Turkish–Japanese Science and Technology University (TJU), as a research-oriented, international and thematic university; It considers the creation of a strong research culture, the support of innovative research ideas, the development of scientific collaborations between Türkiye and Japan, and the university's greater benefit from national and international research funds as its main strategic priorities. An institutional start-up support mechanism is needed in order to sustainably build the research capacity of the university during its establishment and development period, to direct academic staff to research activities at an early stage, and to develop high-impact research projects in the future.

The TJU Initial Research Support Program - Seed Funding Program, which is proposed to be established for this purpose, will support academic staff and researchers to develop original research ideas at the early stage, conduct pilot studies, produce preliminary results and data, form research teams and reach scientific competence to apply for larger-scale externally funded projects.

The program will be designed not as a traditional in-house scientific research project support, but as a strategic tool that directs researchers to competitive national and international funding. Therefore, the success of the program will not only be measured by the number of projects supported, activities carried out or publications produced during the project period; The capacity of the projects to transform into TÜBİTAK, European Union, Horizon Europe, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and similar external funding programs will also be one of the key performance indicators.

Supports to be provided within the scope of the program; Rather than covering all costs of comprehensive and final research projects, it will finance the pilot study, preliminary data production, method validation, feasibility analysis, prototype development, research team formation and international partnership establishment activities that researchers need to develop a strong project proposal. Thus, the Seed Funding Program will cease to be a small-scale internal support mechanism and will serve as a lever that improves TJU's future research portfolio and external funding capacity.

The main objectives of the program are; The aim is to reveal new and innovative research ideas, develop an interdisciplinary research culture, initiate sustainable collaborations between researchers in Turkey and Japan, increase the capacity of young academics to conduct independent research, produce preliminary data and scientific evidence that can be used in external fund applications, and create a basis for the preparation of high-impact national and international research projects.

The first strategic goal of the program is to create a strong, productive and sustainable research culture within TJU. Directing academic staff to research activities from the first years of joining the university, establishing new research groups and systematically transforming research ideas into projects will be supported.

The second strategic goal is to increase researchers' capacity to apply for competitive external funding. Researchers supported under the Seed Funding Program will be expected to prepare an application to at least one of TUBITAK, Horizon Europe, JST, JSPS, JICA, NEDO or similar national and international programs within the project period or within a certain period following the completion of the project.

The third strategic goal is to promote joint research activities between Turkish and Japanese researchers. The aim of the program is for academicians in the two countries to come together around common research questions, conduct joint laboratory studies, carry out researcher and student mobility, produce publications together and prepare joint applications for bilateral or multilateral funding programs.

The fourth strategic goal is to ensure the development of new research areas and innovative ideas related to the university's current priorities. In particular, it is envisaged that risky and innovative research ideas that do not yet have sufficient preliminary data but may have a high scientific, technological or social impact will be supported at an early stage.

The fifth strategic goal is to increase TJU's research visibility, participation in international scientific networks and global competitiveness. The Seed Funding Program is aimed to turn into joint publications, international project consortiums, patents, prototypes, research centers and long-term Türkiye-Japan scientific collaborations over time.

Applications within the scope of the program will be open to all scientific fields, provided that they are compatible with TJU's academic structure and strategic research priorities. However, priority will be given to certain thematic areas, taking into account the academic structure of the university in its initial period and the potential for joint work between Turkey and Japan.

Within the scope of the Earthquake and Disaster Sciences priority, studies on seismology, earthquake engineering, structure and ground behavior, disaster risk reduction, disaster management, resilient and durable cities, early warning systems, post-disaster recovery, critical infrastructure security and modeling of disaster data will be supported. It will be noted that projects in this area may involve relatively high-cost activities such as field work, measurement, laboratory analysis and special data production.

In the field of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, research on artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, robotics, autonomous systems, image and signal processing, big data analytics, digital twins, cyber security and reliable artificial intelligence will be prioritized. In these projects, algorithm development, data set creation, access to computing infrastructure, software licenses and digital services for research purposes can be supported.

In the field of Energy and Sustainability, innovative research on hydrogen technologies, clean and renewable energy systems, carbon neutral technologies, energy storage, smart grids, energy efficiency, environmental sustainability and circular economy will be supported.

In the field of Advanced Materials, studies related to functional materials, nanotechnology, smart materials, energy materials, electronic and photonic materials, durable building materials, biomaterials and advanced production technologies will be evaluated within the scope of the program.

Apart from these, other research proposals that are compatible with TJU's strategic goals, carry scientific innovation, have the potential to develop Turkey-Japan cooperation, or can contribute to national and international priority areas may also be supported.

