Comprehensive Digitization and Discoverability Program: 2026-2028 NIJL-NCC CDDP Digitization Grant Program

The National Institute of Japanese Literature (NIJL) and NCC’s Comprehensive Digitization and Discoverability Program (CDDP) Task Force introduce the 2026-2028 grant program in support of digitization projects of premodern Japanese research materials held by North American institutions. Please see 2026-2028 NIJL-NCC CDDP Digitization Grant Guidelines below for details of the program and the instructions for submitting your applications.

NIJL has long made efforts to bring together holdings information of numerous domestic and overseas institutions as well as image files regarding Japanese books up to the end of the Edo period (1603-1867) through its Union Catalogue Database of Japanese Texts or Kokusho dētabēsu (国書データベース) (a list of the institutions and individuals that have contributed image files in the database is available here). The image files to be created through the NIJL-NCC CDDP Digitization Grant Program will be made available in this database, so that any users on the Internet can easily discover, access, and compare images of rare Japanese holdings of different institutions. Copies of the same images can be uploaded in recipient institutions' local systems.

As part of the application process for this grant program, applicant organizations must submit a brief list of items to be digitized. We recognize that the creation of this list may be a challenge to some applicant organizations where language proficiency or familiarity with Japanese rare books may be lacking. Identifying institutions where rare materials are held is critical to the NIJL, and as a first step, that could be achieved in the form of metadata creation for the inclusion in the Kokusho dētabēsu.

We are interested in knowing if there is any demand for assistance in a) identifying materials and/or b) submitting bibliographic information of premodern Japanese materials from your institution's holdings to be registered in the Kokusho dētabēsu (with or without contributing digital images). If you are interested in getting this assistance, please fill out questions 1 to 4 of the inquiry form.

In addition, please share with us any other challenges that are making it difficult to apply for the digitization grant program under question 5 of the same form.

Eligibility

• Applicant organizations are located in the U. S. or Canada

• All materials proposed for digitization are owned and held by an applicant organization

• All materials proposed for digitization must be old and rare Japanese materials, including printed books, manuscripts, scrolls, and single-sheet items produced in Japan before the introduction of machine printing in the nineteenth century. The eligible materials exclude historical records (文書).

• Proposed projects must meet the following conditions:

  • Each proposal should be between $1,000 and $30,000 USD (see “budget” for allowable and disallowed costs)

  • Applicant organizations are required to follow the digitization guidelines (last updated on August 1, 2024) set by the National Institute of Japanese Literature

  • Upon completion of digitization, the image files and the associated folder name list (please use Attachment Form (2): Folder Name List (download the template in Excel file) must be submitted to NIJL for inclusion of the materials in the Union Catalogue Database of Japanese Texts (国書データベース) (In addition, applicant organizations can make the same images available at their own digital collection sites) 

  • The proposed project must be completed by March 2028

Application and Grant Project Participation Procedure

• Applicant organizations may submit multiple project proposals.  

• Optional pre-screening: The optional pre-screening application which requires a submission of Section A of the application form (download the template in Word file) and Appendix: List of items to be digitized (download the template in Excel file) helps applicants to share a brief overview of their proposed projects and receive preliminary comments on appropriateness/ inappropriateness of their proposed materials for digitization (comments will be provided by August 1, 2025). Please submit the optional pre-screening application as email attachment to naoko.kato@nccjapan.org by July 1, 2025.

• Final application packet: Applicant organizations must submit the final application packet including the application form (download the template in Word file) and Appendix: List of items to be digitized (download the template in Excel file) accompanied by supplemental documentation (e. g., support letters) in PDF file as email attachment to naoko.kato@nccjapan.org by November 1, 2025

• Grant notification: Applicant organizations with successful grant proposals will be notified by December 1, 2025, and will need to confirm accepting the grants by January 15, 2026. The grant recipients will receive the funds in May 2027 (option 1), unless they specifically request to receive the funds in two installments with the first one in May 2026 and the second in May 2027 (option 2). After confirming the grant acceptance, they are expected to begin their respective digitization projects.   

• Reporting requirements:The grant recipients are expected to submit brief mid-term reports to CDDP in March and September until they complete their respective projects by March 2028. Whenever they complete their projects, they are expected to make a public announcement on availability of their digitized images for public use on the Eastlib and JpnLibLiaisons listservs.

Budget

Applicant organizations are required to provide breakdowns of estimated costs by categories of allowable costs. If they specifically request to receive the funds in two installments in May 2026 and May 2027 (option 2), provide breakdowns of estimated costs for each fiscal year for April 2026-March 2027 and April 2027-March 2028. Distributed funds in each fiscal year cannot be carried over to the following year if not spent.

• Allowable costs:

  • Wages for staff. Students must be paid a fair wage, in line with their institution's pay schedule for student employment

  • Equipment, supplies and materials (maximum: 10% of the requested amount)

  • Other services, such as digitization service providers, equipment rental, server time, and backup charges

• Disallowed costs:

  • Indirect costs, such as “overhead,” network charges, telephone, photocopying, etc.

  • Conservation or preservation treatment services for source collections

Selection Criteria

NIJL-NCC CDDP Digitization Grant program should support proposed projects that would address the following objectives of CDDP:

• Bring to light hidden, academically useful Japan-related materials through digitization

• Enable more robust use of these items by Japan scholars worldwide

• Promote collaboration nationally and internationally

• Help to build an international infrastructure for digitized Japan-related materials

Other Useful Information

• Digitization Manual of Pre-Modern Japanese Books 日本語の歴史的典籍のデジタル化に関するマニュアル 2022.5版 (in Japanese only)

• FADGI Guidelines

• If you have any questions about NIJL's Kokusho Database (Union Catalogue Database of Japanese Texts), please contact us at center_db at nijl dot ac dot jp Contact person: Shimamura, Yuko (Pronouns: she/her)