Institutional Project Support: Small Grant Program (United States)

This program is designed to: Support institutions that face difficulties maintaining current levels of infrastructure for Japanese Studies in the U.S.; Stimulate infrastructural interest in Japanese Studies by small and newer institutions without an established program of Japanese Studies or those that lack personnel or resources; and Provide support for particularly innovative programs that promote Japanese Studies.

Funding Information

• Projects must commence between April 1, 2025 and September 30, 2025. The duration can be up to twelve months (one year). A maximum of $25,000 will be awarded to institutions that execute proposals designed to maintain and advance the infrastructural scale of Japanese Studies at their institution.

Eligible Projects

• Projects must fulfill the following requirements to be eligible for application:
  • They must not be used for political, religious, social welfare, or commercial activities.
  • They must not be activities in support of specific doctrines or claims.

Ineligible Projects 

• The aim of the project must be to promote Japanese Studies. The following proposals are not eligible:
  • Projects in the field of medicine, manual training or natural sciences
  • Organization of or participation in sporting events and training
  • Projects in the field of art (art-related projects such as exhibitions, film series, etc. that form a portion of a larger, comprehensive Japanese Studies project may be funded)
  • Goodwill exchanges
  • Social welfare or international development projects
  • Tourist-oriented programs
• Japanese language-related components may be supported if they are part of a more comprehensive Japanese Studies project.

Eligibility Criteria

• Only submissions from U.S. institutions and organizations with 501(c)(3) status and other qualifying tax-exempt statuses will be accepted.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Applicants to this program are not eligible to apply to IPS program for fiscal 2025-2026. In addition, institutions that are currently receiving IPS funds for fiscal 2024-2025 may not apply.
• Multiple applications from one institution will not be accepted.

Screening Criteria 

• Impact on the institution’s ability to maintain and advance the scale of infrastructural support for Japanese Studies
• Likelihood of benefit for a significant number of students, scholars, and/or community members
• Significance within the field
• Necessity of grant support (level of financial need)
• Competence of project leaders and their institution to execute proposals
• Commitment from the institution (matching funds are not a requirement)

Selection Criteria

• Proposals will be reviewed with the confidential assistance of the American Advisory Committee, which is comprised of distinguished scholars from various cultural and educational institutions across the United States and Japan.
• During the screening process, the Japan Foundation, New York (“JFNY”) staff may ask the applying institution questions as the need arises.
• Applicants will be notified of the results of the screening in April 2025 through JFNY.

Application Requirements

• Please be sure that all signatory parties’ names are included on the application form, with their positions, titles, and signatures. The Authorized Representative, the Project Director, and the Bursar must be three different individuals.
• The project abstract is limited to 250 words. Please provide further detail in the Project Narrative.
• Institutional Information: Please provide a brief summary of the history and current status of Japanese Studies programs within your institution, such as course offerings, department activities and number of faculty and students. The necessity for grant support and level of financial need may also be included.
• Please list all grants received from JFNY, JFLA and the Center for Global Partnership (CGP) within the past 10 years.

For more information, visit Japan Foundation.