The is an

Independent Administrative Institution An Incorporated Administrative Agency (独立行政法人, ''Dokuritsu gyōsei hōjin'' or ''Dokugyo'' in abbreviation) is a type of legal corporation formulated by the Government of Japan under the Act on General Rules for Incorporated Administrat ...

in Japan, established for the purpose of contributing to the advancement of science in all fields of the natural and social sciences and the humanities.JSPS
web page

History

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science was founded in 1932 as a non-profit foundation through an endowment granted by

Emperor Shōwa Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...

. JSPS became a quasi-governmental organization in 1967 under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture (''Monbusho''), and after 2001 under the

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community ...

. In 2003, JSPS entered a new phase with its conversion to an Independent Administrative Institution. This new administrative configuration is intended to become a step towards improving the effectiveness and efficiency of JSPS's management, which in turn should help to improve the quality of the services which are offered to individual researchers, universities, and research institutes.

Timeline

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science has expanded and evolved over time: * 1932 - JSPS is established as a non-profit foundation, endowed by Emperor Shōwa * 1933 - First University-Industry Cooperative Research Committee is organized * 1950 - First issue of ''Gakujutsu Geppo'' (''Japanese Scientific Monthly'') is published * 1959 - JSPS fellowship program for young Japanese scientists (''Shorei Kenkyuin'') is inaugurated * 1960 - JSPS program for inviting foreign researchers to Japan is commenced * 1963 - US-Japan Cooperative Science Program is established * 1965 - JSPS Research Station in

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ...

is opened * 1967 - JSPS is re-established as a quasi-governmental organization under the "Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Act" * 1976 - Cooperative programs with Southeast Asian countries are commenced * 1985 - JSPS fellowship program for young Japanese scientists (''Tokubetsu Kenkyuin'') is begun; the JSPS International Prize for Biology is inaugurated * 1988 - JSPS program of granting postdoctoral fellowships to foreign researchers is inaugurated * 1990 - JSPS Liaison Office in Washington, D.C. is opened * 1992 - International Cooperative Program for Advanced Research is inaugurated * 1994 - Inter-Research Centers Cooperative Program is inaugurated * 1995 - JSPS Fellows Plaza is opened * 1996 -

Research for the Future Program Research is " creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...

is inaugurated * 1998 - Japan-Australia Research Cooperative Program is inaugurated * 1999 - Award of Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research is begun;

Fureai Science Program ''Fureai'' () is a Japanese term to refer to the formation of emotional connection between people of different age group and/or profession within the community. Linguistic definition The word "Fureai" is composed of "Fure" (of "Fureru" (), to t ...

is inaugurated * 2000 -

JSPS Award for Eminent Scientists The is an Independent Administrative Institution in Japan, established for the purpose of contributing to the advancement of science in all fields of the natural and social sciences and the humanities.JSPSweb page History The Japan Society for ...

is inaugurated * 2001 - JSPS Liaison Office in

Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...

is opened * 2002 - 21st Century COE Program is inaugurated leading to the "Global COE (Centers of Excellence) Program" * 2003 -

Research Center for Science Research is " creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...

system is established; JSPS is re-established as an independent administrative institution.

Programs

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science plays a pivotal role in the administration of a wide spectrum of Japan's scientific and academic programs. It provides the highest amount of funding available to postdoctoral fellows in the world. Over this 70-year period, JSPS has initiated, implemented and administered an array of domestic and international scientific programs. JSPS's operation is supported in large part by annual subsidies from the Japanese Government. Its main functions are: * To foster young researchers, * To promote international scientific cooperation, * To award Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, * To implement the Research for the Future Program, * To support scientific cooperation between the academic community and industry, and * To collect and distribute information on scientific research activities.

Publications

A number of publications are made available under the imprimatur of JSPS: * ''Gakujutsu Geppo'' (''Japanese Scientific Monthly''), a monthly magazine containing scientific readings and articles on Japanese science policy and on scientific activities and research trends in governmental and academic organizations in Japan. * Information re: Japanese universities, research institutions, and their various research activities. * Scientific books.

References

External links