Financial Support

Support Program for Research Group Activities (KENKYUKAI-KATSUDO Grant )

The purpose of this grant is to encourage graduate students to engage in research activities voluntarily with students of different graduate schools as members of student society.

Grant Details

1. Financial Support

A grant of up to 100,000 yen is offered to each society per year. The amount covers expenses for society-hosted events ("Event Expenses") and expenses for speakers invited from outside the university ("Expenses for Invited Speakers").

2. Facility Lease

Eligible societies will be granted the lease of classroom space when they carry out activities on campus in accordance with the conditions of leasing facilities to Ritsumeikan University student organizations engaged in extracurricular activities.

Number of Eligible Societies

Up to 30 societies will be provided the grant, up to 25 societies in Spring Application and up to 5 societies in Fall Application.

*If the total number of accepted societies in Spring Application does not reach 25, the rest of the number of societies will be accepted additionally in Fall Application.

Application Period

Spring Semester	Monday, April 20, 2026 at 09:00 (JST) ～ Friday, May 8, 2026 at 17:00 (JST)
Fall Semester	Monday, July 27, 2026 at 09:00 (JST) ～ Friday, August 21, 2026 at 17:00 (JST)

Application Guidelines

Application Format for KENKYUKAI-KATSUDO Grant and related documents are posted on moodle+R.

moodle+R

Application to Participate in Student Research Societies Selected for AY2025 KENKYUKAI-KATSUDO Grant (Grant for Student Research Societies)

If you wish to participate in a selected student research society as a guest or register as a member, please check the activity overview and apply from the link below. The administration office will forward your application to the representative of the applicable student research society, and the representative or the administration office will contact you.
*Please note that the member composition is the information at the time of selection.

【Handling of Personal Information】
Information given in the application, including personal information such as your contact details, will be shared with the representative of the student research society. The administration office and the representative of the student research society will use the collected personal information solely for communication related to student research society participation and will not use it for other purposes.

Overview of Activities of Student Research Societies
*Fall semester Selected Research Societies added (September 29, 2025)

Name of Student Research Societies	Overview and Members
The Society of Climate Change Adaptation (気候変動適応策研究会)	Our study group is among the few globally that specialize in the examination of climate change adaptation policy—a relatively new and evolving field of public policy—from a social science perspective. In response to the growing risks posed by climate change, we aim to contribute to public understanding by clarifying the concept of adaptation and addressing fundamental questions such as: What are adaptation policies? Why should we address them? and who should be involved them? As of 2025, our members include PhD holders, PhD students, and an independent researcher. Drawing on expertise in international relations, environmental policy, environmental ethics, law, legal philosophy, and sociology, each member tackles critical research questions within their respective disciplines. We actively pursue international outreach and welcome inquiries related to co-authorship, participation in study groups, and invitations to academic conferences, both domestically and internationally. Feel free to send an email to the representative of this study group, The Society of Climate Change Adaptation or the office of Ritsumeikan University. We are looking forward to hearing from you here in Japan [Members] Graduate School of International Relations D5 × 1 ／ Graduate School of Sociology D3 × 1 ／ Graduate School of Law D2 × 1 ／ Research Student × 1 ／ Visiting Researcher × 1 ／ Non-student Member × 1
Graduate Student Society for Middle Eastern and Islamic Area Studies (GSMEIAS)	The purpose of our society—Graduate Student Society for Middle Eastern and Islamic Area Studies (GSMEIAS)— is to enhance the quality and depth of empirical studies conducted by early-career scholars focusing on the Middle East and the broader Islamic world. Serving as a “node” that connects young researchers working in related fields, our society organizes a range of academic activities, including reading circles and research workshops. These activities are designed not only to provide opportunities for sharing findings through oral presentations but also to foster the development of research into publishable academic outputs. By cultivating a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment, our society supports its members in transforming preliminary studies into peer-reviewed journal articles and other scholarly publications. In this way, our society functions as both a training ground for methodological and theoretical refinement, and as a platform for advancing academic contributions to the Area Studies. [Members] Graduate School of International Relations M1 × 1 ／ M2 × 1 ／ D2 × 1 ／ D4 × 1 ／ Graduate School of Letters M2 × 1 ／ Other universities × 5 ／ Non-student Member × 2

Name of Student Research Societies

Overview and Members

The Society of Climate Change Adaptation
(気候変動適応策研究会)

Our study group is among the few globally that specialize in the examination of climate change adaptation policy—a relatively new and evolving field of public policy—from a social science perspective. In response to the growing risks posed by climate change, we aim to contribute to public understanding by clarifying the concept of adaptation and addressing fundamental questions such as: What are adaptation policies? Why should we address them? and who should be involved them? As of 2025, our members include PhD holders, PhD students, and an independent researcher. Drawing on expertise in international relations, environmental policy, environmental ethics, law, legal philosophy, and sociology, each member tackles critical research questions within their respective disciplines. We actively pursue international outreach and welcome inquiries related to co-authorship, participation in study groups, and invitations to academic conferences, both domestically and internationally. Feel free to send an email to the representative of this study group, The Society of Climate Change Adaptation or the office of Ritsumeikan University. We are looking forward to hearing from you here in Japan
[Members]
Graduate School of International Relations D5 × 1 ／ Graduate School of Sociology D3 × 1 ／ Graduate School of Law D2 × 1 ／ Research Student × 1 ／ Visiting Researcher × 1 ／ Non-student Member × 1

Graduate Student Society for Middle Eastern and Islamic Area Studies (GSMEIAS)

The purpose of our society—Graduate Student Society for Middle Eastern and Islamic Area Studies (GSMEIAS)— is to enhance the quality and depth of empirical studies conducted by early-career scholars focusing on the Middle East and the broader Islamic world. Serving as a “node” that connects young researchers working in related fields, our society organizes a range of academic activities, including reading circles and research workshops. These activities are designed not only to provide opportunities for sharing findings through oral presentations but also to foster the development of research into publishable academic outputs. By cultivating a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment, our society supports its members in transforming preliminary studies into peer-reviewed journal articles and other scholarly publications. In this way, our society functions as both a training ground for methodological and theoretical refinement, and as a platform for advancing academic contributions to the Area Studies.
[Members]
Graduate School of International Relations M1 × 1 ／ M2 × 1 ／ D2 × 1 ／ D4 × 1 ／ Graduate School of Letters M2 × 1 ／ Other universities × 5 ／ Non-student Member × 2

*Only research groups that have requested publicity in English are listed here. For information on other accepted research groups, please refer to the Japanese version of the website.(https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/ru_gr/g-career/financial/detail/?id=11)

Application Deadline

January 31, 2026

Application Form (External Link)

Final Reports of each KENKYUKAI in 2025

Inquiries

RARA Office

MAIL: g-schol2@st.ritsumei.ac.jp