Individual Research Startup Support will be given to an academician to test an original research idea, develop a research method, produce preliminary data or create a scientific basis for a more comprehensive project application. As a rule, the project duration will be 12 months. In this context, the supported researcher will be expected to prepare a measurable research output as well as a national or international external funding application at the end of the project.

Interdisciplinary Research Support will encourage researchers from different academic disciplines within TJU to come together around a common research problem. In this context, priority will be given to projects that establish a connection between engineering, basic sciences, informatics, energy, disaster studies and social sciences. Projects can be supported for 12 to 18 months and the project team will be expected to include researchers from at least two different academic units.

Türkiye-Japan Joint Research Support will aim to directly reflect TJU's special founding mission between the two countries into its research activities. In projects within this scope, it will be preferred to have at least one researcher from a Japanese university, research institution, or technology company, where appropriate, as a partner or collaborating researcher.

Projects will be expected to include concrete goals such as joint scientific publication, researcher or student mobility, joint laboratory work, prototype development or preparation of a joint application for an international funding program. The support period will be between 12 and 18 months, depending on the nature of the research.

Young Researcher Startup Support will support academics who have completed their PhD within the last five years before the application date to create their independent research agenda. Through this component, young academics will be encouraged to establish their first research teams, conduct pilot studies, produce publications and projects, and apply for larger-scale funds as project managers. In the event of maternity leave, long-term medical leave or similar documentable career interruptions, the five-year eligibility period may be extended by the relevant interruption period.

It is recommended that the total annual budget of the Seed Support Program be determined as 300,000 USD for the first year of implementation. Payments and financial transactions of the budget will be carried out in Turkish lira in line with the relevant legislation; However, due to the international nature of the program and changes in research costs, the US dollar equivalent can be used as a reference in planning the total budget.

Project upper limits will be differentiated on an area basis, taking into account the different cost structures of research areas. In the first year of implementation, the maximum support amount per project in the fields related to Earthquake and Disaster Management will be 40,000 USD, and in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, the maximum support amount per project will be 30,000 USD. This differentiation takes into account the relatively high cost of field research, experiments, laboratory analyses, special measurements and data collection activities in earthquake and disaster sciences.

The upper limits determined will not express the amount of support that will automatically be given to each project. Project budgets may be reduced or rearranged by the evaluation committee, taking into account the necessity of the proposed activities, appropriateness of costs, expected outputs and the contribution to be made to the external funding application.

The total budget and project upper limits of the program in the following years; It will be determined every year, taking into account inflation, exchange rate, research costs, number of academic staff, performance of previous term projects and the university's corporate budget.

Within the scope of the program, laboratory and field consumables, chemicals, samples, software licenses, database access, cloud computing and computing services, and small-scale research equipment required for the project will be supported for the direct conduct of the research.

Analysis, testing, measurement, verification, design, modeling and data collection services that cannot be performed within the university can also be included in the project budget. Outsourced services will need to be mandatory in terms of research objectives and will need to be budgeted in accordance with market conditions.

Limited travel expenses required for research field visits, joint research meetings in Türkiye and Japan, laboratory visits, project development workshops and preparation of international fund applications may be supported. Research visits to Japan will require a concrete study program, joint research activity and expected output.

Expenses supporting the participation of undergraduate, master's and doctoral students in research activities who will take part in the projects may also be included in the budget. The nature and payment method of student support will be determined within the framework of the applicable legislation and university regulations.

Open access publication fees and scientific meeting participation expenses can be supported for qualified outputs resulting from the project and bearing a TJU address. However, publication and conference expenses cannot be made the main purpose of the project budget and will constitute a limited part of the total budget.

Within the scope of the program, academic staff will not be paid regular salaries, wages or personal income. Large-scale laboratory equipment, building, construction, renovation and general infrastructure investments will be excluded from the scope of the Seed Funding Program.

Representation and hosting expenses, routine educational activities, course materials, general office equipment and expenses that are not directly related to the research project will not be supported. Requests for standard computers, printers, telephones and similar general-use equipment that can be met with the university's existing facilities will not be included in the project budget unless there is a specific and strong scientific justification.

Applications will be received through calls that will be opened at least once a year. If necessary, separate calls may be opened for Türkiye-Japan joint projects, young researchers or certain thematic areas. The application file will clearly show the definition of the research problem, the original value of the project, the method, work schedule, research team, detailed budget, expected outputs, risks and the external funding program planned to be applied after the project.

Scientific evaluation of the projects will be carried out as much as possible by independent referees who are experts in their fields. In projects involving Türkiye-Japan partnership, it may be preferred to assign Turkish and Japanese referees together. Persons with conflicts of interest will not be able to participate in the evaluation process.

