Travel Grants

JCMU is pleased to offer Site Visit Travel Grants to help support visitors to the Center. Scholars, staff and administrators in all fields and from any institution are eligible to apply.

Recipients of a JCMU Site Visit Grant will be asked to present a lecture on a topic of his/her choice while visiting the Center. Artists, performers, and musicians may conduct a community demonstration or performance in place of a lecture. Preference will be given to individuals from JCMU Consortium, Affiliate, and Cooperative member institutions.

The grants are designed to:

• Provide financial assistance to individuals who wish to visit JCMU as part of a larger trip to Japan and/or Asia
• Expand educational opportunities for JCMU students and community members in Hikone by bringing a diverse set of lecturers to the Center
• Expand knowledge of the Center’s mission and programs to faculty, staff and administrators from around the world
• Give participants the opportunity to learn more about Michigan’s sister-state in Japan, Shiga Prefecture

Using Travel Grant Money

JCMU Site Visit Grants may be used for:transportation expenses, including airfare and ground transportation while in Japan.

While at the Center, the site visit grant recipient will receive rent-free lodging for up to three (3) days. Lodging does not include international phone service. JCMU Site Visit Grants may not be used for conference fees, membership dues, entertainment expenses or technology or equipment purchases.

Submitting a Proposal

Requirements

To be eligible for a JCMU Site Visit Grant, applicants must provide the following at least 30 days prior to their departure for Japan:

• A Letter of Intent, describing the visitor’s desire to see the Center and proposing a lecture topic to present to students and community members during their visit.
• A copy of the visitor’s most recent CV or resume.
• A Letter of Recommendation from the visitor’s department chair, Ph.D. committee leader, or other supervisor as appropriate.
• A written budget for the trip, including proof of matching funds from the visitor’s home institution or other non-JCMU source.

Deadline

Grants will be awarded to site visitors on a rolling basis. Applications from visitors originating in the United States must be submitted to the JCMU Program Office in East Lansing at least 30 days prior to travel to Asia. Applications from visitors from Japan and nations other than the U.S.A. must be submitted to the Resident Director in Hikone at least 30 days before the visitor’s proposed arrival date at the Center.

Award Payment

JCMU Site Grant recipients originating from the United States will receive reimbursement in U.S. dollars through the JCMU Program Office in East Lansing after travel has been completed. Awardees must submit original boarding passes and/or receipts to the JCMU Fiscal Officer in East Lansing within 30 days of their return to the United States in order to receive reimbursement.

Site Grant recipients from outside of the United States (either Japanese or from other countries) may request reimbursement from the JCMU office in Hikone on the day that they depart from the Center. Original receipts must be submitted to the Bookkeeper for reimbursement in Japanese yen. No reimbursements in currency other than US dollars or Japanese yen will be awarded.