Turkish-Japanese University of Science and Technology Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit and Support Program will be established in order to systematically develop the research capacity of the University, support qualified scientific research and transform research results into scientific, technological, social and economic value. The program will be structured as one of the main institutional tools in the development of TJU's research-oriented university identity.

Supporting original research ideas of faculty members, researchers and graduate students through the BAP Program; Effective use of the university's laboratory, research center and scientific human resource capacity; It is aimed to develop an interdisciplinary research culture and to establish research groups that can apply for national or international funds.

The program should not be considered as a structure that only provides financial support to individual research projects. BAP system; It will be designed as an integrated research and development mechanism covering the processes of developing research ideas, forming project teams, using scientific infrastructure, participating in research by graduate students, publishing research outputs, protecting intellectual property rights and transferring projects to larger external funding sources.

BAP Program will work in coordination with TJU's research centers, thematic laboratories, graduate education programs, Technology Transfer Office, Technopark planned to be established, international cooperation mechanisms and researcher training policies. Thus, instead of independent research supports within the University, a research funding ecosystem that is compatible with the institutional strategy and complements each other will be created.

BAP Program; It will include faculty members working at the university, researchers with doctoral degrees, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students in appropriate project types. In addition to TJU researchers, researchers from universities, research institutions, public institutions and private sector organizations in Turkey and Japan will be able to take part in the projects as project partners, researchers, consultants or stakeholders.

Within the scope of the program, basic research, applied research, experimental development studies, interdisciplinary research, prototype development activities, technology verification studies, policy research, field studies and scientific studies focused on social impact can be supported. Scope and financial limits of the supports; It will be determined according to the project type, scientific field, expected outputs and the University's annual research budget.

Scientific quality will be the main criterion during the allocation of BAP resources. In addition, the compatibility of the projects with TJU's strategic research areas, their contribution to Turkey-Japan scientific cooperation, the capacity to train graduate students, the potential for access to external funds and the possibility of turning scientific outputs into social or economic value will also be taken into consideration.

The vision of TJU BAP Program; To create a sustainable research support system that strengthens scientific and technological cooperation between Turkey and Japan, supports original and innovative research, produces internationally competitive research outputs and encourages the transformation of scientific results into social and economic value.

In line with this vision, the BAP Program makes TJU not only a university that finances research projects; It will contribute to becoming a science and technology center where research ideas are generated, different disciplines come together around common problems, young researchers are trained and participation in international research networks is supported.

The long-term vision of the program is to establish an uninterrupted support chain that ensures that research initiated within TJU turns into qualified international publications, patents, prototypes, technology-based initiatives, policy recommendations and large-scale international research projects.

In the implementation of the BAP Program, the principles of scientific excellence, transparency, accountability, commitment to ethical values, equality of opportunity, effective use of resources and producing measurable output will be taken as basis. Project applications will be supported as a result of scientific evaluation processes and all evaluations will be carried out in line with previously announced criteria.

In the distribution of support, attention will be paid to ensure that not only certain research groups, but also researchers from different academic units and career stages can access the program. In addition, special incentive mechanisms will be created for young researchers, interdisciplinary teams and projects involving Turkey-Japan partnership, without compromising scientific quality criteria.

Financial discipline and effective use of public resources will be taken into account in the use of BAP resources. Purchased devices, equipment, software and other research infrastructures will be made available for common use to the extent possible; Unnecessary repurchase of the same or similar infrastructures will be prevented.

The first main goal of the TJU BAP Program is to support basic and applied research of high scientific quality. In this context, priority will be given to projects that are based on original research questions, are methodologically strong, applicable and comply with international scientific standards.

The second goal is to increase the international visibility of the University's research results. Supported projects will be encouraged to turn into qualified scientific publications, international conference presentations, joint research networks and visible scientific outputs. In addition to the number of publications, the quality of the publications, their citation impact, the level of international co-authorship and the contribution of the research results to the relevant scientific field will also be taken into account.

