Student Funds

Now Accepting Applications!
Deadline – Monday, September 30 at 23:59 (Japan Time)

Not currently accepting applications.
The next cycle will open in early 2020.

As part of our commitment to further strengthening the capacity of ICU’s outstanding student body, the Japan ICU Foundation is pleased to provide support to ICU students. Through this initiative, ICU students will learn to develop and manage projects of interest to them. All degree-seeking ICU students are eligible to apply for either the Student Travel Fund or the Student Activities Fund.

JICUF encourages ICU students to create innovative projects aligned with ICU’s commitment to the liberal arts. Preference will be given to original initiatives conceived, designed, and implemented by ICU students themselves. We will also consider proposals to support projects that have previously been funded. We do not, however, provide either support or reimbursement for projects that have been completed or will be completed by the project start date.

In addition to the above criteria, all projects must fall within the scope of at least one of the following themes:

  • International – Projects under this theme involve international travel, explicitly focus on international issues, include participation from collaborators abroad, etc.
  • Christian – Projects under this theme contemplate, examine, enact, and/or express Christian values such as compassion, social service, peaceful inclusion, and unbiased acceptance. Examples include volunteer activities, faith-based activities, projects that focus on the marginalized, etc.
  • University – Projects under this theme have either a research or teaching component, or deal with issues faced by the ICU community. Projects include research trips related to a student’s major, hosting academic conferences at ICU, workshops to benefit ICU students and faculty, etc.

Sample Application Forms

Below are samples of the Inquiry Form, samples of the proposal forms for the Student Travel Fund and the Student Activities Fund, and a sample of the Grant Budget Form used for both programs. These sample forms are intended to serve as a guide. To apply for funding, please click the “Apply Here” button on the left of this page, and follow the instructions.

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

STUDENT TRAVEL FUND

The Student Travel Fund supports projects that require student travel, both inside and outside of Japan. These projects must be either research or service-oriented. Research projects should relate to the applicant’s academic major or minor. Service projects must involve service-oriented or volunteering.

  • Applicants must be enrolled degree-seeking ICU students in either the College of Liberal Arts or Graduate School at the time of application and throughout the duration of the grant activity.

    At this time, students enrolled in the following programs are ineligible for the Student Travel Funds:

    • Rotary Peace Center MA Program in Peace and Conflict Resolution
    • Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS)
    • One-year regular students (OYRs)

    Individual students, groups of students, and student clubs and circles are eligible to apply. Each application, however, must be submitted by a primary applicant who will also serve as the liaison between the group and JICUF.

    Partnerships

    We encourage partnerships both within and outside of ICU. Although the primary grant applicant must be an ICU student, it is possible to partner with an external person or organization. Examples may include partnering with a student from another university on a research project, partnering with an NPO on a service project, or working with a sports team from an overseas university.

  • All project must fall within the scope of at least of the following themes:

    • International – Projects under this theme involve international travel, explicitly focus on international issues, include participation from collaborators abroad, etc.
    • Christian – Projects under this theme either contemplate or examine the Christian faith or engage with and/or express Christian values.
    • University – Projects under this theme have either a research or teaching component, or deal with issues faced by the ICU community.
  • There are two application periods each year, one in the spring and the other in the fall.

     

    Inquiry Period
    Rolling Deadline

    Full Proposal Deadline

    Awards Announced

    Project
    Start Date

    Spring 2019

    Jan. 21 – Feb. 25

    Mar. 11

    Apr. 1

    On or After Apr. 15

    Fall 2019

    Aug. 26 – Sep. 30

    Oct. 14

    Oct. 28

    On or After Nov. 12

    Each grant cycle consists of three steps:

    1. You must submit an inquiry form to JICUF anytime during the inquiry period. Once we receive your inquiry form, JICUF staff will review it carefully. If your inquiry is approved, you will be given instructions to submit a full proposal.
    2. If invited, you must submit a full grant proposal by the full proposal deadline.
    3. After JICUF reviews all proposals, awards will be announced.

    Please note that you may submit only one inquiry form per grant cycle, regardless of the grant category. If you have more than one project in mind, please contact Program Manager, Fernando Rojas, at frojas@jicuf.org to discuss your ideas.

    JICUF will review inquiry forms in the order that they are received. The sooner you submit your inquiry form, the more time you will have to prepare a strong proposal.

    Be advised that an invitation to submit a proposal does not guarantee funding.

    As noted above, projects proposed in the Spring 2018 cycle must begin on or after April 15, and those proposed in the Fall 2018 cycle must begin on or after Nov. 12. JICUF funds may not be retroactively applied to completed projects.

    Review Process

    Grant inquiries will be reviewed by JICUF staff in order to ensure proper fit with our grant categories and eligibility requirements. Qualified applicants will be invited to submit full proposals which are reviewed by JICUF staff as well as an independent Grants Committee. Final decisions will be made by the Grants Committee.

