JST to fund 12^(*1) Japan-Philippine Urgent
Collaborative Projects regarding “Typhoon Yolanda”
within the J-RAPID Program

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) announced the launch of support, jointly with the Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DOST^(*2)), to 12^(*1) projects related to “Typhoon Yolanda^(*3)” within the framework of the J-RAPID^(*4) Program which supports urgent international collaborative research.

JST started cooperating with DOST just a few weeks after Typhoon Yolanda devastated the Philippines. 25 proposals were submitted during the application period from 17^th February to 28^th March 2014, from which 12^(*1) have been selected for funding. About 3 million yen will be provided in support of each project during the 6 - 12 month research period.

In March 2011, JST first launched the J-RAPID program for urgent research/investigation, and especially for international collaborative research/investigation, in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake. In that first call, JST, in cooperation with funding agencies from four countries including the US and France, supported 33 projects covering various fields such as prevention of earthquakes/Tsunami, architecture/civil engineering and nuclear/radiation safety.

Subsequently, in response to the floods which hit Thailand in November 2011, JST supported 2 projects in collaboration with NSTDA^(*5).

JST implements J-RAPID in cases of rare disasters worldwide which have great social and economic impact, and which require emergency action.

Candidate projects for J-RAPID funding should demonstrate urgency of research/investigation in one or both of the following ways:

• Urgency in collecting data that would soon disappear and be unobtainable at any other time (e.g. documentation of tsunami damage, measurement of the initial distribution of pollutants).
• Urgency in solving immediate problems that may cause a devastating aftermath to societies (e.g. preparedness and response for outbreaks of infectious diseases).

Previous J-RAPID projects have contributed to academic research/investigation, reconstruction after a disaster and prevention of future disasters through providing data, issuing proposals and forming research networks, etc. For example, Prof. Taniguchi of Kyoto University collected real data on relief distribution after the Great East Japan Earthquake, with the collaboration of US researchers. At the same time, they performed interviews with those who had been involved in the relief distribution such as government agencies, logistics operators and cargo owners. The purpose of that study was to improve relief distribution in the future based on analyzing the success and failure of relief distribution in this case, and their various causes. Adding to shared experience between Japan and the US, the interviews with people who still had a clear memory of the disaster lead to success in collecting data and making an important analysis (Reference 1).

JST will continue to implement the J-RAPID program in response to emergencies and to support research/investigation that contributes to the collection of scientifically important data, speedy restoration after disasters and improvement of disaster preparedness in the future.