The third goal is to establish sustainable joint research mechanisms between Türkiye and Japan. By supporting joint projects carried out with Japanese universities, research institutes, public institutions and technology companies, the scientific capacity of the two countries will be brought together around specific research problems.

The fourth goal is to ensure the active participation of graduate students, especially doctoral students, in research activities. Students not only need to complete their theses; It will be aimed for them to gain experience in project development, experiment design, data analysis, scientific publication preparation, intellectual property and international cooperation processes.

The fifth goal is to support research that has the potential for patents, licensing, prototype development and commercialization. Within the scope of the BAP Program, research results that can increase the technology maturity level will be determined and these results will be directed to technology transfer processes.

The sixth goal is to facilitate TJU researchers' access to external funding sources such as TÜBİTAK, Horizon Europe, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Japan Science Promotion Agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency and similar. BAP supports will not be used as a permanent financing tool that replaces external funds, but as a leverage mechanism that enables researchers to prepare for larger and more competitive funds.

The BAP Program will be open to applications from all academic fields that meet scientific quality criteria. In addition, priority will be given to certain areas in line with TJU's founding purpose, academic structuring, common scientific and technological priorities of Turkey and Japan, and global research trends.

Earthquake and Disaster Sciences will be considered one of TJU's strongest and most distinctive research areas. In this field, research on seismology, earthquake engineering, ground dynamics, structural health monitoring, early warning systems, disaster risk reduction, disaster management, resilient infrastructures and resilient cities will be supported.

The fact that Türkiye and Japan face similar problems in terms of earthquake risk makes joint research in this field strategic. BAP Program; It will encourage researchers from the two countries to carry out joint data use, model development, experimental work, field research and technology development activities.

In the field of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, priority will be given to artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, data science, robotics, autonomous systems, cyber security, big data analytics, digital twins and intelligent decision support systems.

Projects in this field are not only about algorithm or software development; Emphasis will be placed on integration with other priority areas of TJU such as earthquake, energy, health, production, urban planning and material sciences. Thus, artificial intelligence will be positioned as a horizontal technology that transforms different research areas of the University, as well as being an independent research field.

In the field of energy and sustainability, research on hydrogen technologies, energy storage systems, battery technologies, renewable energy, energy efficiency, smart energy systems, carbon capture, circular economy and carbon neutral technologies will be supported.

The contribution of the projects to environmental sustainability, energy supply security and low-carbon production systems will be taken into account in the evaluation process. Pilot applications and technology projects with scale-up potential that can be developed within the scope of university-industry cooperation will be especially encouraged.

In the field of advanced materials and production technologies, nanomaterials, smart materials, energy materials, biomaterials, composites, high-performance materials, additive manufacturing, precision manufacturing, digital production and sustainable production technologies will be supported.

It will be possible to support projects in this field at different technology maturity levels, ranging from basic material research to prototype and application stages. In particular, advanced material solutions that can be used in energy, earthquake engineering, defense, space, transportation and health technologies will be prioritized.

The BAP Commission will be able to determine new thematic areas or update existing priority areas in certain periods, taking into account scientific and technological developments and the institutional priorities of the University.

The aim of General Research Projects is to support original basic or applied research developed by TJU academic staff in their fields of expertise. The program will not be limited to a particular thematic priority area and will be open to applications from all disciplines that meet scientific quality criteria.

General Research Projects can be supported for 12 to 36 months. Project budget; The scope of the research will be determined by taking into account the method, required infrastructure and expected outputs. The project manager will be expected to clearly present the original value, method, work plan, risks and expected outcomes of the research.

Priority Area Research Projects will be created to support high-impact, interdisciplinary and medium or large-scale research in areas determined in line with TJU's strategic priorities. Association of these projects with the University's research centers and thematic laboratories will be encouraged.

