Winter-Spring 2000
Volume 7, Number 1
Contributors to Bridging Project Scholarship Fund
From the Executive Director
Highlights of the September 1999 Grantmaking Session
Directory of the Commission and CULCON e-mail address
Digital Resource Project Launched
Application Procedure and Most Frequently Asked Questions About Submitting Proposals to the Commission
Student Scholarships Awarded for Study Abroad
New Fund Enhances Artists' Exchange
The Commission and Bridging Foundation
gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the following contributors to the
Bridging Project Scholarship Fund:
Individual:
Dr. Glenn Campbell
Dr. Ellen Frost
Dr. Carol Gluck
Mr. Jeffery Lepon
Mr. George Takei
Dr. Robin Winks
Dr. Richard Wood
Corporate:
The Freeman Foundation
Goldman Sachs (Japan) Ltd.
Lockheed Martin
Morrison & Foerster Foundation
Northwest Airlines
The Starr Foundation
Currently, the Commission’s programs are divided into five areas: Japanese studies in the United States; the study of the United States in Japan; public affairs and education; policy research; and the arts; with a sixth area of support for administrative structures that cuts across all the above five. Current priorities include maintenance of the vitality of Japanese studies in the United States; short-term exchanges among counterpart disciplinary associations in the two countries; cutting-edge policy research; legislative exchange programs; American art exhibitions and performances in Japan; and the Creative Artists Exchange Program.
The Commission’s mission is to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of Japan and the United States, and to prepare the American people to work more cooperatively and effectively with their Japanese counterparts. The programs and priorities noted above have served the Commission’s mission well over its history, but given the profound changes in both the bilateral relationship and its global contexts over the past decade, the commissioners have called for a review. What are the directions that bilateral relations will take in the future, and how can the Commission best respond to them?
The basis for this review began as a call for new ideas last summer, and the Commission thanks all its friends and new acquaintances who responded. The next step will be to host a series of discussions at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC on February 7th and 8th with small groups of informed observers of the Commission’s history and work. The focus of these groups will be on policy-relevant issues in the bilateral relationship, and the nurturing of a new generation of leadership in American academic and professional life for effective cooperation and exchange with Japan. What policy subject matters most deserve the public attention and analysis that the Commission can help bring to them? What forms of support for programs of training and exchange will most effectively marshal the Commission’s new resources? The results of these discussions will be a set of options and recommendations for the future for the commissioners’ consideration.
In addition, the commissioners will also consider the results of discussions to be held by the Japanese librarians community of the United States on the future agenda for library and information resources on Japan, and by a select group of policy analysts and political scientists on the direction of the political/security relationship with Japan in the coming decade. Both these meetings will be held in March at the Year 2000 Annual Meeting of the Association for Asian Studies in San Diego, with Commission support. The commissioners will hold their own deliberations on programs and priorities at their next business meeting in Washington, DC on April 26, 2000, taking into consideration all the above results. These final discussions will shape the direction of Commission programs and priorities for the foreseeable future. We will announce them in the next edition of this newsletter, as well as on our website and other appropriate outlets. Meanwhile, we continue to seek the suggestions and recommendations of all our interested readers and friends.
On another front, the quarterly breakfast meeting of the Japanese funding group was last held in Washington, DC on November 15, hosted by the Commission. Representatives of the Japan Foundation, the Center for Global Partnership, the US-Japan Foundation, Japan Society, Inc., and the National Association of Japan-America Societies were present, as well as the US Department of Education and the United States Information Agency. A primary topic of discussion was the effect of the consolidation of the USIA with the State Department on programs of exchange with Japan, and on the activities of CULCON. The USIA representative assured the participants that no significant break in current trends would happen as a result of consolidation. A second and equally important topic was the impact of the recession in Japan, and the extended run of low rates of return on investments there, on the capacity of Japanese funders to maintain their programs at current levels of activity. The Japanese funders for their part described their own ongoing reviews of programs and priorities to help them meet the stringent financial conditions they face as the new year approaches. All members present agreed that the quarterly roundtable was an excellent forum for the exchange of information on programs and internal activities of each organization present.
The Commission wishes every reader a prosperous and happy Year 2000.
