The Hamilton Lugar School’s 21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiative (21JPSI) is excited to announce its latest competition for a travel award to support social scientific/policy-relevant research in Japan during summer 2026. Funding is available this grant cycle for one current IU faculty member to spend two weeks in Japan (up to $5000*).
Please submit all required materials (details below) to JPSI@iu.edu no later than March 8, 2026. Use the email subject heading “Application for 21JPSI Research Travel Award.”
*Up to US$5000 per grant is intended to facilitate 2 weeks (13 nights/14 days) of research fieldwork in Japan. Please note that, as an externally-supported grant, the reimbursable expense categories and caps listed below are determined by the Japan Foundation and non-negotiable. In other words, this award cannot be used to reimburse expenses incurred in categories other than those listed below, nor amounts in eligible categories that exceed the category-specific caps. (However, the successful applicant should feel free to cover additional expenses using other funds.)
Required Application Materials
- A 1-page research statement/proposal containing a project abstract and a scope of the work that briefly describes the following: 1) the proposed research project’s focus and core research question, 2) its scholarly significance; 3) its relevance for a contemporary real-world domestic or foreign policy challenge, and 4) how it moves beyond the applicant’s previous research. Be sure to clearly explain the necessity of research travel to Japan and the specific research site(s) within Japan you wish to visit; your specific plans (and timeline) for research while in Japan; and a timeline and description for how your research findings will be disseminated after project completion. If you plan to conduct research in more than one city, please explain why. Please also suggest the title of a possible talk that you could give at a Japanese partner university (e.g., Waseda University, with which IU has a strategic partnership and HLS has an exchange agreement).
- A budget proposal that clearly identifies concrete USD$ estimates and sources for airfare, hotel, and transportation. Please also identify any other funding applied for and/or received to support the project.
Eligible expense categories and maximums include:
- roundtrip economy airfare between IND and Japan (up to US$2150)
- up to 13 nights’ hotel accommodations in Japan (up to US$128/night, inclusive of all taxes/fees)
- up to 14 days of meals (up to US$32/day)
- ground transportation between Bloomington and Indianapolis Airport (up to US$160 roundtrip)
- ground transportation between airport in destination Japanese city and research site (up to $28 roundtrip)
- up to 14 days of subway/bus fare in destination city (up to US$6/day)
- inter-city travel within Japan (up to US$328 total), only if necessary for research purposes
(As noted above, the grant terms are such that (1) expenses incurred for budget items not mentioned in the list above, or for amounts exceeding the hard $ caps noted above, will be the grantee’s responsibility. (2) These caps are set by the funder each fiscal year, and—for better or worse—will not change regardless of USD:JPY exchange rate fluctuations. So please plan accordingly)
- A curriculum vitae
Eligibility Criteria
- Awardee selection will be based on the proposed research project's relevance to 21JPSI's mission, the importance to the project of travel to Japan, and the originality and significance of the proposed research. Competitive research proposals will focus on topics compatible with the research component of 21JPSI’s mission: supporting social scientific/policy-relevant academic scholarship on important issues related to contemporary Japanese politics and society, U.S.-Japan relations, and/or Japanese foreign policy. (Please review the 21JPSI website for details on the Initiative’s mission and scope)
- Japanese-language proficiency and/or previous experience conducting research in Japan are NOT conditions for a proposal to be competitive. When circumstances allow, 21JPSI is eager to support both Japan experts and non-Japan experts who wish to engage Japan in their academic research.
- All Indiana University faculty employed in both Spring 2026 and Fall 2026 are eligible to apply; however, no individual may receive this grant two years in-a-row.
- Successful applicants must commit to:
- complete all travel by August 31, 2026
- submit within two weeks of their return (a) a detailed reimbursement request; (b) a one-page report summarizing their research activities in Japan (please note: all this information will be shared with the funder)
- acknowledge financial support from 21JPSI and the Japan Foundation in all papers/publications benefitting from the award-supported research
Please send any questions or concerns to jpsi@iu.edu.
Other Opportunities
For additional grant and funding opportunities visit the East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) grant page.