Projects will generally be supported for 24 to 36 months; earthquake sciences, artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, advanced materials and production technologies will be among the priority areas. Special calls may be published at certain periods in line with the strategic needs of the university.

In this type of project, it is expected that researchers from more than one academic discipline will be involved, graduate students will be included in the project, and measurable institutional outputs are anticipated. The potential of projects to apply for external funding, create joint research infrastructure or participate in international research consortiums will also be evaluated.

Türkiye–Japan Joint Research Projects will aim to develop long-term and sustainable research partnerships between Turkish and Japanese researchers. The project team will need to include a facilitator from TJU as well as at least one researcher from a university, research institution or appropriate institution in Japan.

In the application, the joint research plan, the duties and responsibilities of the parties, the research calendar, the data sharing approach and the common output targets will be clearly defined. Concrete goals such as joint publication, joint patent, researcher exchange, graduate student mobility or international project application will be expected to be found.

When evaluating these projects, it will not be deemed sufficient to add a Japanese researcher to the project at a mere name level; The partner's scientific, technical or infrastructural contribution to the project will be examined. Priority will be given to projects that offer a real and balanced cooperation model.

Young Researcher Projects will support researchers who have completed their doctorates within the last five years and are at the beginning of their independent research careers to establish their own research groups and work areas. Maternity leave, medical condition, mandatory public duty or similar career interruptions may also be taken into account in calculating the eligibility period.

Within the scope of this program, it will be aimed for young researchers to gain experience in carrying out independent projects, produce their first significant scientific output, start training graduate students, and create the research base to apply for external funding programs.

The career stage of the researcher will be taken into account when evaluating applications and they will not only be expected to have the same publication or project history as senior researchers. Instead, the scientific potential of the proposed project, the researcher's level of independence and the contribution it will make to career development will be evaluated.

Graduate Thesis Research Projects will be created to support the research expenses of master's and doctoral theses carried out within TJU. The project manager will be the thesis advisor; The relevant graduate student will serve as the project researcher.

Within the scope of the support, consumables, analysis and testing expenses, field and field studies, data collection, software use and other expenses necessary for thesis research can be covered. Particular consideration will be given to the potential of doctoral theses to produce original scientific contributions, international publications and applications for external funding.

The thesis project should not be considered as an unlimited research budget independent of student graduation; The student will need to present a plan that is compatible with the thesis calendar, applicable and directly serving the thesis research.

Rapid Support Projects will aim to support limited budget and preliminary research scientific studies that need to be concluded in a short time. This program; It can be used to evaluate unexpected research opportunities, collect limited data, test methods or hypotheses, and obtain preliminary findings that will form the basis of a larger project application.

The duration of the projects will be a maximum of 12 months and a simplified evaluation process will be applied. However, rapid evaluation will not mean reducing scientific quality or ethical compliance criteria.

Patent and Commercialization Support Projects will support the advancement of patentable inventions, prototypes, software, designs or research results with commercialization potential to an advanced stage. Within the scope of the program, technology verification, prototype development, performance tests, patent research, intellectual property transactions and, where appropriate, market verification studies can be supported.

In addition to scientific evaluation, applications will also be examined in terms of technical feasibility, intellectual property potential, innovation level, target user or sector need and commercialization roadmap. These projects will be carried out in cooperation with the BAP Coordination Unit, Technology Transfer Office and relevant research centers.

Within the scope of BAP projects, consumables required for the direct conduct of the research can be supported. Laboratory materials, chemicals, experimental consumables, sample preparation materials, electronic components and similar expenses will be evaluated within this scope.

Services can be purchased for analysis, measurement, testing, calibration, data processing and technical services that cannot be provided within the university. The scientific necessity of service procurement should be explained and it should be preferred to use the University's existing research infrastructure as much as possible.

Software licenses, simulation programs, data analysis tools and scientific database access needed in the projects may be included in the scope of support. The licenses to be purchased will be expected to be cost-effective in terms of project duration, number of users and corporate use opportunity.

