The Cross-Ministerial R&D Management System (e-Rad)

The Cross-Ministerial Research and Development Management System (e-Rad) is a cross-ministerial system enabling online management of research and development work through the Competitive Research Funding System run by Japanese ministries and agencies and other open research funding systems.

Japanese companies or foreign owned companies based in Japan are asked to register on e-Rad system if you submit an application of Horizon Europe programmes and planning to receive the fund.

 

Q&A (in Japanese)

Some of Q&As in English regarding e-Rad

• Q1. In the case of a two-stage call for proposals, should I submit my application by the deadline for the first stage or the second stage (full proposal)? (The budget is not specified in the first stage.)
  A. Whilst we would prefer you to register as early as possible, due to the nature of the e-Rad system, registration is not possible unless a financial amount is entered; therefore, you may register as soon as your budget is confirmed. Please note that, regardless of whether you have registered with e-Rad, please get in touch with the NCP.

• Q2. The format of the Letter of Consent appears to be designed with the main coordinator (lead organisation) in mind. Is there any provision for differentiating the format of the letter of consent between the main coordinator and the other participating organisations (or for providing a separate format)?
  A. The consent form template is not intended solely for coordinators. Furthermore, there are no plans to use different formats for the consent form depending on whether the signatory is a coordinator or another participating organisation. Should you encounter any issues with the template, please consult the NCP in advance.

• Q3. Point 3 of the Letter of Consent states ‘compliance with the grant agreement with the European Union’. We understand that the obligation to comply with the Grant Agreement (GA) arises during the GA signing phase following selection. If we were to unconditionally guarantee ‘compliance’ in this consent form at the application stage, there is a concern that this would be interpreted as meaning we have agreed to the terms of the General Model Grant Agreement without any scope for amendment at this stage.
  A. The reference in this Letter of Consent to ‘compliance with the grant agreement with the European Union’ is intended to secure the Government of Japan’s undertaking that, should the application be accepted by the European Commission and a grant agreement be actually signed, it will comply with the terms of that Grant Agreement. Furthermore, this Letter of Consent is a domestic Japanese arrangement and the European Commission has no involvement in it. Please note that the Government of Japan does not regard this as constituting its agreement to the terms of the General Model Grant Agreement without any room for amendment.

• Q4. Regarding the annual budget figures, for a three-year project, is it acceptable, for convenience’s sake, to allocate the total amount divided by three to each financial year and enter it accordingly?
  A. For a three-year project, it is perfectly acceptable, for convenience’s sake, to allocate the total amount by dividing it by three and entering the resulting figure for each financial year.

• Q5. Is a handwritten signature (in the chairman’s own hand) required on the Letter of Consent? Or will a signed and stamped document, an electronic signature, or a scanned copy also be accepted?
  A. A handwritten signature is not required. Furthermore, provided that the decision has been made in accordance with the appropriate decision-making process at each organisation, the presence or absence of a seal or electronic signature is irrelevant.

• Q6. In the Letter of Consent, does the term ‘head of the institution’ refer to the university chancellor or the director of the research institute?
  A. With regard to the term ‘Head of Institution’ in the Letter of Consent, from the perspective of the University assuming responsibility for its participation in this matter, it is acceptable for the role to be fulfilled by a person deemed appropriate within the University. For example, it is considered necessary for the individual to hold a position with the responsibility and authority to respond appropriately in accordance with the relevant grant agreement should the EU request the repayment of part or all of the grant. Whilst the President is generally envisaged for this role, it is also acceptable for the Head of Institution (such as the Director of a research institute) to fulfil this role, provided they hold the responsibility and authority to fulfil the terms of the Letter of Consent.

• Q7. Regarding the selection of an ID, the project has been assigned several IDs as listed below. Could you tell me which ID I should use when registering with e-Rad?
  A. Please enter the ID listed under ‘Topics’ in the Work Programme 2026–2027.
  [Example] ○Cluster1：HORIZON-HLTH-2026-00-STAYHLTH-00

• Q8. Is ‘Institutional Approval’ on e-Rad absolutely required by the Horizon deadline?
  A. You may submit it at a later date.

• Q9. How do I obtain approval from my line manager?
  A. Please follow the rules of your respective organisation regarding how to obtain the university’s Letter of Consent. Due to the way e-Rad is designed, you will not be able to click the ‘Submit’ button unless you have uploaded the Letter of Consent; therefore, please submit your application via e-Rad, including the Letter of Consent along with the other required information, as soon as the letter is ready.

• Q10. Will this be done via the organisation’s e-Rad account or via an individual researcher’s e-Rad account?
  A. Registration on e-Rad can be carried out via either the institution’s representative’s e-Rad account or an individual researcher’s e-Rad account; however, given that registration is subject to the institution’s approval, it is generally preferable for registration to be carried out via the institution’s representative’s e-Rad account.