SDG PROJECTS

PROJECT GUIDELINES

• Start and End Dates

  Applicants must indicate the start and end dates for their project at the time of application. The start date is defined as the date when the applicant first utilizes funding from JICUF. Applicants have one year from the start date to complete their project. Please note that applicants cannot use JICUF funding to reimburse themselves for budgeted expenses that were purchased before the project start date.

• Size of Award

  A maximum of ¥1,000,000 will be awarded per project.

• Budget Guidelines

  Applicants will be required to submit a detailed budget as part of the application procedure. The following expenses are eligible for funding:

  • Travel. All tickets must be economy class.
  • Accommodations
  • Honorarium. A one-time honoraria payment of ¥30,000 is allowed for qualified activity. This includes a keynote address, facilitating a workshop, serving as a guide/fixer for a project abroad, etc.
  • Supplies

  JICUF encourages applicants to conduct research when developing their budget. Please note the JICUF may adjust budgets if expenses are deemed to be unreasonable. It is possible that JICUF will only provide partial funding for your project.

  The following items are not eligible for funding:

  • Academic research projects
  • Conference attendance
  • Prize money
  • Sponsorship
  • Personal electronic equipment
  • Food expenses while traveling
  • Omiyage

  Funding cannot be used to cover expenses incurred prior to receiving funding. In addition, JICUF reserves the right to fund expenses on a case-by-case basis.

  If an applicant plans to invite guests to the ICU campus to participate in the project, JICUF will provide the following support:

  • Up to two weeks of housing at Dialogue House.
  • For International Guests: Round-trip economy-class airfare to Japan and airport transportation.
  • For Domestic (Japan) Guests: Round-trip travel between the guest’s home and ICU.
  • A daily allowance of ¥5,000 per person to cover meals and local transportation for guests staying at ICU.
  • A one-time honorarium of ¥30,000 upon completion of a qualified activity at ICU. Qualified activities may include giving a public lecture, making a keynote presentation at a symposium, leading a workshop, etc.
• Project Alignment with SDGs

  Projects must align with at least one of the 17 SDGs. Applicants must indicate which of the 17 SDGs their project aligns with. Moreover, applicants must identify the specific targets under each goal they selected. For example, Target 4.4 under Goal 4 reads, “By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” 

  Below are some useful resources:

  • SDGs UN Website: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/.
  • noharm SDGsを学ぶ: https://noharm.or.jp/SDGs/.
  • SDG Projects – Youtube Playlist: https://tinyurl.com/5b5ez43x.
• Use of Campus Facilities

  Receiving SDG Project funding does not guarantee the student will be able to utilize campus facilities. Students must obtain approval from ICU’s Student Service Group or the appropriate office at ICU for the usage of campus facilities when applicable. Contact Japan Office Program Manager, Hideko Matsuyama, at hmatsuyama@jicuf.org to discuss matters related to campus facilities.

• Reporting Requirements

  Students awarded with SDG Project funding must submit a report within 60 days of the completion of their project. 

  PROJECT REPORT FORM

• Taxation

  Awarded students are responsible for determining the taxability of the funding they receive and pay any necessary taxes on the amount received. JICUF is not able to provide counsel on tax matters and recommends students speak with their local tax office or accountant.

  US citizens, US green card holders, or US residents for tax purposes are required to submit a W-9 form to JICUF. Non-US citizens and non-US residents conducting activities in the United States are required to submit a W-8BEN and JICUF is required to withhold up to 30% of the award. Non-US citizens and non-US residents conducting activities outside of the United States are not required to submit anything to JICUF.