countries. These projects are now in progress:

Area	The number of enforcement countries	The number of projects
Asia	10 countries	31 projects
Latin America/Caribbean	6 countries	9 projects
Africa	14 countries	17 projects
Other regions	2 countries	2 projects

(Details)

Amount of support available

JST + JICA total : About ¥100 million per project per yearJST : About ¥38 million per project per year

JST and JICA work together to fund research projects

SATREPS projects are conducted through collaboration between JST and JICA. JST uses research contracts to support research costs incurred in Japan (and in other locations outside the developing country involved in the project). In contrast, JICA provides support through its technical cooperation project framework to cover costs* in the developing country. Overall R&D management of the international joint research is handled jointly by JST, which has expertise in funding research projects at research institutions in Japan, and JICA, which has expertise in technical cooperation in developing countries.

* Costs in the developing country: Since costs are covered by JICA through its Technical Cooperation Framework, self-help efforts by the developing country are crucial. Consequently, personnel costs and office usage costs in the developing country, consumables used by the developing country research team, and local in-country travel costs for the developing country's researchers are normally covered by the developing country itself. Equipment, machinery, and materials for research are covered where possible by the developing country facilitating the use of existing equipment, but JICA provides support for additional procurement where necessary for the project. JICA also covers travel and subsistence costs when researchers travel between the two countries.

Focus of SATREPS projects

SATREPS projects typically share the following characteristics:

• Joint research conducted for the purpose of resolving specific issues, where there is a strong need to enhance research capacity
• Research with outcomes expected to contribute to both the developing country and the wider community
• Research expected to contribute to the advancement of Japan's science and technology

In addition to these characteristics, projects selected for SATREPS focus on research that contributes to resolving global issues in four research fields/areas: environment/energy, bioresources, natural disaster prevention, and infectious disease control.

1. Environment/energy (including low-carbon energy)

   Population levels are growing, cities are becoming increasingly overcrowded, and production and consumption levels are increasing. There is a growing global need to pursue research into technology that can resolve environment and energy problems, and to deploy the outcomes of such research. In this context, SATREPS supports joint research for the purpose of reducing the negative impact of climate change on the natural environment.

   Potential collaboration topics (examples)

   • Research contributing to adaptation to climate change or mitigation of climate change
   • Research contributing to the acquisition and treatment of safe water supplies
   • Research contributing to the secure management of chemical risks
   • Research contributing to the development of a closed-loop economy
   • Research contributing to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, including bioremediation.

   Particular significance is attached to research contributing to energy systems for a low carbon economy, so this is given the status of a specific research area.

   Potential collaboration topics (examples)

   • Research on the utilization of renewable energy or new energies including biomass
   • Research on basic technologies and systems for advanced utilization of energy, energy saving, carbon separation/capture/storage, etc.
   • Research contributing to optimization and efficiency improvement of energy systems for industry, transportation, and residential/commercial use in the developing country.
2. Bioresources

   Sustainable production of food and other bioresources is threatened by problems such as desertification, salinization of agricultural land, and pests. In order to be able to continue enjoying the blessings of bioresources as the global population grows and climates change, there needs to be collaborative research that can point the way to sustainable means of production and utilization.

   Potential collaboration topics (examples)

   • Research contributing to sustainable production of bioresources: breeding and cultivation methods for bioresources, resource management for marine bioresources, aquaculture/feeding technologies
   • Research contributing to utilization and evaluation of bioresources, including the benefits of biodiversity
3. Natural disaster prevention

   Natural disasters are a constant danger in Japan, and have resulted in the accumulation of a great deal of knowledge and expertise. In addition to applying this knowledge to disasters and disaster prevention in developing countries, collaboration is urgently needed to make further progress in research into earthquake/tsunami early-warning systems and high-precision weather forecasting.

   Potential collaboration topics (examples)

   • Research related to explication of natural disaster mechanisms through measurement of natural phenomena associated with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.
   • Research and development for the purpose of collection, organization, effective provision, and utilization of natural disaster-related information
   • Research and development relating to technology for damage mitigation in natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and flooding
   • Research and development relating to means for damage mitigation in large-scale urban disasters (flooding, fires, etc.)
4. Infectious Disease Control

   HIV/AIDS, malaria, dengue fever, tuberculosis, highly pathogenic influenza, and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases can be a major impediment to social and economic development. Efforts to address infectious diseases issues in developing countries can have a direct benefit in protecting the health of individuals worldwide. Collaboration between Japan and developing countries on research in this field contributes to the control of infectious diseases on a global scale.

   Potential collaboration topics (examples)

   • Research and development relating to the control of infectious diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza and swine influenza that may be transmitted to humans from other species.
   • Research and development on the technology of diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics necessary to detect and control infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, dengue fever, tuberculosis and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases

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