The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) carries out bilateral cooperative programs between Japan and counterpart countries based on agreements concluded with academies, research councils and other science-promotion institutions in those countries.
The aim of these programs is to form sustained networks of bilateral research teams (etc.) evolved from individual scientist exchanges. JSPS provides financial support to excellent Japanese scientists, including young scientists, implementing such bilateral joint research projects and seminars between research teams from Japan and counterpart countries.
Bilateral Joint Research Projects/Seminars comprise two components: (A) Bilateral Joint Research Projects/Seminars with JSPS’s Counterpart Agencies and (B) Open Partnership Joint Research Projects/Seminars. The latter provides Japanese researchers an opportunity to conduct research or hold a seminar with researchers around the world who reside in a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. (JSPS also treats researchers who reside in Taiwan and Palestine in this manner.)
JSPS launched a new scheme for proposals named “Open Partnership Joint Seminars (Interuniversity Cooperation)” in FY 2020. It is meant to strengthen bilateral research cooperation by supporting organizational initiatives carried out via university consortiums and other collaborations among institutions.