Project Funding
Introduction
The Yanai Initiative’s JPP Project Funding program offers short-term support to scholars to create public-facing resources on Japan-related topics (broadly defined) to be published on the JPP website. Resources may include, but are not limited to, research and pedagogy guides, databases, video series, essays, lesson plans/syllabi, annotated translations, digital resources, or other innovative materials in support of open-access research and teaching.
Funding of up to $10,000 may be used to cover the cost of research, writing, and content development by a group of 3-5 individuals for a period of 4 months, along with other mutually agreed-upon expenses. Team members will typically be expected to dedicate approximately 3-4 hours a week during their 4-month term. For reference, work on JPP-initiated projects is compensated at a rate of $30 an hour. We recognize that institutional policies and differences in prevailing wages in different localities around the world, as well as exchange rates, may affect the amounts that teams budget. In the case of larger projects, teams may, after showing appropriate progress, apply for a 4-month extension. If more than 5 people are desired on a Project Team, applicants must provide proof of complementary funding from an outside source. The number of projects accepted each application cycle may vary.
Themes & Formats
In any given application cycle, JPP Project Funding may be open to applications on any topic and in any format, or it may be limited to applications related to selected themes, specific temporal periods, and/or targeted resource types.
For JPP’s Spring Project Funding application cycle, we will make up to 4 awards, including one project per collaborative and one transtemporal project. For this round of funding, we especially encourage applications on premodern topics. Projects will be conducted between May 15, 2025 and September 15, 2025. The current project themes/formats are:
Premodern Japan Collaborative
Open theme/format
Early Modern Japan Collaborative
Open theme/format
Modern & Contemporary Japan Collaborative
Open theme/format
Transtemporal
Open theme/format
Requirements
1) Application Form, which includes:
Proposed Project Title
List of Team Members, including one designated Team Coordinator responsible for organizing logistics and managing Team Collaborators
Project Proposal
a description of the project, including goals, methods, outputs and impact
Proposed Project Timeline
Project Budget
Project budgets must include a detailed breakdown of estimated expenses, including team coordinator/collaborator project development, project-related materials, permissions, etc.
Budget should include any anticipated or secured co-sponsorship, along with estimated funds.
2) Curriculum Vitae for each team member (no more than 2 pages each)
FAQ
How often does Japan Past & Present offer Project Funding?
JPP plans to offer Project Funding twice a year, in spring and fall. If this schedule changes, information will be provided on the Project Funding webpage.
Right now you do not appear to be accepting applications from the topic or time period I am interested in applying for. Will X theme/time period be offered in the future?
Each Project Funding cycle we evaluate the existing projects currently underway for the JPP website and decide whether or not we will accept applications from all time periods or themes or request targeted applications to ensure a good balance for our content. If the theme or time period you are interested in is not available during the current Project Funding application cycle, it may be during the next application period. Please subscribe to our news blog or follow us on social media to keep up to date on the latest information.
May I apply for Project Funding to contribute to an existing project?
We welcome teams to apply for Project Funding to enhance existing projects on the JPP site. Please note that depending on the project, the original organizers or Project Managers may be consulted regarding the feasibility of new contributions.
Can the content produced using Project Funding be housed somewhere other than Japan Past & Present?
The JPP Project Funding program offers short-term support to scholars to create public-facing resources related to the Japanese humanities (broadly defined) to be published on the JPP website. In exceptional cases, if there is a compelling reason for content produced by JPP Project Teams to be reproduced on a separate website, they should include a justification in their Project Proposal.
Is Japan Past & Present a non-profit organization?
Japan Past & Present is a project of the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities, a partnership between UCLA and Waseda University. JPP is not a separate, incorporated entity, but it is sponsored by and housed at these nonprofit educational institutions.
How are project funds disbursed?
Given the global nature of our applicants, Japan Past & Present works with each team and project member to find the best way to meet a project’s budgetary needs and any relevant institutional requirements. Funds may either be allocated through a team member’s institution, center, or unit, via invoice for project management; or allocated directly to individuals contributing to the project based on an hourly fee or other actual costs. We recommend that teams outline any specific concerns or restrictions they may have in their project proposal.
Project funds cannot be used to cover the following:
indirect costs incurred by the home institutions of team members
subscriptions and software
extended research trips (if any travel is budgeted for project-related expenses, details must be provided and are subject to approval by JPP administrators)