The ocean, covering roughly 70% of the Earth’s surface, is our planet’s largest frontier—yet our understanding of it remains critically inadequate. As climate change is rapidly transforming the ocean itself, time is no longer on our side. The Ocean Shot Research Grant continues this year to invite ambitious proposals under the following two themes, guided by the conviction that we must shine a light on both “fundamental discoveries” and “innovative technologies,” areas that are often overlooked by existing funding frameworks, in order to document the unknown and push beyond current limits.

While many new species are discovered every year, countless unknown organisms are already at risk of disappearing due to environmental change. Species description, although fundamental to biology, has long faced difficulty in securing sufficient funding, and uncovering the ecology and life histories of little-understood organisms is an urgent task that demands immediate attention.
From microorganisms to large marine mammals, and from coral reefs to the deep seafloor, we strongly encourage research that unravels the mysteries of complex ecological systems and expands the boundaries of human knowledge through discovery. We welcome not only purely scientific approaches, but also proposals that challenge conventional frameworks; for example, unique explorations that bring to light traditional knowledge held by Indigenous peoples and coastal communities, or projects that consider how new discoveries may contribute in the future to ecosystem conservation and sustainable use.

The seafloor remains more unexplored than the Moon or Mars. The barriers are formidable: extreme conditions such as high pressure and darkness, as well as an overwhelming lack of data. We must not be satisfied with the current state of technology. We invite proposals for technological innovation that can make the invisible ocean visible and accelerate discovery, whether through hardware that enables sampling in extreme environments, or analytical methods that uncover new value from fragmented and limited data.

(1) To achieve the above objectives, the applicant must be capable of organizing a team from one or more research organizations.
(2) As a rule, the organization must be a non-profit.
(3) Applicants must be able to manage progress of all aspects of the joint team’s research.
(4) Applicants must have capacity to manage research funds.
(5) In cases of joint application, applicants must be capable of allocating budgets to joint representative research organizations (remittances) and compiling a financial report for the whole research team.

(1) Must have capacity to manage research progress on assigned project.
(2) Must have capacity to manage allocated research funds. 

We highly value applications that involve organizations from multiple countries. We also hope to foster broad and inclusive collaboration involving institutions and researchers from developing countries, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Additionally, applicants should keep in mind that it is highly desirable to include in the project either one or several persons (regardless of nationality) affiliated with organizations from Japan (irrespective of their status as for-profit, non-profit, or research-oriented) or Japanese person(s) affiliated with overseas organization(s).

In principle, this research grant is intended to support a three-year research project. The grant period is divided into the following three Phases:

• 1st Phase: From April 2027 to the end of March 2028
• 2nd Phase: From April 2028 to the end of March 2029
• 3rd Phase: From April 2029 to the end of March 2030

Based on the interim and final reports submitted for each Phase, the project’s progress will be evaluated. A decision will then be made on whether the project will proceed to the next Phase, as well as on the amount and allocation of funding.

The upper limit of the grant amount for a single Project, with a maximum duration of 3 years (from Phase 1 to Phase 3), will be US$3,000,000. This is the total for the duration of all the Phases and includes any indirect expenses incurred. Several projects are expected to be selected for funding.
As a result of the evaluation, adoption may be at a smaller grant amount than at the time of application.

The estimate of the outsource vendor should be compiled and attached as a separate document. The currency used in the representative organization’s estimate and that in the outsource vendor’s estimate should be made the same, either US Dollars or Japanese Yen, and they should be included in a single document.

Period for acceptance of applications: applications will be received from 9:00am on June 1, 2026 to 5:00pm on Monday, August 31, 2026 (Japan time). If a confirmation email is not received within a few days after application is made, please contact us.
Application procedure: Download the application files from the website (https://www.spf.org/opri-intl/project/oceanshot.html), fill in all necessary sections, and send the files attached to an email to oceanshot@spf.or.jp (all texts should be in English).

Required Documents:
(1) Application Form
(2) Budget Plan
(3) Data Management Plan
(4) CVs of key members (maximum 2 pages per person)
Please submit each document as a separate file. CVs should be compiled into a single file .

Application forms (zip file, 69.4kB) 

September-October 2026: preliminary screening (first review)
November-December 2026: Document review and Interviews (second review) and notification of results
April 2027: Start of grant
 
*Please note that an online interview may be conducted as part of the second review.
*Please kindly abstain from enquiries about adoption or non-adoption of proposals before the public announcement of results.

There are several conditions and other important matters concerning implementation of the grant project. Please take careful note of the following at the time of application.

1）Regarding Observance of the Grant Contract
Once a decision is made regarding the grant project proposal, a Grant Contract with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation will be concluded. To avoid a demand for return of grant funds, please strictly observe all stipulations of the Grant Contract. The contents of the contract are, as a rule, not subject to change.
Also, please be aware that there is a Duty of Due Care for five years after conclusion of the grant project for all documents related to the project or articles acquired thereby.
 
2）Grant Reference
On the release of scientific papers or in other presentations, acknowledgement must be made of the support received. Reference to the grant must appear in a form to be determined by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.
 
3）Interim and Final Report for Administrative Purposes
Grantees shall submit an Interim Report for administrative purposes (including income and expenditure statements) to the Foundation by the dates determined in the Agreement. A Final Report for administrative purposes (including income and expenditure statements) must be submitted within 15 days of the project’s completion.
 
4）Audit and Project Assessment
Audits of the research contents and research funds may be carried out upon completion of the grant project. Also, in the interest of better implementation of future projects, a project assessment will be carried out. Results of the audits and project assessments will appear on the website.
 
5）Regarding the Handling of Personal Information
Personal information submitted during the application process will be used by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in accordance with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation Personal Information Protection Policy, for administrative purposes, calls for grant submissions, advertisements of Sasakawa Peace Foundation related events, the conducting of surveys, and various announcements.
 
6）Release of Research Results
Upon completion of the Report on research results (in English), it will appear on the website of the Foundation in a timely manner.
 
7）Intellectual Property Matters
The Foundation requires advance notice of any transfer or formation of intellectual property rights for five years from the completion of the research.

We may ask to share the results of the adopted research projects with projects such as The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census, a global initiative for the discovery of unknown marine life established by the Nippon Foundation and the Nekton Foundation, and The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030, an international project aiming to complete 100% global seabed topographic mapping by 2030. The method of sharing, etc. will be discussed separately after the research projects are adopted.
 

The Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation
Mail: dedicated Grant Project address: oceanshot@spf.or.jp
(Please consult FAQ section before making direct enquiries.)

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