Travel support can be provided for research visits, field studies and project cooperation meetings. Particularly, researcher visits, laboratory studies and project development meetings within the scope of Türkiye-Japan joint projects can be supported. However, the trips will need to be directly linked to the project objectives and serve a concrete research outcome.

Scholarships or research supports that support the participation of undergraduate, master's and doctoral students in the research within the scope of the project can be provided within the framework of the relevant legislation and the financial possibilities of the University. Student support will be considered as an element of the goal of training scientific human resources.

In order to publish qualified research outputs, open access publication expenses can be supported under certain conditions. In the support decision, the scientific quality of the journal, its index status, publication ethics standards and its position in the relevant field will be taken into consideration. Payment will not be made to predatory or questionable media outlets.

Research, application, examination and protection expenses related to patent, utility model and other intellectual property applications may also be supported. These expenses will be covered after the Technology Transfer Office's evaluation and verification of the intellectual property potential.

In purchasing high-cost machinery and equipment, common use, institutional needs and compatibility with existing infrastructure criteria will be sought. Device purchases will be evaluated not only for the short-term use of a single project team, but also for the long-term research infrastructure of the University.

BAP project calls will be announced in line with the annual research calendar. One or two calls per year may be opened for certain project types, and the continuous application method may be applied for rapid support or thesis projects. Calls will clearly state eligible applicants, project duration, budget limits, priority areas, evaluation criteria and expected outputs.

Applications will first be examined by the BAP Coordination Unit in terms of administrative and technical suitability. If there are missing documents, inappropriate budget items or non-compliance with the application conditions, the project manager may be given the opportunity to correct the application before it is taken into scientific evaluation.

Scientific evaluation will be carried out, to the extent possible, by independent referees directly related to the project subject. In large budget, priority area or Türkiye-Japan joint projects, it will be essential to obtain the opinion of at least one external referee. When necessary, international referees from Japan or other countries may be appointed.

Projects will be evaluated with a weight of 25 percent in terms of scientific quality, 20 percent in terms of innovation, 15 percent in terms of suitability of the research method, 15 percent in terms of the impact of the expected outputs, 10 percent in terms of compliance with TJU's strategic goals, 10 percent in terms of Turkey-Japan cooperation potential and 5 percent in terms of the competence of the project team.

For general projects that do not include Türkiye-Japan cooperation, the weight of the relevant criterion can be distributed to scientific quality, method, impact or strategic fit criteria, provided that it is specified in the call conditions. Thus, a fair and expedient scoring system will be applied for all project types.

The BAP Commission will make the support decision by evaluating the referee reports, the project budget, the University's research priorities and available financial resources. Although it is essential that referee evaluations form the basis of the scientific decision, the Commission may request a budget reduction, time change or revision of the project plan, provided that it clearly states the reason.

The scientific, administrative and financial development of supported projects will be regularly monitored by the BAP Coordination Unit. Project managers will be asked to submit an interim report, financial realization information and a final report depending on the duration of the project.

Interim reports will describe the activities carried out, findings obtained, problems encountered, budget usage, student participation and planned future work. The project plan may be revised if the project deviates significantly from its objectives or if a situation arises that prevents its implementation.

In the final report, the scientific and technological outputs, publications, papers, theses, patent applications, developed prototypes, external fund applications and collaborations obtained within the scope of the project will be presented in detail. If the project is considered successful, it will depend not only on whether the budget has been used, but also on the extent to which the approved research objectives have been achieved.

If the project managers fail to fulfill their reporting obligations without an acceptable justification, use resources for purposes other than their intended purpose, or violate the rules of scientific ethics, the project may be stopped and a restriction on making new applications may be imposed for a certain period of time.

BAP-supported projects will be expected to produce at least one or more concrete outputs appropriate to the project type. Academic outputs may include publications within the scope of SCI, SCI-Expanded, SSCI or AHCI, qualified publications in field indexes, international conference proceedings, scientific books and book chapters.

