Cooperative studies

Center for Tropical Biosphere Research, University of the Ryukyus
Open Call for FY2026 Joint Usage/Collaborative Research

The Tropical Biosphere Research Center (TBRC) is a joint research center accredited by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to promote collaborative research on the biosphere in the tropical and subtropical regions with domestic and international researchers.

The purpose of this Joint Usage/Collaborative Research Announcement is to promote collaborative research utilizing the geographical features of the Ryukyu Archipelago, where the Center is located, and to provide opportunities for collaborative research using the Center's facilities.

1. Categories of Open Calls
   • The following five categories are open for applications.

2. Application Eligibility
   • Applicants must be researchers (excluding undergraduate students) at national university corporations, public or private universities, or national or public research institutions in Japan or abroad, or researchers belonging to research institutions other than those listed above (including part-time researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students who have employment relationships with their institutions) as stipulated in Article 2 of the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research Handling Regulations (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Notification).
   • In addition to the above, the applicant must meet the following requirements to be eligible to apply for Category A-2 and A-3.
     • 【A-2】・A researcher who is 40 years old or younger as of April 1, 2026.
     • 【A-3】Female applicants must be female.
3. Application Procedure
   • Applications will be accepted by e-mail. Please confirm all of the following information and submit it with the attached documents. Those who wish to apply for this open call must obtain the informal consent of their home institution at the time of application, and discuss matters such as the research topic, expected period of visit, and required expenses with the corresponding faculty member before submitting the application. For an overview of the Center's research areas, faculty members, and research, please refer to the website (https://tbc.skr.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/).
     • Subject of e-mail： 2026_Thermal Biology Research Institute of the University of the Ryukyus Joint Research (Category name_University_Name_Name)
     • Submission address: Joint Usage/Investigation Administrative Officer (nesseiken@acs.u-ryukyu.ac.jp )
     • Acceptance period: November 4, 2025 (Tue) to December 25, 2025 (Thu)
       • *Application approval forms must be submitted by February 27, 2026 (Fri.).
     • Required documents: Please send the following documents in the specified data format.
       • ◆Category A-1 to A-4　⇒　Form A_Application for Joint Usage/Collaborative Research Project(Excel format), Application Acceptance Form(Word format)^*3
       • ◆Category B　⇒　Form B_Application for Joint Usage/Collaborative Research Project(Excel format), Application Consent Form(Word format)^*3
       • ^*3：Please be sure to submit the application approval form with the approval and seal of the head of your institution.
       • 【If the applicant or accompanying student is a graduate student or research student】
         • The applicant must submit the application form with the name and seal of the faculty advisor in the "Approval of Faculty Advisor" column of the application approval form.
         • If the applicant or accompanying persons cause damage to the Center's facilities due to reasons attributable to the applicant or accompanying persons, the Center will claim compensation for the damage from the faculty advisor. In addition, the Center will not be liable for any physical disability caused by the same reason.
         • In addition to the above, please submit a certificate of enrollment regardless of the category for which you are applying.
       • Notes:
         • Only one application (including an application as an accompanying person) may be submitted by one person (excluding duplicate applications for Category A and Category B). Proposals submitted in violation of this item will not be accepted.
         • If you are applying for travel expenses for a companion, please clearly state the necessary reasons in the application form. The accompanying persons must be those listed in "2. Eligibility for Application" (except for those listed after *) and research students. In addition, travel expenses will be covered only if the applicant or the faculty advisor is responsible for the accompanying person's activities at the Center.
         • After the application is submitted, notification of receipt will be sent by e-mail. If you do not receive a reply within oe week after submitting your application, please contact the administrative office of the University.
         • If there are any changes to your application (except for changes in schedule or minor changes in research content approved by the host faculty member), please notify the host faculty member and the administrative staff of Waseda University as soon as possible. Depending on the nature of the change, the change may be disapproved or you may be asked to prepare additional materials. If the institution or department to which the applicant belongs changes due to a transfer or other circumstances, please resubmit the approval form.
         • 【If the adopter is a graduate student.】
           • If there has been a change in the faculty advisor, please obtain permission to apply from the new faculty advisor and resubmit the application after receiving the faculty advisor's name and seal in the "Approval" column of the application approval form. The approval column of the *affiliated institution does not need to be filled in.
         • 【If the adopter or accompanying person is a graduate student or research student.】
           • Please submit a copy of your student liability insurance policy, which clearly states that you will be covered for any accidents that may occur while conducting research at the Center, in PDF format to the contact person listed in "10. If you do not have insurance, you will not be able to conduct research using the Center's facilities.
4. Perspectives of Review
   • The review of this call for proposals will be conducted from the following perspectives
     • ①Is the research feasible to conduct (including the need for accompanying personnel and legal compliance)?
     • ②Is the research related to the tropics and subtropics, and is it important to use the Center's facilities?　
     • ③Will the research have a significant academic or applied impact?
     • ④Are there benefits for both the applicant and the host faculty member in conducting joint research?
5. acceptance or rejection
   • After deliberation by the Center's Steering Committee, the applicant will be notified at the end of March 2026.
   • After receiving the notification of acceptance, the applicant should promptly discuss the plan and schedule with the Center's faculty member(s) and implement the research. Proposals submitted without prior arrangement with the host faculty will not be accepted.
6. Expenses
   • Only travel expenses are covered in Category A. Travel expenses are defined as the expenses incurred in the research area. Travel expenses here are limited to transportation (airfare, carfare (rail, bus, ship, etc.), lodging, daily allowance, car rental, gasoline, use of Center facilities (excluding conference/meeting room fees), and highway tolls.
   • In addition to the above, however, expenses for Category B will be allowed for the use of the Center's facilities (conference room and meeting room rental fees) as necessary expenses for holding the workshop.
   • In addition, daily allowance and accommodation expenses should be calculated according to the following table.  If the amount of expenses exceeds the adopted amount, the settlement will be made at the adopted amount.