  • JICUF is open to receiving grant inquiries of all sizes. Grants must be requested in Japanese Yen. The budget proposal is subject to scrutiny and the award amount will be determined by the Grants Committee.

    JICUF currently does not support payment for the following:

    • Computers or other electronic devices;
    • Thank-you money/tokens of appreciation;
    • Business or first-class airfare;
    • Conference/program attendance fees;
    • Expenses unrelated to the grant.
  • Grant recipients are responsible for both 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.

  • 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. Final report guideline can be found at: https://www.jicuf.org/grant-final-report/. JICUF will send a closing letter to the grant awardee once the report is received.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES FUND

The Student Activities Fund is designed to support student events and activities. Projects that are likely to benefit the ICU community will be considered for funding. New and innovative projects are especially welcomed.

  • Applicants must be enrolled degree-seeking ICU students in either the College of Liberal Arts or Graduate School at the time of application and throughout the duration of the grant activity. One-year regular students (OYRs) are not eligible to apply at this time.

    Individual students, groups of students, and student clubs and circles are eligible to apply. Each application, however, must be submitted by a primary applicant who will also serve as the liaison between the group and JICUF.

    Partnerships

    We encourage partnerships both within and outside of ICU. Although the primary grant applicant must be an ICU student, it is possible to partner with external person or organization. Example may include partnering with a student from another university on a research project, partnering with an NPO on a service project, or working with a sports team from an overseas university.

    Hosting Activities at ICU

    Student applicants should note that they may not be able to book certain ICU facilities, such as the Dialogue House, themselves and might require some assistance from an ICU faculty member. Be sure to check with the Student Services Office for availability and reservation requirements.

  • All project must fall within the scope of at least of the following themes:

    • International – Projects under this theme involve international travel, explicitly focus on international issues, include participation from collaborators abroad, etc.
    • Christian – Projects under this theme either contemplate or examine the Christian faith or engage with and/or express Christian values.
    • University – Projects under this theme have either a research or teaching component, or deal with issues faced by the ICU community.
  • There are two application periods each year, one in the spring and the other in the fall.

     

    Inquiry Period
    Rolling Deadline

    Full Proposal Deadline

    Awards Announced

    Project
    Start Date

    Spring 2019

    Jan. 21 – Feb. 25

    Mar. 11

    Apr. 1

    On or After Apr. 15

    Fall 2019

    Aug. 26 – Sep. 30

    Oct. 14

    Oct. 28

    On or After Nov. 12

    Each grant cycle consists of three steps:

    1. You must submit an inquiry form to JICUF anytime during the inquiry period. Once we receive your inquiry form, JICUF staff will review it carefully. If your inquiry is approved, you will be given instructions to submit a full proposal.
    2. If invited, you must submit a full grant proposal by the full proposal deadline.
    3. After JICUF reviews all proposals, awards will be announced.

    Please note that you may submit only one inquiry form per grant cycle, regardless of the category. If you have more than one project in mind, please contact Program Manager, Fernando Rojas, at frojas@jicuf.org to discuss your ideas.

    JICUF will review inquiry forms in the order that they are received. The sooner you submit your inquiry form, the more time you will have to prepare a strong proposal.

    Be advised that an invitation to submit a proposal does not guarantee funding.

     

    As noted above, projects proposed in the Spring 2018 cycle must begin on or after April 15, and those proposed in the Fall 2018 cycle must begin on or after Nov. 15. JICUF funds may not be retroactively applied to completed projects.

    Review Process

    Grant inquiries will be reviewed by JICUF staff in order to ensure proper fit with our grant categories and eligibility requirements. Qualified applicants will be invited to submit full proposals which are reviewed by JICUF staff as well as an independent Grants Committee. Final decisions will be made by the Grants Committee.

  • JICUF is open to receiving grant inquiries of all sizes. Grants must be requested in Japanese Yen. The budget proposal is subject to scrutiny and the award amount will be determined by the Grants Committee.

    JICUF currently does not support payment for the following:

    • Computers or other electronic devices;
    • Business or first-class airfare;
    • Conference/program attendance fees;
    • Expenses unrelated to the grant.

    If your project includes inviting individuals (professionals, teachers, coaches, etc.) or groups to visit the ICU campus, JICUF may consider providing the following support for your guest(s):

    • Up to 2 weeks of housing support
    • Round-trip economy class airfare to Japan
    • A daily allowance of ¥5,000
    • Honorarium of ¥30,000 upon completion of a public event such as a lecture, presentation, or workshop.

    Additional support is provided at the discretion of the JICUF Grants Committee.

    Applicants seeking support for activities in the United States or its territories may not apply through Student Activities Funds due to US tax restrictions. If you would like to propose activities within the US, please email us at grants@jicuf.org.

  • Grant recipients are responsible for both 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.

  • 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. Final report guideline can be found at: https://www.jicuf.org/grant-final-report/. JICUF will send a closing letter to the grant awardee once the report is received.

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