VISITING SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Due to the ongoing public health emergency, JICUF is temporarily suspending the JICUF Grants Initiative. JICUF will resume its grantmaking activities in September 2021, if conditions permit. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Program Manager Fernando Rojas at frojas@jicuf.org. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Through the Visiting Scholars Program, ICU faculty are able to invite scholars and professionals to visit ICU. During their stay at ICU, it is expected that guests will actively engage with and share their knowledge with the ICU community through participating in classes, workshops, tutorials with students, informal conversations and social activities.

SAMPLE APPLICATION FORMS

Below are samples of the inquiry form, the proposal form and the budget form. These sample forms are intended to serve as a guide.

To apply for funding, please click the “Apply Here” button and follow the instructions.

If you have any questions, email JICUF Program Manager Fernando Rojas at frojas@jicuf.org.

The Purpose of the Visiting Scholars Program

The Visiting Scholars Program offers financial support for ICU faculty and educational staff to host scholars and professionals at ICU for up to two weeks. Guests are expected to actively engage with and share their knowledge with the ICU community through giving lectures, participating in class discussions and workshops, advising students and participating in campus life.

JICUF provides up to 2 weeks of housing support, a round-trip economy class airfare, and a daily allowance of ¥5,000. Subject to approval by JICUF, visiting scholars can also receive one ¥30,000 honorarium upon completion of a qualified activity at ICU. Qualified activities include giving a public lecture, making a keynote presentation at a symposium, and leading a workshop.

Eligibility and Guidelines

JICUF defines a visiting scholar as an individual who possesses a Ph.D. or terminal degree and is accomplished and well-regarded in their field. A visiting scholar can also be a working professional (i.e. entrepreneur, chief executive officer, president, artist, etc.) who has been successful in their professional field but does not necessarily have a Ph.D. or terminal degree.
 
The primary applicant who will serve as the visiting scholar’s host must be a member of the ICU faculty or full-time educational staff at the time of application and throughout the duration of the guest’s stay. It is possible to apply individually or as a team. One team member, however, must serve as the primary applicant and liaison between the group and JICUF.

Faculty and educational staff are eligible to host one visiting scholar per academic year. If you would like to invite more than one person to visit ICU, we recommend either applying for the Faculty Program Grant or asking another member of the ICU faculty or educational staff to submit a separate Visiting Scholars Program application.

Visiting scholars are required to spend at least two-thirds of their time at ICU, and guests must stay on campus at the Dialogue House.

Application Process & Timeline

The application process consists of three steps:

  1. Submit an Inquiry Form
    You are able to submit an inquiry form at any time. The inquiry form is designed to give JICUF a general idea of your project. The form is available online year-round and can be written in either Japanese or English.

    When we receive an inquiry form, JICUF reviews it to ensure proper fit with our eligibility criteria. If your inquiry is approved, you will be invited to submit a full proposal. Be advised that an invitation to submit a full proposal does not guarantee funding for your project.

  2. Submit a Full Proposal
    If your inquiry form is approved, you will receive instructions on submitting a full proposal. The proposal requires you to describe your nature of your guest’s visit in detail and also requires submission of a budget. You must list the expected expenses and revenue, if any. Proposals must be submitted in English, although there is an option to submit supplementary materials in Japanese.

  3. Review & Approval
    Proposals are reviewed both by JICUF staff and by an independent grants committee. During the review process, JICUF may suggest changes to project budgets. Final award decisions are made by the grants committee. Once a project is approved and the project budget is finalized, JICUF will send an award packet.

There are three application periods each year, corresponding to each academic term. Below are the dates for Winter 2019, Spring 2020, and Fall 2020 terms.


Grant Amount & Restrictions

Grants must be requested in Japanese Yen. The final award amount will depend of the guest’s length of stay and the nature of their activities. In general, the Visiting Scholars and Professionals Program provides the following support:

  • Up to two weeks of housing at Dialogue House

  • Round-trip economy-class airfare to Japan for international guests and travel between Narita/Haneda Airport and ICU. For domestic guests, we will cover round-trip travel between the guest’s home and ICU.

  • A daily allowance of ¥5,000 per person to cover meals and local transportation.

  • A one-time honorarium of ¥30,000 upon completion of a qualified activity at ICU. Qualified activities include giving a public lecture, making a keynote presentation at a symposium or leading a workshop.

Please note that for international guests, we expect them to spend at least two-thirds of their time engaging in activities at ICU. For example, if you propose to bring over a scholar for a total of 3 days, 2 of those days must be spent at ICU. Additional support may be provided at our discretion on a case by case basis. Contact JICUF if you have any further questions.

Tax Implications

Recipients of the Visiting Scholars Program grant and their guests are responsible for determining the taxability of their grant and paying the necessary taxes on the amount received. JICUF is not able to provide counsel on individual tax matters and recommends that you speak with your local tax office.

Final Report

Grantees will have up to one year from the award date to complete their grant activity. A final grant report must be submitted to JICUF no later than 60 days after the grant activity is completed. The final report must consist of a narrative report and financial report.

The narrative report should include the achievements of the visiting scholar or professional, document the guest’s classroom presentations, meetings with students and general campus community. Instructions will be shared in the award packet.

Previous Visiting Scholars and Professionals

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