＜Per diem and lodging expenses＞

7. submission of report
   • After the completion of joint use/joint research through this call for proposals, the successful applicant will submit a report by e-mail by the due date in the following manner.
     • E-mail Subject: 2026 Joint Research Report (Category Name_University_Name_Name)
     • Attached document format: Excel format
     • Submission address: To: Joint Usage/Investigation Administrative Contact (nesseiken@acs.u-ryukyu.ac.jp )
     • Deadline: April 30, 2027
     • Required Documents: Report forms will be sent at a later date.
8. Publication, etc.
   • When publishing the results of your research, be sure to include the following information in the acknowledgments section, etc., stating that the results were obtained through ILCAA's joint research activities. Reprints of published papers (paper or electronic data are acceptable) or bibliographic information (author's name, author's name, and title) In addition, please submit reprints (paper or electronic data acceptable) or bibliographic information (author name, title, journal name, year of publication, volume number, page or article number, and DOI) to the person in charge listed in "10.
     • <Japanese>.
     •  本研究は、琉球大学熱帯生物圏研究センター共同利用・共同研究により実施されたものである。
     •  <English>
     • This study was supported by the Collaborative Research of Tropical Biosphere Research Center, University of the Ryukyu.
9. Others
   • Please check with your host faculty regarding the equipment available for use at the Center.
   • If you are selected for a grant, please comply with the regulations of the University. In particular, please comply with the "National University Corporation of the Ryukyus Research Material Handling Regulations" regarding the taking out of "research material" including materials and samples. For details, please check with your host faculty member.
      
     MTA Handbook (Handling of tangible research results) National University Corporation University of the Ryukyus
     https://iicc.skr.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/wp2014/imgs/ae9632f8b23299a30a2530ad8b45d530.pdf
      
10. Inquiries
    • Contact: University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara-cho, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan, Japan Ryukyu University, Knowledge Innovation and Outreach Division, Research Promotion Section, Shared Facilities Section I.
      Tel: 098-895-8036
      e-mail: knkuodor@acs.u-ryukyu.ac.jp

Document Download

TBRC2026 Application Guidlines
Form A_Application for Joint Usage/Collaborative Research Project (Category_Affiliation_name)
Form B_Application for Joint Usage/Collaborative Research Project (Category_Affiliation_name)
Application Acceptance Form A
Application Acceptance Form B
FormC Collaborative Research Report (Category_Affiliation_name)