Japan Fund Grants

The Japan Fund Committee is pleased to invite proposals from Stanford faculty, departments or programs for purposes or activities which support and promote Japanese studies.  

Current application period starts on January 1

Applications must be received by February 15

Awards typically support faculty research travel or materials, course development, seminars, workshops, student fellowships, conferences and research assistantships.

Priority is given to proposals that further Japan Studies at Stanford in ways, such as:

• hosting visiting faculty or visiting scholars;
• graduate and undergraduate fellowships in Stanford overseas studies program in Kyoto;
• conducting Japan-related research within the United States;
• library acquisitions and related maintenance or servicing of materials;
• or the planning, introduction, and improvement of courses, seminars, and other instructional materials relating to Japan.

Awards are intended to serve incremental purposes, not to replace existing dispositions or allocations.  In all cases, a proposal should state how an award will enhance the capacities of the programs at Stanford that specialize in Japan Studies.

PROPOSAL ELEMENTS

A proposal to the Japan Fund should include the following elements and be sent to Patrick Laboon at plaboon@stanford.edu:

• Statement of purpose, including explanation of how the proposed activity will enhance Japanese Studies at Stanford
• Estimated budget, if awarded, to begin September 1st (unless in exceptional circumstances, maximum allowable request is to be limited to $50,000).
• Detailed description of funds currently available, applied for, or that will be requested from other sources (internal and external) for the same purpose
• Be submitted as a single file in PDF format

Awards are made on a year-to-year basis, subject to annual competition and evaluation. Awarded funds will be transferred to the department or program listed on the proposal form at fiscal year-end of the award term. Please charge budgeted items towards your own internal accounts, and at year end ask your finance administrator to contact FSI’s financial analyst for details on the appropriate PTA for this fund transfer request. Expenses expected to be covered by the award must be compliant with Stanford purchasing policies.

This funding is provided based on the specific activities and budget described in your proposal. If your project plans change substantively, please consult us so that we may assess whether they are consistent with the original intent of the award. Any changes in expenditures from the originally budgeted award must be adjusted for the transfer request. Any remaining balance returns to the faculty committee for redistribution in subsequent award cycles.

Awardees must consent to provide a short (1-2 page) report detailing your activities by the end of the award year, as well as a record of expenditures included in the fund transfer request, demonstrating that they match the originally budgeted award.

An e-mail notification on the committee's decision will be sent in March. Reporting requirements for use of funds include a final report describing what the funds enabled.

For questions, please contact Patrick Laboon at plaboon@stanford.edu.