2023 SATREPS: Invitation for Research Proposals Targeting Global Issues and Contributing to SDGs
Dear IO Focal Persons,
Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in collaboration with Japan International Collaboration Agency (JICA) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS).
The SATREPS program is a collaboration between two Japanese government agencies: the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Based on the needs of developing countries, JST and JICA cooperate to promote international joint research targeting global issues with an objective of utilization of research outcomes. Implemented through collaboration with Official Development Assistance (ODA), the aim of the program is to acquire new knowledge and technology that lead to the resolution of global issues and the advance of science and technology, and through this process, to create innovations. International joint research under this program also aims to enhance the research and development capabilities of developing countries and helps create sustainable research systems able to address and resolve issues.
SATREPS program structure
Through collaboration with research institutions in developing countries, it aims to facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge and technology that can lead to the resolution of global issues and the advancement of science and technology. Under this program, JST (which possesses expertise in funding research projects in Japan) provides support for research expenses in Japan and elsewhere (but not in the partner country), while JICA bears expenses necessary for the implementation of ODA technical cooperation (including dispatch of experts from Japan to the counterpart country, acceptance of foreign researchers to Japan, and provision of machinery and equipment). Management of R&D for international joint research as a whole is conducted cooperatively between JICA and JST.
Research fields and areas for public invitation
Environment and Energy
- Research Area 1: Research contributing to the solution to global-scale environmental issues (Research contributing to SDGs, such as averting the climate crisis, adaptations to the present impacts of global warming and those predicted in future, preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services, sustainable use of natural resources, pollution prevention and control, biomass-derived resources, and circular economies).
- Research on the observation, prediction, impact assessment, and adaptation to climate change
- Research that contributes to assessing the abundance of water resources and improving safe, sustainable water resource management, utilization, and treatment (including proposals to strengthen the capacity of water utilities and improve service quality).
- Research on establishing a material-cycle society (including collection and reuse of waste and useful resources).
Research on the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and biological diversity.
- Research Area 2: Research on the sustainable use of resources and energy with a view to achieving carbon neutrality (Research contributing to SDGs concerning resources and energy, such as measures to restrict greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, energy conservation, decentralized societies, smart societies, and carbon pricing)
- Studies of the introduction and validation of social systems contributing to the realization of lowcarbon societies in developing countries, such as carbon pricing
Research on renewable energy, such as sunlight and solar heat, wind power, ocean energy, geothermal energy, and biomass.
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Research contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from non-energy sources, such as CH4, N2O, and HFCs.
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Research on the sustainable use of natural resources such as fossil fuels and minerals, such as component technologies related to carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS); resource recycling; “urban mine” development; and resource collection systems.
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Research utilizing digital technologies such as ICT, IoT, and AI to create sustainable, resource recycling cities and communities in forms such as smart cities, smart communities, smart agriculture, transport networks, and next-generation infrastructure.
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Research on energy conservation in industrial processes and elsewhere, such as highly efficient and clean energy use technology, the introduction of highly efficient machinery, and the introduction of energy-recycling technology.
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Research promoting the use of renewable energy through the generation and utilization of carbon recycling, green hydrogen, blue hydrogen, ammonia, methane and other substances.
Bioresources
- Research Area 3: Research contributing to sustainable production and utilization of bioresources (Contributing to SDGs – food security, health promotion, nutrition improvement, and sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fisheries).
- Research and development contributing to the sustainable production and utilization of bioresources (including resource management, breeding, cultivation, propagation and culturing technology for plant, animal, marine and microbial resources, production/distribution systems)
- Research contributing to the evaluation and effective utilization of bioresources (including using biodiversity for discovery, identification, and production of valuable substances derived from biological resources but excluding human drug development) Applications for projects focusing on the following topics should be made under Environment and Energy.
- Research contributing to the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity (Environment and Energy, Research Area 1).
- Research contributing to the utilization of biomass energy (Environment and Energy, Research Area 2)
- Research activities that primarily address environment and energy issues (Environment and Energy, Research Areas 1 and 2).
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation
- Research Area 4: Research on disaster prevention and mitigation towards social sustainability (Research contributing to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and SDGs, from advance measures such as analysis of disaster mechanisms, building national resilience, strengthening social infrastructure, and appropriate land use planning, to reconstruction and recovery after a disaster has occurred and adaptations to disasters caused by climate change).
- Research on clarifying the mechanisms and prediction of disasters associated with natural phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruptions, storms, storm surges, inundation, drought, heat waves, and landslides, together with measures to mitigate such disasters and risks, as well as measures for restoration and reconstruction, and research on effectiveness of investment in disaster risk reduction.
- Research on measures to mitigate the damage from major disasters that have become more serious with urbanization (fires, urban flooding due to torrential rain, damage to social infrastructure such as lifelines and transportation networks).
- Research on building national resilience to create disaster-resistant, resilient communities, land use planning and urban design, and improvements to social infrastructure and its sustainable operation.
- Research contributing to the prevention and mitigation of regional and urban disasters through the prompt collection and effective utilization of disaster information (including the development of technologies to utilize disaster observation satellites, remote sensing, UAV, GIS, GNSS, ICT, IoT, AI, and other digital technologies).
- Research for the prevention of, mitigation of, and recovery from disasters that combines approaches across the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences to help establish precise and practical disaster forecasting and enable effective recovery.
- Research on disaster countermeasures and improving overall social resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outcomes
Utilization of research outcomes: The research projects should lead to future social and economic benefits, achieved by using newly obtained knowledge and technology to enhance government services or to develop products that can be deployed in the market.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant
- The principal investigator (PI; applicant) must be affiliated with a Japanese research institution, be able to fulfill their duties as principal investigator for the international joint research project, and be able to engage in the international joint research from start to finish.
- The application should be written by the principal investigator in person.
- Research Participants and Research institution(s)
- Japan side research participants are required to be affiliated with a research institution in Japan.
- If a researcher has posts at both a Japanese research institution and a research institution in the partner country, he or she cannot be included in both institutions’ lists of members, so has to choose which one.
- If a researcher not affiliated with the research institution is required to participate in the project, appropriate procedures need to be taken by their institution (and the researcher) and the research institution.
- An institution in a third country (neither Japan nor the partner country) cannot participate in the joint research. Moreover, a researcher whose only affiliation is an institution in a third country cannot participate in the joint research.
- International agencies can participate, but with certain limitations.
- The lists of members should be shared between the Japan side and the partner country side.
- Proposals involving a corporation or similar entity as the principal investigator’s institution need to meet certain conditions to be eligible for selection.
Application Period for Research Proposals
From September 6th, 2022 (Tues) to November 7th, 2022 (Mon) at 12:00 noon (Japan Time).