Last Update on: 22 April 2024

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1. Introduction
2. Program
3. Duration
4. Acceptance
5. Financial Arrangement
6. Support and Service
7. General Rules

1. INTRODUCTION

The Japan Petroleum Institute (JPI) invites a researcher on JPI Researcher Exchange Program in Fiscal Year 2024 based on the following conditions. This fiscal year, participants must cover the researcher’s daily allowance in addition to the air tickets. Participants should submit proof of payment for air tickets and the daily allowance to allow JPI to certify the counterpart contribution costs.

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2. PROGRAM

The Researcher Exchange Program offers selection of one of two courses as follows:

1. Course1. Acquisition of advanced knowledge and skills through training in a laboratory
2. Course2. Preparatory research for a Joint Development or a Joint Project

Course1 is mainly practical training. JPI will try to identify appropriate organizations according to the researcher’s requests. Course2 is mainly information exchange. JPI tries to identify appropriate Universities or Research Institutes according to the researcher’s requests. In the order of descending priorities, JPI provides visiting researchers with opportunities for discussions with professors and leading researchers in Japanese Universities or Research Institutes. Both Course 1 and Course 2 cover the following items:

1. Catalyst development related to petroleum refining or petrochemical technology. Specific examples:
   1. Hydrotreating, catalytic cracking, catalytic reforming, etc.
   2. Heavy oil treatment, etc.
   3. Oxidation, dehydrogenation, polymerization, etc.
   4. Hydrogen production, etc.
2. Processes related to petroleum refining or petrochemical technology and the development of simulation technologies for these processes. Specific examples:
   1. Hydrotreating, catalytic cracking, catalytic reforming, etc.
   2. Heavy oil treatment, etc.
   3. Oxidation, dehydrogenation, polymerization, etc.
   4. Carbon materials, etc.
3. Separation technology developments related to petroleum refining or petrochemical technology. Specific examples:
   1. Distillation, refining, etc.
   2. Separation membranes
4. Hydrogen production from hydrocarbons or biomass and related technological developments. Specific examples:
   1. Hydrogen production by reforming reactions, etc.
   2. Biomass conversion, etc.
5. Technology developments related to corrosion and equipment maintenance. Specific examples:
   1. Corrosion monitoring, Nondestructive testing and evaluation
   2. Electrochemical evaluation methods
6. Technology developments related to environmental impact reduction, including carbon recycling or carbon neutrality. Specific examples:
   1. Recycling of waste and recovery of useful materials
   2. Carbon dioxide recycling
   3. Detoxification through wastewater treatment

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3. DURATION

The program period is usually 1 to 2 months, depending on the program contents. The duration is in a reasonable period of time from the beginning of July to the end of February.

JPI requires at least 1.5 months for our preparations before starting the program in Japan. In order to increase the efficiency of short-term domestic acceptance, online pre-interviews will be held once a month for a period of about two months between the supervisor of the Japanese host and your researcher. We plan to share information such as literature on research topics, set goals for practical research, and provide research guidance by the supervisor.

Depending on the situation of the corona disaster, it is possible to continue the online interview and research guidance by the supervisor.

In this case, as an online research study, a research report will be given on the last day of the study as well as an on-site research study.

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4. ACCEPTANCE

Based on application form (Click Here) submitted by researchers, JPI Secretariat prepares a list of candidates. JPI’s International Cooperation Committee will deliberate and recommend candidates for the program to JCCP. JCCP decides the final invitees and have JPI in charge of caretaker.

Since this program takes into consideration the development of the counterpart's own nationals, priority will be given to the acceptance of the counterpart's own nationals. In addition, the same consideration will be given to the fact that the acceptance of a researcher will fully contribute to counterpart country organization through a letter of recommendation.

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5. FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENT

JPI bears following expenses:

5.1 Expenses Necessary for Stay

JPI books researcher’s accommodations in Japan to satisfy the requirements for obtaining the necessary visa for the researcher. The standard allowance per day is 7,000-12,000 yen for the hotel room, 2,000-3,000 yen for meals, and 2,000-3,000 yen for miscellaneous expenses. Please note that JPI will only pay the actual hotel room charges, and will not refund any excess to the researcher. Consequently, JPI will pay actual hotel room charges within the upper limit, but the researcher must submit receipts for the hotel room charges to JPI. The upper limit for hotel room charges is 13,500 Japanese yen per day. This fiscal year, JPI cannot provide any funds to cover the costs of food and miscellaneous expenses. Please cover the researcher’s daily allowance and submit proof of payment for the daily allowance to allow JPI to certify the counterpart contribution costs.