Sincerely,
Eric J. Gangloff
Arts
·
Creative Artists Fellows, $30,000·
The International House of Japan – US/Japan Creative Artist Fellowship Program, ¥24,040,000Japanese Studies
·
Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese – Infrastructure Support for the Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese, $90,000·
Center for East Asian Studies, University of Pennsylvania – The 2000 Faculty and Curriculum Development Seminar on Japan, $71,875·
Columbia University, Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture – The Japan-US Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature, $19,156·
National Coordinating Committee on Japanese Library Resources – Next Decade Planning Meeting, $ 35,694·
National Coordinating Committee on Japanese Library Resources – Administrative Support, $5,000·
Northeast Asia Council of the Association of Asian Studies (NEAC/AAS) – NEAC/AAS Grants for Japanese Studies, $72,392 & ¥3,600,000·
Pacific Basin Institute – Japan and America: The Near and Far Future, $6,000·
Social Science Research Council – Program of Grants for Advanced Research on Japan, $82,500 & ¥6,000,000·
Stanford University, for the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama – support of advanced Japanese language training for American graduate students, ¥40,000,000Policy-Oriented Research
·
Harvard University, Program on US-Japan Relations – Civil Society in the Asia-Pacific, $50,000·
Japan Information Access Project – American Scholarship on Japan: A Program for Public Policy Dissemination, $76,475·
Pacific Forum CSIS – United States, Japan, and China: Developing Stable Trilateral Ties, $20,350Public Affairs and Education
·
Capital Children's Museum – Outreach Efforts for Japan: Through the Eyes of a Child, $5,000·
George Washington University – GWU US-Japan Economic Agenda 1999 Legislative Exchange Program, $110,539 and ¥1,950,000·
The International House of Japan – Facilitation of US-Japan Exchange Activities in Japan, ¥8,500,000·
The Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs, The Mansfield Study Group on Asia, $50,000·
The National Association of Japan-America Societies – 2020 Vision: A Digital Road Map for policies and Priorities in the US-Japan Relationship in the 21st Century, $72,319·
The National Association of Japan-America Societies – Project to Update "On The Record", $5,000·
Pacific Basin Institute – Bridge to the Rising Sun: The US Navy Japanese Language School and Japanese-American Relations, 27,275·
San Diego State University – Digital Culture Resource Project, $125,209The Study of the United States in Japan
·
American Studies Association – Japan-US Dialogues Across the Pacific: Globalization and American Studies, $4,000 and ¥1,050,000·
Doshisha University – USA Elections 2000, ¥2,330,000·
Organization of American Historians – Short-term Residencies in Japan for US Historians, $14,054 and ¥2,011,794Directory of Commission e-mail Addresses
jusfc@jusfc.gov - general information
grants@jusfc.gov - information on grants
culcon@jusfc.gov - information on CULCON
artists@jusfc.gov - information on Creative Artists' Program
egangloff@jusfc.gov - Eric Gangloff
mmihori@jusfc.gov - Margaret Mihori
pfields@jusfc.gov - Pamela Fields
rstewart@jusfc.gov - Roberta Stewart
Digital Resource Project Launched
At its nineteenth plenary session, held in February, 1999, the US-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON) resolved to identify " . . . digital resources on US-Japan relations, with emphasis on culture and education, over the past fifty years." To help implement this mandate, the Commission, through a competitive process, made a grant at its September, 1999 grant-making session to Dr. Robert Hoffman, Associate Professor, Educational Technology, San Diego State University to design and implement the Digital Culture Resource (DCR).
The DCR is a project to collect and digitize (as necessary) critical multimedia resources on US-Japan relations, and make them accessible in a variety of ways, to a broad array of audiences. These include elementary, secondary and post-secondary students and teachers, and the general public. The resources will be collected around several broad themes and will contain a chronology of important events to help provide context. The project will provide practical frameworks for teaching and learning to support instructors and students in various educational venues, featuring active learning strategies that foster problem-solving and cross-cultural exchange.
The goal of the DCR is to promote understanding at the individual level of cultural and educational relations between the United States and Japan in the postwar world and the many mutual cultural and educational influences each has had upon the other. At the level of society as a whole its goal is to contribute to the erosion of harmful stereotyping.
Initially, the DCR will be a hybrid Web-CD-ROM format, with the possibility of expanding into a DVD format. It will contain not only extensive digital holdings of its own, but also numerous links to other sites where materials appropriate to its purpose are found. The DCR will have multi-media content (music, images, speech, drama, virtual environments), with ample opportunity for interactive involvement for students. It will be designed to help induce users actively to formulate their own "stories" about US-Japan relations in the postwar world, rather than to impose its own view or history on the collected materials. Ultimately, this archive will become, CULCON intends, the benchmark collection of materials on educational and cultural relations between the two countries.
A prototype will be demonstrated at the next CULCON plenary session, scheduled to take place in May, 2001 in Los Angeles.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
The Commission makes grants semi-annually in mid-April and mid-September. Annual proposal submission deadlines are March 1 and August 1. Application cover sheets are available from the Commission homepage or office.
1.Q. Which organizations are eligible to receive a grant?
