JST GSC Initiative: International Research Program

JST GSC Initiative: International Research Program

Funds researchers at companies including startups doing R&D aimed at commercialization under JST's Global Startup Campus initiative.

Eligibility · Open to researchers worldwide (PI can be at a foreign institution)

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) administers the GSC Initiative International Research Program as a pilot activity under Japan's Cabinet Secretariat-led Global Startup Campus Initiative. The program funds research and development projects led by Venture Directors (VDs) with the explicit goal of commercialization. This is a research grant, not equity or a loan.

Award amounts and duration are not yet published for the 2026 call. The GP-ONE Fellowship pilot (a separate pillar under the same GSC Initiative) capped delegated research costs at JPY 100 million per year for up to 3.5 years, which provides a rough order-of-magnitude reference, but those figures do not apply to the International Research Program specifically.

Eligibility is broad: proposals are accepted from researchers affiliated with universities, research institutions, and companies including startups. Foreign-affiliated PIs can apply. If a foreign researcher is selected, they are encouraged (but not required) to conduct research in Japan; if research is conducted abroad, the overseas institution can receive at most 50% of the annual project funding.

The 2026 call was described in the April 2026 JST Washington DC funding list as "Planned for the first half of 2026 (Details to be announced)." As of June 2026, full call details have not yet been published. Applicants should monitor https://www.jst.go.jp/gsuc/index.html and contact gsuc@jst.go.jp for updates.

The program does not specify a submission gate, scoring rubric, or application steps in publicly available materials as of the last verification date. The GSC Initiative is a new program; process details will appear when the full call is released.