5.2 Air Ticket

This fiscal year, JPI can’t bear round trip Airplane tickets fare from/to researcher’s nearest airport in the researcher’s country and Japanese territorial airport for the researcher. The researcher should get researcher’s air ticket (e-ticket) through his/her own country’s travel agent. Please submit a copy of the receipt for the air ticket to allow JPI to certify the counterpart contribution costs. Flight schedule will be finally settled by researcher’s request and JPI’s recommended suggestion.

5.3 Official Transportation Fee

JPI bears all of official transportation fee (Train, Bus, Airplane and so on) for the researcher in Japan, but excluding private transportation fee in Japan and land transportation fee in the researcher’s country.

5.4 Overseas Travel Accident Insurance

According to JPI’s policy that the researcher shall be covered by comprehensive insurance policies during stay in Japan, JPI takes out “Overseas Travel Accident Insurance” for the researcher. The period is covered for the researcher from arrival to departure at Japan’s territorial international airport.

Risk and coverage are as follows;

However, please note that the researcher’s subjective symptoms, chronic disease and allergies on Medical Certificate attached application form (Click Here) submitted by the researcher are not covered to this insurance in accordance with Insurance Company’s regulation. At the date the researcher will arrive in Japan, JPI asks the researcher to sign on Insurance Company’s application form, “Letter of Consent to the Designation of Beneficiary”.

5.5 Personnel Cost

In the case of the online research study, the time spent by the person in charge of the researcher's organization in coordinating with the person in charge of JPI and within the researcher's organization, as well as the time spent in preparing documents, multiplied by the unit price, can be regarded as the personnel cost, and this can be regarded as the contribution cost. Based on this contribution cost, JPI may cover the research expenses of the Japanese host institution.

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6. SUPPORT AND SERVICE

JPI supports researcher during stay in Japan.

6.1 Entry VISA

JPI submits the researcher JPI Invitation Letter in order to issue the researcher’s single entry VISA at Japanese Embassy in researcher’s country prior to one month before leaving researcher’s country.

6.2 Selection of Japanese organizations that the researcher performs

JPI selects the best and most effective Japanese organizations based on the researcher’s desired research theme that researchers describe in the application form. JPI, as a matter of course, preferentially contacts the organization if the researcher described a specified and desired organization in the application form.

6.3 Arrival Date

JPI or Japanese travel agent will guide and support the researcher’s disembarkation procedures and domestic transit at the exit of the customs clearance of Japan’s territorial International Airport and check-in at accommodation for the researcher.

6.4 Under Research in Japan

JPI completely supports your researcher during stay in Japan. JPI accompanies the researcher to Japanese organization at first and final day. And JPI visits the organization at the researcher’s suitable requests

6.5 Research Report

The researcher prepares Research Report as the result of achievement of the research investigation performed at Japanese Organizations and submits them to both Japanese Organizations and JPI at the final day of research.

6.6 Conference Attendance

JPI arranges for the researcher to attend the Conference at JPI’s expenses if a researcher will be interested in the Conference and the researcher’s research area is related to the theme of the Conference during the stay in Japan.

6.7 Related Organizations’ Visit

JPI may arrange with the related universities, national institutes, private companies such as refining and petrochemical companies for a researcher to visit in case a researcher would like to visit the related organizations for researcher’s research activities during the stay in Japan.

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7. GENERAL RULES

JPI guarantees the researcher’s fidelity to execute his/her academic research during stay in Japan. The researcher must keep following items:

1. Pay serious attention to keep researcher’s health condition
2. Before starting the research program, sign any Non Disclosure Agreement or another contract such as Non Disclosure Framework between your organization and JPI, if necessary. Maintain confidential information, which the researcher has obtained during the stay in Japan unless it is a public knowledge.
3. Refrain from engaging in political activities, religious campaigns, sales activities or in any form of employment
4. Stay at the designated accommodation

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