A. Any non-profit organization (think tank, research institute, university, etc.) that deals with policy research, Japanese studies, the study of the United States, public affairs or the arts may apply. The Commission does not provide individual grants except for the Creative Artists' Fellowship Program.
2.Q. When are our deadlines?
A. March 1 and August 1 yearly for all programs except the Creative Artists' Fellowship Program. All applications must be received at the Commission's office by the close of business 5:30 PM March 1 or August 1. Means of delivery are via regular mail, commercial delivery service or messenger. Fax copies are not accepted. If March 1 or August 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, applications will be accepted close of business on the next Monday.
3.Q. How long is the average length of a project?
A. Projects may range in length anywhere from a few months to approximately one and a half years. If a project is longer than this, the Commission may approve support for Year One, and in principle for the remaining years, pending successful outcome of Year One of the project. In this case resubmission for each successive year will be necessary.
4.Q. What is the amount of the "average" grant? How much can I ask for?
A. There is no meaningful "average" for an award. Rather than asking how much will the Commission support and then building a budget to meet a targeted figure, it is better that an applicant cost out a realistic budget based on the needs of a project. The Commission's last three biennial reports that detail projects and amounts awarded are available on this website.
5.Q. What is overhead, and how much will the Commission support in overhead costs?
A. Overhead is facility and administrative costs that an institution charges in addition to project costs. The Commission will allow a maximum of fifteen (15) percent in overhead costs.
6.Q. What budget items does the Commission support?
A. Costs that the Commission will consider are expenses associated with a project including, but not necessarily limited to: salary and benefits; travel expenses; administrative costs; dissemination costs; and workshop or conference expenses. As a general rule, the Commission does not fund hardware or equipment costs.
7.Q. How can I find out what my congressional district is?
A. Search http://thomas.loc.gov/
8.Q. Do I have to use the Commission cover sheet?
A. Yes, but it may be retyped on your own word processor if desired. It also can be printed from this site.
9.Q. What constitutes back-up material, and how many copies are necessary?
A. Back-up material can be any information that will give the commissioners a better idea of the background of the project. One copy of any back-up material is sufficient. Examples may include: full cvs of principals; information about the organization submitting the proposal; written examples of relevant projects the organization has undertaken in the recent past; letters of endorsement, recommendation or confirmation of participation; tapes, videos, catalogs, slides; news clippings, etc. For conservation purposes, please use double-sided copies when possible and avoid including extraneous pages.
10.Q. Why unbound and hole punched?
A. Staff binds together all proposals received for the commissioners to read at one time. Staples, folders, and other means of attachments that have to be torn apart are not acceptable. Proposals may be separated with clips, colored paper, etc. For conservation purposes, please use double-sided copies when possible and avoid including extraneous pages.
11.Q. How many copies should I submit?
A. 24 copies plus the original. This includes the application cover sheet, project narrative, cvs of principal participants and budget outline. For conservation purposes, please use double-sided copies when possible and avoid including extraneous pages.
12. General proposal writing tips --
Be concise, brevity is appreciated.
Clearly state the need in the field that your proposal will meet and why your particular organization is appropriate to undertake the project.
When undertaking a policy-research project, justify all budget items, especially if the cost is large. The Commission works exclusively with nonprofit institutions to sponsor policy research. Interested researchers must submit proposals through institutions that can document their nonprofit status.
The Commission does not utilize the results of policy research for internal purposes. Instead, it will place emphasis on demonstrated access to the data and information necessary for the research project; it will place strong emphasis on the dissemination phase of the project. It will look for clear plans to implement dissemination of results to policy-making communities in the public and private sectors and for demonstration of the means to access such communities and of track records of past efforts in this aspect of research. Projects may have a maximum of 24-months duration.
Co-funding is often an important part of a project. It shows that another organization has found your project worthy of funding and reduces the financial burden of the Commission.
Back-up materials are helpful in evaluating the proposal. (See above.)
Potential applicants are urged to consult with Commission staff prior to submitting proposals.
NEW SUPPORT FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDY ABROAD
The US-Japan Bridging Foundation received grants of $400,000 in December, 1999, in support of scholarships to send US undergraduate students to Japan for a semester or year of study. The Starr Foundation renewed its support for another year with a grant of $100,000. New support was given by The Freeman Foundation of $300,000, granted over three years. With these new gifts, the Bridging Foundation has raised a total of nearly $700,000 in cash and in-kind support toward its goal of $2,000,000 over the next three years.
Previous support has enabled the Bridging Foundation to grant scholarships to 30 students, as reported to you in the last newsletter, who arrived in Japan in September. Funds were also provided for an additional 16 scholars who began their studies this January. The new funds will be used to begin recruitment of students who will begin study in Japan this coming autumn.
