I. BACKGROUND

DOST-JSPS Joint Research Program, first launched in 2004, is a bilateral exchange program jointly conducted by Filipino and Japanese researchers in accordance with their mutual agreement on international scientific collaboration. It has the following objectives:

1. To contribute to scientific advancement by conducting bilateral research (including seminars) in a specific research field.
2. To provide opportunities for young researchers of Japan and the Philippines to meet, interact, and exchange ideas to build a robust S&T community in the region.

II. GENERAL CRITERIA

1. The applicant should be a Filipino PhD-holder, employed full-time in any DOST-
recognized national, public or private universities, or research institution.

2. The research project should be aligned with the DOST Priority Areas under the Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda. Further, the duration of the project should run for a maximum of two (2) years.

3. The research project should be a collaborative work between a Filipino and a Japanese scientist/researcher. This means that the Filipino proponent should submit project proposal documents to DOST; his/her counterpart Japanese leader should
submit matching application to JSPS. Applications submitted by only one side will not
be accepted.

4. DOST shall provide an annual funding of up to PHP1.25 million in support of the research project to cover Personal Services, Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, Capital Outlay and other indirect costs related to the project, including
international travel expenses between Philippines and Japan, research-related domestic travel expense in the Philippines, medical and accident insurance, and daily allowances, accommodation, and domestic travel expenses in Japan of the Filipino
team. 

III. APPLICATION

The Filipino applicant must submit the following documents required for evaluation:

1. Complete proposal following the DOST Grants-In-Aid format, forms available at http://bit.ly/2020DOST-JSPS

a. DOST Form 1B, capsule proposal

b. DOST Form 2B, detailed proposal

c. DOST Form A, line-item budget d. DOST Form B, workplan

e. DOST Form C, monitoring and evaluation plan

2. Curriculum vitae of the applicant capturing his/her capability to undertake research.

3. Accomplishment reports and audited financial statements of previous DOST-funded projects, if any.

4. Endorsement letter addressed to DOST Undersecretary for R&D, Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, from the applicant’s head of institution.

These documents must be submitted either electronically or physically to:

International Technology Cooperation Unit (ITCU)

c/o Louie Intalan 2nd Floor ADMATEL Building

DOST Compound, General Santos Avenue Bicutan, Taguig City Metro Manila

1631, Philippines

lamintalan@dost.gov.ph / +63-02-838-8376

with subject/label “DOST-JSPS Project Proposal for 2020.” The final date of submission of project proposal is on 4 Sep 2019 at 5:00 PM. Late or incomplete documents will automatically be rejected.

The Filipino applicant is strongly advised to closely coordinate with his/her Japanese partner to meet the application requirements and deadline set by JSPS. Applications submitted to only one side (either DOST or JSPS only) is automatically rejected.

IV. EVALUATION

DOST and JSPS will review all the applications using a parallel evaluation process, with each institution deciding according to its regulations. This will entail an assessment of the quality of the proposed collaborative projects, including the competence and experience of the project proponent of both sides, and the expected outcomes of the collaboration.

The following criteria are to be taken into consideration when evaluating the applications:

1. Scientific excellence of the project;

2. Mutual advancement of research through transfer of knowledge and expertise;

3. Impact of outcomes on improving quality of life, contributing to socio-economic development, and/or solving prevailing social issues;

4. Contribution to fostering young researchers;

5. Feasibility and concreteness of the research plan and expectation of it advancing the research

DOST and JSPS, on mutual agreement, will select up to two (2) research projects for implementation in 2020. The results of the evaluation will be announced in February 2020.