In the evaluation of applications, scientific quality will have 30 percent, innovation level will have 20 percent, compliance with TJU's strategic priorities will have 15 percent, Turkey-Japan cooperation potential will have 15 percent, potential for generating external funding and turning into a larger project will have 10 percent, and the competence of the research team will have 10 percent.

In order to be supported, applications will need to score at least 70 out of 100. However, being evaluated over 70 points will not automatically entitle you to support; Projects will be supported by taking into account the call budget, balance between fields, strategic priorities and referee rankings.

Projects that involve concrete collaboration with Japanese researchers and have the potential to turn into joint research projects, joint publications, researcher mobility or international fund applications in the future will be given priority in the evaluation process.

The main outcome of the Seed Funding Program is the creation of the scientific infrastructure that will enable the researcher to transition to a larger-scale and competitive project. In this context, each project will be expected to produce a pilot data set, method validation, feasibility report, prototype, software, algorithm, experimental results, field data or another concrete preliminary research output that can be used in the project application.

As a result of the projects, publications in journals within the scope of SCI, SSCI or AHCI, international conference proceedings, book chapters or other qualified academic publications will be encouraged. In applied and technology-oriented projects, patent application, utility model, software copyright, prototype, process design or technology verification outputs will also be considered among the important success indicators of the program.

Each project team will be expected to prepare or submit at least one project application to TÜBİTAK, Horizon Europe, JST, JSPS, JICA, NEDO or another appropriate national or international funding program within the project period or no later than 12 months following the completion of the project. If the application is not made, a reasoned explanation and an alternative external fund development plan may be requested from the project manager.

Acceptance of an application for external funding will not be a mandatory condition of success. However, the preparation of a qualified application will be considered as one of the main performance indicators that show that the project has achieved the main purpose of the Seed Funding Programme.

It is recommended to establish a Seed Funding Evaluation Committee in order to run the program in a transparent, competitive and scientific manner. The committee is chaired by the vice rector responsible for research; It is envisaged that the directors of relevant research centers, Turkish and Japanese faculty members from different academic fields and, when necessary, independent experts from outside the university will be included in the committee.

Committee; It will be responsible for determining call topics and budgets, conducting arbitration processes, preparing final proposals for supporting projects, reviewing progress reports, evaluating project changes and monitoring the annual performance of the program.

The administrative and financial processes of the program will be carried out by the relevant research management unit of the university. Interim and final reports will be received from the project managers; Project presentations, monitoring meetings or on-site inspections may be held when deemed necessary.

The performance of the program should not be evaluated solely on the budget spent and the number of projects completed. Pilot data, publications, prototypes, patent applications, Turkey-Japan partnerships, student participation, new research groups and external fund applications produced from supported projects should be monitored together.

At the program level, the number of projects supported annually, the rate of young researchers, the number of Turkey-Japan joint projects, the number and total budget of external fund applications prepared, external fund projects accepted, the amount of external funds obtained, publications and intellectual property rights outputs per project, and the conversion rate of Seed Funding support to external funds will be reported.

In particular, it should be monitored to what extent each unit of financial resources provided within the scope of Seed Support turns into external research funds in the following years. It is recommended that this indicator be one of the main criteria in evaluating the institutional impact of the program.

It is anticipated that the program will start with approximately 10 projects in 2027, reach 15 projects in 2028, 20 projects in 2029, 25 projects in 2030 and 30 projects in 2031. However, the increase in the number of projects should not be considered an automatic growth target; The program budget should be reviewed annually, taking into account the number of academic staff, the scientific quality of the applications and the performance of conversion to external funds.

The budget of 300,000 USD foreseen for the first year will be allocated to support a limited number of but high potential projects during the initial period of the university. Increasing the annual budget during the maturation period of the program; However, it is recommended that this increase be associated with the number of external funding applications, accepted projects, international collaborations and scientific output performance.

In order for the program to reflect the unique structure and joint research mission of TJU established by the two countries, one of the names TJU Joint Research Seed Fund or Turkey-Japan Collaborative Research Seed Fund can be used. The phrase “Initial Research Support Program” can be preserved as a descriptive subtitle of the program in academic and administrative documents. The basic approach of the program can be expressed with the following principle:

“Priority is given to projects that involve collaboration with Japanese researchers and have the potential to turn into joint research projects, joint publications, researcher mobility or international fund applications in the later stages.”

In line with this approach, the Seed Funding Program will not be a mechanism that only funds small-scale in-house research. Program; It will be structured as one of the main research tools that enable the formation of TJU's research teams, the development of international partnerships, the expansion of the competitive project portfolio and the institutionalization of the Türkiye-Japan joint research ecosystem.