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Research Grant Program

Univers Foundation

The Univers Foundation was established in 1990 as a foundation that contributes to the enhancement of elderly welfare. However, in today’s society characterized by low birth rates, aging population, and declining demographics, not only the elderly but people of all ages and backgrounds are experiencing social isolation and hardships in their lives. We conduct the grant program with the hope of contributing to the realization of a society where everyone can have confidence and a sense of purpose in their lives, by supporting research that tackles and resolves these complex contemporary challenges.

We welcome applications for research in diverse fields such as healthcare, social welfare, and social policy, as well as innovative endeavors that go beyond traditional frameworks, including interdisciplinary issue and research focused on practical implementation. We particularly encourage young researchers to take on these challenges. We look forward to receiving your applications.

Research Categories

1) Mind and health

Support research using a psychosocial approach to help all ages stay physically and mentally healthy.

Possible research topics:
Clinical psychology; Lifespan developmental psychology/Elderly psychology; Dementia; Developmental disabilities; Mood disorders; Substance dependence; Schizophrenia; Stress-related disorders; Grief and loss; Social rehabilitation.

2) Social work practices related to social inclusion

Support practical research based on the perspective of social work that deals with people who are socially isolated by falling into the gaps of the corresponding systems while they face complicated life problems, and helps solve their problems.

Possible research topics:
Support for social minorities; Support for the underprivileged; Rehabilitation support; Prevention of abuse; Long-term care and nursing; Support for disaster victims; Support for foreign workers, elderly, children and youth; Support for school refusal, withdrawal and young carers.

3) Building a community-based inclusive society

Support research that envisions new forms of welfare needed for the formation of future community-based inclusive societies, including welfare systems and mechanisms, support services, and community mutual-help functions.

Possible research topics:
Community-based integrated care; community welfare; collaboration between the justice system and social welfare and reintegration support; rights protection and advocacy; utilization and development of social resources; construction of comprehensive support systems; disaster-response support systems; sustainable community development; diverse working arrangements; housing support; and application of technology.

Grant Amount

Up to 1,000,000 yen per grantee
The actual amount of the grant shall be determined based on assessment of the proposal, including the contents and scale.

Grant Period

February 2027 to January 2028

Application Deadline

FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2026
All applications must be received by no later than 5:00 p.m. Japan time.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong alignment with aging, social welfare, and healthcare challenges (highest predictor)

This is the most important factor.

The Foundation states that it supports research in:

Healthcare
Social welfare
Social policy
Innovative approaches addressing societal challenges

with a particular emphasis on issues arising from population aging, low birth rates, and demographic change.

Strong topics include:

Healthy aging
Long-term care systems
Dementia care
Caregiver support
Community-based care
Social participation of older adults
Elderly well-being
Sustainable welfare systems

2. Potential for practical social impact (very high predictor)

The Univers Foundation is mission-driven and welfare-oriented.

Competitive proposals generally demonstrate:

Clear societal benefit
Practical application of findings
Potential to improve welfare systems
Benefits for older adults, families, caregivers, or communities
Policy relevance

Projects with direct implications for improving quality of life in aging populations are particularly well aligned.

3. Innovation in addressing demographic and welfare issues

The Foundation explicitly welcomes innovative endeavors that go beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Competitive proposals often include:

Novel service-delivery models
Technology-enabled care
Community interventions
Cross-sector collaborations
New approaches to social inclusion
Innovative public-health or welfare solutions

4. Interdisciplinary approach

Because aging-related challenges span multiple domains, strong applications often combine expertise from:

Medicine
Public health
Nursing
Social work
Sociology
Economics
Psychology
Public policy

Projects that integrate healthcare and social welfare perspectives tend to fit especially well with the Foundation's mission.

5. Feasibility and implementation potential

Successful proposals generally demonstrate:

Clear objectives
Realistic methodology
Achievable timeline
Defined outcomes
Appropriate budget

The Foundation appears to favor projects that can produce meaningful results and recommendations rather than purely theoretical work.

6. Investigator expertise and institutional support

Competitive applicants typically show:

Relevant expertise in aging, healthcare, or social welfare
Prior research productivity
Access to appropriate study populations or datasets
Institutional resources necessary to complete the project

While investigator prestige alone is unlikely to determine success, demonstrated capability to execute the project is important.

7. Contribution to future policy or welfare-system development

Projects that can inform:

Social policy reform
Healthcare system planning
Community support models
Aging-society strategies

are likely to be particularly attractive because they align directly with the Foundation's stated goal of contributing to social welfare in aging societies.

Specialties

Health Informatics

Public Health

Others

Eligibility Requirements

Be engaged in research activities at a university, research laboratory, research institution, educational organization, or be working in the social welfare field at a social welfare organization.
Be enrolled in or graduated from a master’s/doctoral program, or hold equivalent degrees or qualifications.
(Applicants who are enrolled in a master’s program, or are in their first half of a doctoral program must have an advisor be one of the research members when applying. The advisor’s name should be listed in the research members list on page 8 of the application form. An advisor’s assistance is not required for applicants in the second half of a doctoral program.)

To allow more individuals to benefit from the grants, those who have previously received funding from the Univers Foundation are not eligible to apply.
Individuals affiliated with overseas universities are also welcome to apply. For the application guidelines and forms in English, please visit the Foundation's English website (www.univers.or.jp/english/). Furthermore, the research topics and survey areas are not limited to Japan.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Univers Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: YPC Bldg. 5F, 2-14-8 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004

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