Technological outputs; It may include patent and utility model applications, software development, prototype production, technology verification, experimental system establishment, database creation and technological solutions developed jointly with the industry.

Within the scope of human resources outputs, doctoral and master's theses, training of postdoctoral researchers, participation of undergraduate students in research activities and development of the capacity of young researchers to carry out independent projects will be monitored.

Applications to TUBITAK, Horizon Europe, JST, JSPS, JICA and other international programs will be monitored in terms of external fund outputs. The transformation of a project developed as a result of BAP support into larger-scale external financing will be considered one of the most important success indicators of the program.

Only output numbers will not be used in performance evaluation; The quality of publications, the impact of research results, the sustainability of established international partnerships, the researchers trained and the contribution to the research capacity of the University will also be taken into account.

BAP Coordination Unit will be the institutional structure responsible for the administrative and operational processes of the program. Unit; It will carry out the duties of preparing project calls, receiving applications, managing referee processes, coordinating budget and purchasing transactions, monitoring projects, archiving reports and preparing research performance data.

The unit will also guide researchers on project preparation, budget creation, ethical permissions, data management, transition to external funding and project reporting. It will be aimed to position the BAP Coordination Unit not only as a structure that carries out administrative control, but also as a professional research support office that increases the project development capacity of researchers.

It will be essential that BAP processes are carried out through a digital project management system. Application, referee evaluation, budget follow-up, interim report, final report and output monitoring processes will be carried out electronically as much as possible.

The TJU BAP Commission will be chaired by the Rector or the Vice Rector to be appointed by him. The commission may include faculty members representing faculties, institute representatives and appropriate representatives from the University's research centers.

It will be essential that the commission be composed of members who represent different scientific fields and have research and project execution experience. Members' terms of office, powers, responsibilities and decision-making methods will be regulated in the implementation directive to be prepared by the University.

When necessary, external experts, industry representatives, technology transfer experts or representatives from Japanese research institutions may be invited to Commission work as consultants. However, the final decision-making authority regarding project applications will belong to the authorized boards of the University.

Conflict of interest rules will be applied when discussing projects of commission members themselves or of researchers with whom they have a close working relationship. The relevant member will not participate in the evaluation and decision process.

It will be mandatory for all research supported within the scope of BAP to be carried out in accordance with the principles of scientific research and publication ethics. Necessary ethics committee and institutional permissions will need to be obtained for studies involving human participants, personal data, animal experiments, biological materials or environmental risks.

Safe storage of research data, protection of personal data and making them reusable when necessary will be encouraged. Large-scale or strategic projects may be asked to submit a data management plan.

TJU will support open science principles; will encourage the sharing of research results with the scientific world to the broadest extent possible, taking into account intellectual property, personal data, security and trade secret restrictions. Open access publications and open research data will be supported provided they meet appropriate quality standards.

Inventions, software, designs, databases, prototypes and other intellectual products resulting from BAP projects will be evaluated within the framework of TJU's intellectual and industrial property policy. Project managers will need to report a potential invention to the Technology Transfer Office before disclosing it to the public.

Protection of patentable research results, technology transfer, licensing and entrepreneurship processes will be carried out in coordination with the Technology Transfer Office. In Turkey-Japan joint projects, the principles regarding the ownership, use, protection and commercialization of intellectual property will be determined by an agreement between the parties before the project starts.

Projects with commercialization potential will be associated with TJU Technopark, incubation programs, industrial partners and investment mechanisms. Thus, the aim is to ensure that the results obtained with BAP support do not remain at the laboratory stage and that appropriate research turns into social or economic value.

Additional points or special budget opportunities may be provided during the evaluation process for projects that include an active research partner from Japan. However, the incentive will depend not only on the presence of a foreign partner, but also on the nature of the cooperation, task sharing and joint output potential.

