Call of Proposals For Local Projects by Asian Alumni of Japanese Universities and Training Institutions for FY2024 (Deadline: January 31, 2024 for new applicants)

About the Support Fund for Asian Students in Japan

The Asian Community Trust (ACT) aims to build a “Bridge of Mutual Help and Resource Sharing” in civil societies across Asia. To pursue this aim, ACT assists projects developed by local people’s groups, NGOs and other civil society organizations with the purpose of improving people’s quality of life in their own communities and sharing their successes with others. The areas of focus of ACT grants are as follows:

• Agriculture and Rural Development
• Education and Youth Development
• Health and Medicine
• Environmental Conservation
• Cultural Preservation

In January 2012, a special fund called “Support Fund for Asian Students in Japan” was created within ACT. The fund primarily aims to:

1. improve the educational environment and promotion of understanding towards Japan of students and trainees from Asia who are currently studying in universities or training institutes in Japan (hereon referred to as “Asian students”); and
2. support activities that contribute to social development in the Asian region through the application of the knowledge and skills that former Asian students acquired in Japan to their own local communities and society as a whole.

In relation to the second objective, ACT Secretariat now welcomes proposals for local projects by Asian alumni of Japanese universities or training institutions who currently belong to a non-profit organization. The project should be concerned with the following:

Social development activities that apply the knowledge and skills acquired by individuals who have previously studied in universities and institutions in Japan to their own local communities and society, which in turn may have an impact to Asia as a whole.

Note1: Average amount of the grant ranges from about 800,000 Japanese Yen to 1,250,000 Japanese Yen (per year and per project). In principle, ACT supports one to three-year projects. Extension of the grant period beyond three years can be considered based on the results of evaluation and only with approval of ACT Executive Advisory Committee.

Note2: Due to limited financial resources, ACT will focus on the following countries in FY2024: Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines (For new applicants). An organization where its staff member studied in Japan and also did internship of ACT’s Asian Students Internship Program (entitled “Asia Ryugakusei Intern Ukeire Program” in Japanese) between FY2020 and FY2023 is eligible to apply regardless of the countries written above. Please contact ACT Secretariat for more details.

Deadline for Application

January 31, 2024 (Wednesday, Japan time)

Interested parties are requested to send their project proposals directly to the Tokyo ACT Office by 23:59 of January 31st, 2024 (Wednesday), Japan time, by e-mail.

Please send your proposals to:

The Asian Community Trust
The Executive Secretariat
c/o Asian Community Center 21 (ACC21)
ABK Bldg., 1F., 2-12-13 Honkomagome Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo JAPAN 113-8642
Tel: 81-3-3945-2615 Fax: 81-3-3945-2692
E-mail: act-grants [at] acc21.org