The Bridging Foundation was formed by the Commission in July, 1998, as a 501(C)(3) charitable organization to accept scholarship funds. The goal is to provide scholarships to at least 400 more students over the next three years -- a cost of $2 million. There are currently over 47,000 Japanese students in the United States every year studying at American universities, compared to approximately 2,000 US students in Japan. The Commission and the Bridging Foundation are committed to ensuring that America's young people will be prepared to assume leadership roles in the future in all aspects of trade, security, cultural and educational relations between Japan and the United States.
The scholarship program is administered by the Association of Teachers of Japanese, a professional organization of more than 1,200 educators in Japanese language, literature, and culture. In addition to the 30 scholars who were selected for the fall semester, another 16 scholars were selected for the spring semester. These include:
Charles Antoine, Brandeis University (MA)/Fine Arts & Asian Studies - Kansai Gaidai University
Joyce Mah-lung Chen, Tufts University (MA)/Economics & Japanese - Waseda University
Charlesie Crabtree, University of Alabama (AL)/International Finance - Kansai Gaidai University
Mark Dallas, Ohio State University (OH)/Japanese & Chinese - Kobe & Tsukuba Universities
George Davison, California State University, Long Beach (CA)/Psychology & Japanese - Waseda University
Patricia Decker, Univeristy of South Florida (FL)/Asian Studies - Waseda University
Joanne Hannasch, Minnesota State University (MN)/International Business - MSU-Akita
Kyle Holzhueter, Luther College (IA)/Philosophy of Religion - Nagasaki College of Foreign Languages
Curtis Jewell, Case Western Reserve University (OH)/Management - Sophia University (CIEE)
Krista Kennedy, Pacific University (OR)/Modern Languages - Kansai Gaidai University
Yu Ling Liu, State University of New York-Binghamton (NY)/Accounting - Kansai Gaidai University
Andrew Melandrino, Georgetown University (DC)/Foreign Service - International Christian University
Erin McCluskey, Beloit College (WI)/Art History & Studio Art - Kansai Gaidai University
Katherine Nelson, Transylvania University (KY)/Philosophy - Waseda University
Ryan Stejskal, Kansas State University (KS)/Computer Science - Chukyo University (ISEP)
Kathryn Taketa, Brigham Young University (UT)/Speech-Language Pathology - BYU Study Abroad in Kyoto
Further information on study abroad in Japan and the Bridging Scholarship Program can be obtained at: www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj
New Fund Enhances Artists' Exchange
Since 1978 the Japan-US Friendship Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts have worked cooperatively with the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan to organize the Creative Artists Exchange Fellowship Program. Each year, the Commission and the Endowment select five artists for six-month residencies in Japan, hosted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. In turn, the Endowment hosts five or more visiting Japanese artists.
The program is highly competitive and attracts several hundred applications each year for the five fellowships. Over its history the program has sent almost one hundred American artists to Japan from a wide range of disciplines. It remains a high priority of the Commission and the Endowment. The interested reader is referred to the Commission’s publication From the Heart of the Country, published in 1995, commemorating the Program’s history and achievements up to that time.
The Program is unique in that it is the only program operated directly by the Commission itself, rather than by an outside agency. To facilitate the residencies of the artists once they arrive in Japan, the Commission works with the International House of Japan to provide logistical and financial arrangements, and hires an American artists resident full-time in Japan, Christopher Blasdel, to provide extensive artistic orientation. This Program has been judged an outstanding success by both the Commission and the Endowment and will in fact serve as the basis for public performances and discussions of the impact of international exchange on artistic production at the next CULCON plenary session, to be held at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles in May, 2001.
For the most part, the resident American artists carry out their work independently of the International House, traveling extensively throughout Japan to visit artists and artistic sites of their interest. Recently, however, a new trend has emerged, beginning in 1998 with the work of Belize Brother, an installation artist from Seattle. Ms. Brother worked directly with the International House to create an installation of bamboo in the I House garden and used the site for collaborative performances with Japanese artists. The experiment was judged a major success and has led to a new enhancement of the Program.
At their September, 1999 grant-making session, the commissioners voted to approve a sum of ¥3,000,000 available to the Program for collaborative projects by the resident American artists, once they have established themselves in Japan. The I House will administer the fund; the artists will apply directly to the I House with their plans for collaboration, either at the I House itself or at other appropriate sites in Japan, for an average of ¥600,000 per project to help support the costs of salary, administration, materials and services that the collaboration may require. The commissioners viewed this move as a unique opportunity to enhance the quality of a program that they have already judged to be of top priority. They look forward to evaluating the results of this enhancement, as they become apparent late in 2000, through 2001.
All artists and others interested in further details and the application process are referred to the Commission website at
www.jusfc.gov.