Japanese researchers may also be supported to conduct studies in TJU laboratories, TJU researchers to conduct research visits to institutions in Japan, and to train joint graduate students.

Association of large and medium-sized BAP projects with TJU research centers or thematic laboratories will be encouraged. Thanks to this approach, it will be aimed for project resources to contribute not only to individual research teams but also to the joint research capacity of the University.

Research centers will be able to contribute to the preparation of project calls in certain priority areas and undertake coordination duties in the formation of interdisciplinary project teams.

At least one PhD student will be encouraged to take part in medium and large-scale projects. PhD students taking part in projects will be expected to establish a clear connection between their thesis work and the project objectives.

PhD students will be provided with experience in project budget, scientific publication, research ethics, data management and international partnership processes. Thus, the BAP Program will become a mechanism that not only produces research output but also trains the new generation of researchers.

Separate evaluation and monitoring mechanisms will be established for projects with patent, prototype, software, licensing or incorporation potential. In these projects, in addition to scientific output, technology maturity level, user needs and market transition plan will also be taken into account.

Researchers receiving BAP support will be encouraged to apply for external funding for certain project types in the period following the completion of the project. Especially in priority areas and Turkey-Japan joint projects, the external fund application plan may be required to be a part of the project proposal.

The success of the BAP Program will be measured not only by the amount of internal budget allocated, but also by how much of this budget turns into national and international research resources.

TJU's research support system can be structured around a three-tier model. The first layer will include the Seed Fund Program. This program will provide small-scale and flexible support to develop research ideas that are still in their infancy, obtain preliminary data, establish interdisciplinary teams and validate the project concept.

There will be BAP Program in the second layer. BAP will ensure that research ideas that have matured at the Seed Fund stage or have reached the status of a direct scientific project will be transformed into medium-sized projects. At this stage, measurable outputs such as scientific publications, theses, prototypes, patents or external funding applications will be expected.

The third layer will include TÜBİTAK, Horizon Europe, JST, JSPS, JICA and other national or international external research funds. With BAP support, research teams that improve their scientific and institutional capacity will be able to apply for higher budget and competitive programs.

A regular transition mechanism will be established between these three layers. Successful projects receiving Seed Fund support will be encouraged to apply for BAP, and BAP projects will be encouraged to be directed to external funding programs. Thus, an integrated funding chain will be created where research ideas can progress from early stages to international-scale projects.

The performance of the BAP Program will be evaluated annually. The number of supported projects, project budget, publication and patent outputs, graduate student participation, number of Turkey-Japan joint projects, external fund applications and the amount of external funds won will be reported regularly.

In line with the annual evaluation results, the budgets, application conditions, priority areas and evaluation criteria of the support programs can be updated. Depending on the development period of the university, a more flexible and capacity-building system may be implemented at the beginning; With the strengthening of research capacity, scientific output and external funding expectations can be gradually increased.

It is recommended that the program be comprehensively evaluated every three or four years with the participation of external experts. In this evaluation, the effectiveness of resources, the contribution of supports to research performance, researcher satisfaction and compliance with international good practices will be examined.

The TJU Scientific Research Projects Program will be one of the key components of the University's research-oriented institutional development. The success of the program depends not only on providing financial resources to researchers; It will depend on strategically directing resources, maintaining scientific quality, training young researchers, transforming Turkey-Japan collaborations into real research partnerships, and systematically monitoring project outcomes.

Thanks to the proposed structure, TJU will be able to establish an integrated research financing ecosystem from the first years of its establishment, ranging from the formation of research ideas to international projects, from scientific publications to patents and commercialization. The three-tier system consisting of Seed Fund, BAP and external research funds will provide the support researchers need at different development stages.

By bringing together Türkiye's research priorities and Japan's scientific and technological know-how, this model will contribute to TJU becoming an internationally recognized new generation research university that trains qualified researchers, produces scientific knowledge and transforms this knowledge into social value.