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FY2024 SATREPS - Invitation for Research Proposals -

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in collaboration with Japan International Collaboration Agency (JICA) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS).

Please note that the following information on applying for SATREPS is targeted for researchers who belong to Japanese research institutions/universities in Japan. Researchers in other countries should consult their national government agency responsible for ODA technical cooperation, the Embassy of Japan, or JICA offices in their resident countries.

【2023/9/14 Change】The interview schedule for selection updated.

【2023/9/7 Change】About Application, Download the Application Guidelines updated.

1. About Application
2. Download the Application Guidelines
3. Q&A

1. FY2024 SATREPS - Invitation for Research ProposalsAbout Selection Process

1-1. Application Period for Research Proposals

From August 22nd, 2023 (Tues) to October 23rd, 2023 (Mon) at 12:00 noon (Japan Time).

＊The application period has been moved forward by two weeks.

1-2. How to apply

Research proposals must be submitted via e-Rad, the Cross-ministerial R&D Management System. To use e-Rad, researchers who are affiliated with a research institution need to check that their institution has been registered on e-Rad, and that the researcher's information has also been registered on e-Rad by the institution's administrative contact. Researchers who are not affiliated with a research institution need to register their researcher information on e-Rad in advance.

1-3. Submission of request for ODA technical cooperation

The SATREPS program is linked with Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects. The research institute in the partner country must submit an official ODA request to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) via the partner country’s ministry or agency responsible for ODA and the local Japanese embassy. The period for receipt of ODA requests started from around July or August.

The deadline for submission is earlier than the Japanese application deadline, and this year is on Friday, October 13, 2023.

The partner country’s ministry or agency will require some time for administrative procedures, but the ODA request must reach the MOFA by the deadline irrespective of circumstances in the partner country. The internal deadline used by the partner country’s ministry or agency will vary in different countries, but is normally earlier than October 13. Please ask the researchers in the partner country to check at an early stage with the partner country's ministry or agency what application procedures* are required in the partner country and how much time this will take.

If the partner country’s government does not submit an ODA request, the research proposal will be considered incomplete and will not be selected.

＊Generally, the counterpart research institute prepares the official request for ODA technical cooperation, and then, after receiving approval from relevant ministries and agencies, submits the request to the local Japanese embassy via the local ministry or agency responsible for ODA. The embassy then submits the request to MOFA.

1-4. Research Fields and Areas

Environment/Energy

Research contributing to the solution to global-scale environmental issues

Research contributing to SDGs, such as averting the climate crisis, adaptations to the present impacts of global warming and those predicted in future, preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services, sustainable use of natural resources, pollution prevention and control, biomass-derived resources, and circular economies
Environment/Energy

Research on the sustainable use of resources and energy with a view to achieving carbon neutrality

Research contributing to SDGs concerning resources and energy, such as measures to restrict greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, energy conservation, decentralized societies, smart societies, and carbon pricing
Bioresources

Research contributing to sustainable production and utilization of bioresources

Contributing to SDGs - food security, health promotion, nutrition improvement, and sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

Research on disaster prevention and mitigation towards social sustainability

Research contributing to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and SDGs, from advance measures such as analysis of disaster mechanisms, building national resilience, strengthening social infrastructure, and appropriate land use planning, to reconstruction and recovery after a disaster has occurred and adaptations to disasters caused by climate change

※Up to FY2015, the SATREPS Invitation for Research Proposals included the Infectious Diseases Control field. From FY2016, projects in this field are handled by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). Please visit AMED website (Japanese)for details regarding the invitation for research proposals in the Infectious Diseases Control field.

※From FY2023, research proposals in the Environment and Energy research field will be allocated to one of two research areas (“Research contributing to the solution to global-scale environmental issues” or “Research on the sustainable use of resources and energy with a view to achieving carbon neutrality”) for screening. In principle, this allocation will be based on the proposer’s wishes, but depending on the content of a proposal it may be screened in a research area different from that requested by the proposer.

1-5. Research Period ・JST/JICA Funding

Research Period ：
3 to 5 years (after provisional period)
The provisional period is the research preparation period before the international collaboration research starts officially with R/D*1 and CRA*2.
JST/JICA Funding
Approx. 100 million yen per project per year
【Funding split】
JST (Contract research expenses, including indirect costs):Approx. 35 million yen per year (Max. 175 million yen over 5 years)
JICA (ODA project expenses under the technical cooperation framework):Approx. 60 million yen per year (Max. 300 million yen over 5 years)

*1The Record of Discussions (R/D) is a record of the discussions between representative organizations in the partner country and JICA, regarded as an agreement on the implementation of a technical collaboration project.

*2The Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA) is a written agreement for a joint research project between the Japanese side and the research institution (the party concerned) in the partner country.

1-6. Schedule for application and selection

ODA applications deadline : Friday October 13, 2023(Japan time)
(applications received after the deadline will not be accepted)
Applications deadline : 12:00 noon (Japan time) on Monday October 23, 2023
(applications received after the deadline will not be accepted)
Document screening : Early November 2023 to February 2024
Interviewing for selection :Mid February to Late February 2024
Provisional selection and notification : Mid April 2024 onwards, after JST research budget approval
Start of research : April 2024 or later, following signing of the R/D and CRA

The interview schedule is as below:

Interview selection will be held in person (Tokyo).

Research Fields	Interview Dates
Environment/Energy "Research contributing to the solution to global-scale environmental issues"	February 21st (Wed), 2024
Environment/Energy "Research on the sustainable use of resources and energy with a view to achieving carbon neutrality"	February 28th (Wed), 2024
Bioresources "Research contributing to sustainable production and utilization of bioresources"	February 20th (Tue), 2024
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation "Research on disaster prevention and mitigation towards social sustainability"	February 26th (Mon), 2024

The interviewees will be notified by e-mail at least two weeks prior to the interview day.
The schedule for interview selection will be posted when this has been decided. Only candidates who have passed the document screening process will be notified of the interview selection.
We regret that we are unable to respond to inquiries during the screening process.

This invitation for research proposals is for proposals that will be implemented under the government's FY2024 budget, but submitted and selected before the budget is finalized. Moreover, the SATREPS program is linked with the official development assistance (ODA) program, and requires time for coordination with institutions in the counterpart country. For these reasons, in order to start the research projects as soon as possible, the process needs to start before the budget is approved. In consequence, when the budget is finally approved, details and amounts may change, which could potentially affect the fields of research, contract research expenses, and number of projects selected. Additional documentation may also be requested following budget approval.

2. Download the Application Guidelines

This Application Guideline is prepared for researchers who belong to Japanese research institutions/universities in Japan. Researchers in other countries should consult their national government agency responsible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) technical cooperation, the Embassy of Japan, or JICA offices in their resident countries.

Application Guideline (PDF) Provisional Translation Form 1 - 9 (in Word format) Target Outcomes Sheet