The Kyoto University Research Administration office (KURA) was established to perform a function that is still not widely known in Japan. After the establishment of KURA, Kyoto University has been engaged in various efforts to support research activities connected with preparing a research-friendly environment for researchers. It serves as a subsidized project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to further reinforce such initiatives. To achieve top-level research activities and high-quality education in Kyoto University, we need to continuously prepare a better environment where the researchers can be devoted to research and education.KURA will act as the mediator or the hub for promoting interaction and cooperation among the researchers in Kyoto University, and between the university and the general public.I anticipate that our activities will result in further contributions to the fundamental principle of Kyoto University: “generating world-class knowledge.” We appreciate your active cooperation and support.

Koji Tanaka (Director, Kyoto University Research Administration office)

Members

The Kyoto University Research Administration Office (KURA)

Introduction to The Kyoto University Research Administration Office

The Kyoto University Research Administration office (KURA) is comprised of university research administrators (URA) with a high degree of expertise and experience. This organization supports the planning and management of research projects and disseminates research achievements to provide a better environment where researchers can be devoted to their research activities. Organization Chart

President

Research and International Affairs Department

Executive V.P. for Research

Research Strategy Task Force

Senior Research AdministratorsKoji Tanaka (Director), Kouichi Ono, Seitaro Mutou

Administrative StaffSusumu Maeda, Yukio Nishiyama, Sanae Ohsawa, Mika Kaai

Research Administrators (URA)Tetsuya Shirai, Taro Sonobe, Tadashi Sugihara, Taketo Tsugehara, Yusuke Yamamoto

Research Funding in Japan at a GlanceRecently, the need for external funds in Japanese universities has increased. One of the most well-known research funds in Japan is “Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research”, popularly known in short form as “Kakenhi” in Japanese. It is managed and supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). For the 2011 fiscal year, the total amount of the JSPS’s budget was 263.3 billion Japanese Yen (JPY) which was more than half of the total budget of competitive funds in Japan. Kakenhi is for what JSPS calls “curiosity-driven research,” meaning that the research proposal is researcher-oriented. The number of applications reached 95475, of which 26870 were funded (28.1%). JSPS also offers funds for “mission-oriented research.” “Funding-Program for World-Leading Innovative R&D on Science and Technology” called “FIRST Program” is one of them. The total amount of the budget is 100 billion JPY from the supplemental budget in the 2009 fiscal year. The projects are funded from 2009 to 2013. The project led by Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, a Nobel Prize laureate in Physiology or Medicine 2012 is supported as one of the projects in FIRST Program.

Published February 12, 2013

Research Development ／ Grant Information ／ Grant Application Mid-term and Post Evaluation of Project ／ Dissemination of Research Findings ／ Sustainability of Research Projects

I am wondering if there is any call for proposal that fits my present research.

We will provide information on grants that meet the needs of the researcher.

Could you review my grant proposal?

We will review your grant proposal from the point of view of its readability and conformance to the funding agency's mission/objectives.

We will organize an event where you can communicate your research activities to the public audiences, providing some "tips" to make your presentation easily understood.

Are there any researchers who might be interested in the project that I am planning?

We wi l l col lect informat ion on in-campus needs and seed projects targeted towards interdisciplinary research.

I want somehow to continue the current project. We have recently published one paper and the experimentis very promising.

We will think of the most adequate strategy so that your projects can be continued after the period of the grant is finished.

It would be nice if somebodyhelped me prepare for the mid-term evaluation of this ongoing project.

We will give advice and support related to research management which bears the project evaluation in mind.

Pre-Award Post-Award

Activities KURA will support your research project for your needs.

The result of our experiment would be ofgreat interest to the public because it is very much related with our daily life.

VisionTo contribute to the generation of world-class knowledge by collaborating with researchers in accordance with Kyoto University's mission, and to be a pioneering model for the university research administration system in Japan.* This is a new attempt at establishing a research administration system suitable for the research environment in Japan instead of directly introducing the research administration system in the U.S., whose history spans more than half a century.

MissionFacilitating research activities

resources at Kyoto University.

Disseminating research achievements to societysociety.

Creating an infrastructure for effective support

of knowledge at Kyoto University.

Vision and Mission

Kyoto Univeristy Website URL http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/

Kyoto University Research Administration Office (KURA)Room 321, 3rd Floor, Research Bldg. No.2, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-8501, JapanTEL 075-753-5108 (Administrative Staff) 　FAX 075-753-5110　E-MAIL contact@kura.kyoto-u.ac.jp　URL http://www.kura.kyoto-u.ac.jp/

Contact Information

Generating W

orld-class Know

ledge

Facilitating Research Activities

Conceptual Diagram for Activity of KURA

Creating an Infrastructure for Effective Support

Disseminating Research Achievements to Society

Research Society

Interactive Communication

Planning and Management

ResearchResearch

Kyoto University URA Network

GovernmentAgency

URAs in Other

Universities

Department StaffResearcher

Headquarters Staff

KURA

KURA

KURA