MEXT Joint Usage / Research Center

Outline

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, or MEXT, launched its Joint Usage / Research Center program in 2008. The program enables domestic researchers to share large-scale research facilities and a large volume of data with each other. Designated as one of the centers in 2009, RIMD has been providing our knowledge, technology, resources, and facilities for research on infectious diseases and biological response. With the program, we are promoting advanced joint researches and developing human resources to combat various infectious diseases.

Call for joint research projects

Calling for both general and specific projects, RIMD conducts approximately 40 joint researches every year. General projects are concerned with biological response and host factor while specific projects are focused on infections and pathogens. We are also encouraging joint programs with female researchers, young talents, and those who are overseas.

Application Guidelines / Application forms

Call for RIMD Joint Research Projects for FY2024

RIMD is currently calling for Joint Research Projects for FY2024. As part of our Joint Research Center programs, we are promoting advanced joint researches concerning various infections. RIMD also devotes our knowledge, technology, research resources, and research facilities, including those in Thailand to researchers both inside and outside of Japan. Joint projects with female researchers, young talents, and those who are overseas are encouraged.

Submission Deadline: Wednesday, February 7 th, 2024

【Joint research projects 】

  • (1) General Project: approx. 20 projects from biological response/host factor research, and basic biological research (short-term)
  • (2) Specific Project: approx. 10 projects from infection and pathogen research (short-term)
  • (3) Project for International Joint Research(short-term): approx. 5 projects
  • (4) Project for Joint Research Promotion (short-term): approx. 3 projects held within budget*Category (4) supports the startups of new Joint Research Projects. New applications will be prioritized.

Joint Base Projects

As one of the allies of the Japanese Union for the Promotion of Infectious Disease Knowledge through Research and Education (JUPITRE), RIMD is collaborating with five institutions; Hokkaido University Research Center for Zoonosis Control, the Institute for Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, the Institute of Tropical Medicine Nagasaki University, National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University, and Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University. Through the collaboration, we are seeking ‘All Japan’ research and developing human resources to fight against infectious diseases. In addition, we jointly host several outreach events, including Winterschool@Biken for high school students.

Research Support

RIMD boasts various unique research equipment and facilities such as the Animal Resource Center for Infectious Diseases and the Central Laboratory for Biological Hazardous Microbes, where researchers are able to conduct high-level experiments in BSL2 and BSL3 environments. These facilities are available for domestic and international researchers. We are also offering them our advanced research technologies and resources, e.g. genome analysis using Next Generation Sequencers, generating genetically modified animals, and providing pathogenic bacteria.

Support for generation of genetically modified animals by Department of Experimental Genome Research

As part of the MEXT Advanced Animal Model Support program, Department of Experimental Genome Research has been providing its technologies to researchers in Japan. Collaborating with the Animal Resource Center for Infectious Diseases, the department also features its unique support system in reproduction/development engineering.

Pathogenic Microbes Repository Unit

As part of the MEXT’s National BioResource Project, Pathogenic Microbes Repository Unit is collecting, preserving and providing pathogenic bacterial strains. The unit also provides information on the analysis and preservation of pathogenic bacterial strains.

Human Resource Development

Through the establishment of International Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Thailand’s Clinical Training Course on Tropical Infectious Diseases, we are fostering promising researchers to control infectious diseases from a global standpoint.

International Research Center for Infectious Diseases

The center appoints young microbiology specialists as specially appointed professors/associated professors to give them independent research opportunities. The center is also promoting joint researches with various domestic institutions to stimulate research communities.
For example, the center has produced many prominent researchers, including those who are working at Gifu University, Kanazawa University, and the National Institute for Infectious Diseases.

Clinical Training Course on Tropical Infectious Diseases in Thailand

Together with the Faculty of Medicine at Osaka University, RIMD has been offering a clinical training course in the Thailand-Myanmar border region. Supported by local hospitals in Thailand, the course provides Japanese medical doctors with clinical training on the diagnosis and treatment of tropical infections. The goal of the course is to foster human resources who combat Ebola virus, dengue virus, and other serious global infections.

Seminars and Symposiums

RIMD hosts various seminars and international symposiums as one of the MEXT Joint Usages / Research Centers. The events intend to contribute our research resources and technologies back to researchers’ community.

Awaji International Forum on Infection and Immunity

Awaji International Forum on Infection and Immunity is jointly hosted by the Institute of Medical Science (The University of Tokyo), the Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences (Kyoto University), the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Nagasaki University), the Research Center for Zoonosis Control (Hokkaido University), and our institute.
Focusing on host-pathogen interaction, the symposium offers a good opportunity for basic and clinical scientists working in bacteriology, parasitology, virology, and immunology to facilitate communication among them. The event also provides young researchers with a training course to learn the basis of those academic fields.

  • MEXT Joint Usage / Research Center