AIAP (AJINOMOTOCO. INNOVATION ALLIANCE PROGRAM)

1. Program Description

　Ajinomoto Co., Inc. was founded in 1909 following discovery of Umami substance by Dr. Ikeda, a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Tokyo. Thus, the starting point of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. was collaboration with academia. "Ajinomoto Co. Innovation Alliance Program (AIAP)" is one of Ajinomoto group’s open innovation activities to seek innovative ideas for our business expansion from all over the world.

1) Targets

• 　1. Innovative ideas for diagnosis and digital technology to provide personalized
  　　nutrition services.
• 　2. Novel manufacturing and analytical technology (to improve and complement
  　　Ajinomoto group's technology such as AJIPHASE® and Corynex®) for
  　　peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides and their derivatives
• 　3. Innovative ideas for the process in which cell therapy products (CTPs) are
  　　prepared, stored and delivered to patients.
• 　4. Innovative ideas for next-generation food ingredients, food processing
  　　technology and preservation methods that contribute to food sustainability.
• 　5. Innovative ideas for food manufacturing and processing of alternative proteins
  　　for meat or milk

2) Budget and research period

　JPY2,000,000 as direct costs for one year research. The rate of direct cost and indirect cost will be negotiated case by case. If the institute’s indirect cost exceeds 25% of direct cost, direct cost will be adjusted so that the total amount does not exceed JPY2,500,000.

2. Who Can Qualify for AIAP?

　Any research institutions, academia, companies, and other organizations may apply for and, if selected, receive expense under the AIAP. Ajinomoto Co., Inc., in its sole discretion, will evaluate inventiveness, uniqueness, feasibility, serendipity etc. of the applications.

3. Application Procedure

　The application should NOT include confidential information, trade secrets,
　and other proprietary information of either the applicant or third party.
　Application Deadline: 30 April 2019

　All application should be submitted electronically via the application page of our AIAP homepage (https://www.ajinomoto.co.jp/company/en/rd/AIAP/). The language should be English or Japanese. Other languages are not allowed. The application should include the name of the principal investigator (“PI”), the name of the institution, PI's specialized field, e-mail address, phone number, country, address, the project title and a description of the proposed project. The Application page will open from 1 April to 30 April 2019 (Japan Standard Time). Late application will not be accepted.

　The proposal should include 1) background of the study and relevant past work performed by the applicant and other investigators, 2) hypothesis, 3) specific aims of the project, 4) study methodology, including experimental design and potential problems and possible approaches for overcoming them, 5) schedule and 6) expected outcome. Note that AIAP Internal Screening Committee will make a decision based on the proposal and will not require a full application. Therefore all the information enough to make a decision should be included in the proposal.

4. Selection Criteria

　Ajinomoto Co., Inc. shall review and consider, in its sole discretion, the applications. All decisions of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. shall be final and non-appealable.

　Among other factors, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. will consider, in their sole discretion, the following factors: In their evaluation, Internal Screening Committee will consider:

1) Potential for creating new value or providing open innovation
　opportunities to Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

2) Depth, originality, inventiveness, serendipity and feasibility of the research
　proposal.

3) Clarity, methodology, and design of the research proposal.

4) Other factors deemed relevant by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

　The feedback of the selection results will be provided within approximately eight weeks after submission deadline. The applicant may be requested to add changes in their research proposal based on Ajinomoto group’s needs. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. plans for the AIAP recipients to begin their research after the contract conclusion. Formal assurances of institutional approval for human and/or vertebrate animal studies will be required before the contract conclusion.

5. Reporting Obligations

　Within sixty (60) days after the research has been completed, the fund recipient must submit to the AIAP administrator a written final report (approx. 10 pages, single-spaced). The final report must set forth: (i) the work completed during the entire research period, (ii) the results achieved from such work, (iii) an analysis of such results, (iv) any recommendations on additional research that might be conducted based on such work and results, and (v) a summary of any intellectual property created, conceived, developed, or reduced to practice during or as a result of the research funded by the AIAP fund. Such report also must include all information resulting from the research funded by AIAP.

　Ajinomoto Co., Inc. may request submission of interim reports and/or meetings with the PI and his or her researchers and scientists, for the purpose of discussing the research, including any failure to make adequate progress in the research.

6. Intellectual Property Rights

　Intellectual property rights remain with the applicants. The institute shall grant to Ajinomoto, during the Option Period, which is the term of this Agreement and six (6) months thereafter, an exclusive option to acquire a license from the institute to the patent rights for commercial use, on the terms and conditions which are commercially reasonable and acceptable to both parties. In case results are obtained jointly by the parties, intellectual property rights will be co-owned by both parties in proportion to their contributions to such results.

7. Publication

　The PI have the right and academic duty to publish the results. Prior to the publication of any intellectual property, the PI and his or her researchers and scientists promptly and candidly shall disclose to the AIAP administrator, in confidence, in the form of an invention disclosure, such intellectual property. All publications or presentations resulting from research conducted with AIAP funds must carry the following acknowledgement: “Funding for this research was received from the AJINOMOTO CO. INNOVATION ALLIANCE PROGRAM.”

8. Agreement

　Our format of sponsored research agreement will be used as a rule. In case both parties agree that the research will be done jointly, joint research agreement will be made based on our format.

9. Inquiries

　For inquiries, contact us via email (AIAP@ajinomoto.com).