ICSSR-JSPS (Japan) Joint Call for Research Proposals FY 2027 | Joint Research Projects & Joint Seminars

About the Organization

The Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, promotes research in social sciences through fellowships, research grants, international collaborations, publications, and capacity-building initiatives. Under its international collaboration programme, ICSSR partners with leading research organizations worldwide, including the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), to strengthen academic cooperation between India and Japan.

About the Programme

The ICSSR-JSPS Joint Call for Research Proposals FY 2027 aims to promote bilateral academic cooperation between Indian and Japanese researchers by supporting:

• Joint Research Projects
• Joint Seminars

The programme encourages collaborative research, knowledge exchange, researcher mobility, and long-term academic partnerships in Social Sciences and Humanities. It also aims to build sustainable research networks involving early-career and senior researchers from both countries.

Programme Objectives

• Promote Indo-Japanese collaborative research.
• Encourage exchange of knowledge and expertise.
• Support innovative research addressing societal challenges.
• Strengthen long-term institutional partnerships.
• Facilitate researcher mobility between India and Japan.

Funding Support

Joint Research Projects

• Funding: Up to ₹7,00,000 per fiscal year from ICSSR for the Indian team.
• Duration: Up to 2 years (starting from 1 April 2027).
• Funding covers:
  • International airfare between India and Japan
  • Domestic travel within India
  • Local travel
  • Consumables
  • Printing and communication
  • Meeting expenses
  • Research-related activities

Joint Seminars

• Funding: Up to ₹7,00,000 per seminar.
• Duration: Up to 1 week.
• Seminar expenses include:
  • Domestic travel
  • Meeting expenses
  • Honorarium
  • Printing and communication
  • Preparatory meetings
  • International airfare for Indian participants (where applicable)

JSPS provides financial support for expenses incurred in Japan according to its regulations.

Eligibility Criteria

Indian Applicants

Applicants must:

• Hold a full-time faculty position in Social Sciences at:
  • Public-funded universities,
  • UGC-recognized deemed universities,
  • Public-funded research institutions recognized by UGC, or
  • Institutions recognized under relevant Government of India regulations.
• Be affiliated with an eligible Indian institution throughout the project.

Japanese Applicants

Researchers must belong to universities or research institutions under the jurisdiction of JSPS.

Both Indian and Japanese principal investigators must submit matching applications to their respective funding agencies. Single-sided applications will not be considered.

Selection Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• Scientific excellence.
• Need for bilateral collaboration.
• Innovation and research quality.
• Potential societal and policy impact.
• Participation of young researchers.
• Feasibility of the research plan.
• Budget justification.
• Expected outcomes and long-term collaboration potential.

How to Apply

Interested researchers should:

• Download the application guidelines and prescribed application form.
• Prepare the research proposal jointly with the Japanese collaborator.
• Submit the completed application (email and hard copy) to ICSSR before the deadline.
• The Japanese counterpart must submit the proposal separately to JSPS according to JSPS guidelines.

Applications submitted by only one side will not be accepted.

Important Dates

• Announcement Released: 18 June 2026
• ICSSR Application Deadline (India): 3 September 2026
• JSPS Application Deadline (Japan): 3 September 2026 (5:00 PM JST)
• Project Commencement: April 2027 (tentative)

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