March 2014

Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI)

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
1. The Sylff Philosophy
Issues of pressing concern today are becoming more and more intertwined with other complex,
global-scale problems, and no one country can resolve them alone. The parties affected by the
problems may not all have the same values and interests or share economic or political
orientations. Underlying the Sylff philosophy is the desire to support leaders with the passion
and ability to serve the common interests of humanity, transcending narrow national, religious,
ethnic, and other differences to undertake socially constructive leadership initiatives and act in
an inclusive manner, respecting diversity in cultures and values.

2. About Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI)

To encourage Sylff fellows to take initiatives that put the above philosophy into action in an
effort to change society for the better, the Tokyo Foundation is pleased to announce the launch
of the renewed Sylff Leadership Initiatives (SLI). The Foundation will provide financial support
for activities that respect and lead to the fulfillment of the above philosophy. There are two
categories of SLI activities: (1) social action projects and (2) organization of a forum, conference,
seminar, or workshop. Category (2) projects should be aimed at the betterment of society,
although they may be academic in nature. An important consideration in screening your
application is whether or not the project has been launched under your own initiative. For
examples of past SLI activities, see Awardees & Reports.
(http://www.tokyofoundation.org/sylff/support_programs/sli/awardees-reports)
Please note that SLI, in its current manifestation, cannot be used to finance straight research
activities.

3. Eligibility Requirements
(1) Applications must be submitted by one or more current/graduated Sylff fellows.
(2) The proposed project must be geared toward making a contribution to society.
(3) SLI awards may be used for various activities associated with (1) social action projects and
(2) forum projects, but they are not designed to support research activities.

4. SLI Awards
(1) The maximum support per project is $10,000. Extra funding may be provided in special
cases if requested by the applicant and approved by the Foundation.
(2) An SLI award may be used to cover the following expenses:
International travel, domestic transportation, living expenses, meeting room/hall rental,
refreshments served at meetings, acquisition of resource materials, printing and copying of
documents, consumables, supplies, communication costs, etc.
(Note) It may NOT be used for the following:
Salaries for personnel
Purchases of property or other assets
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Other items as determined by the Foundation

(3) Awards will be provided for approximately five projects per year.

5. Application and Selection

(1) Period of Application
Application will be accepted throughout the year starting on April 1, 2013.
(2) Application and Screening Procedures
Application and screening procedures consist of the following two stages:
a.

Preliminary Application (Concept Paper)

Applicants must submit a concept paper (no prescribed format) at least four months
prior to the projects implementation (exceptions may be considered in unavoidable
circumstances; please contact the Tokyo Foundation for details).
The paper must not exceed 850 words and should include:
Name(s) and contact information of applicant(s)
Issue in question, its background and significance
Proposed objectives and activities
Potential participants
Social relevance
Approximate budget and schedule
Summary of other funding source(s) and amount, if any
The concept paper will be reviewed by Leadership Development program officers;
successful applications will proceed to the formal application stage.

b.

Formal Application
Applicants whose concept papers have been approved are invited to submit a formal
application consisting of the following:
Application Form (prescribed form downloadable as Word file)
Detailed Proposal
The detailed proposal must not exceed 2,500 words and should address the
following:
- Issue: What is the key issue in question and why should you address it?
- Proposed objectives and activities: Explain your proposed objectives and activities.
- Relevance and significance: Why is the project relevant and significant to society?
- Feasibility: Provide arguments for the feasibility of the proposed project.
- Number: Indicate the number of project participants and their respective roles.
- Expected outcome: Outline expected outcomes.
- Others: Describe other aspects to help reviewers judge the proposed project.
Budget (sample downloadable as Excel file)
Schedule
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Bios
Submit a brief biographical sketch (within 120 words) for each applicant and other
project members, including their background, current position or occupation,
academic or professional interests, and role in the proposed project.
Two Letters of Recommendation
Submit two letters of recommendation written by those who endorse the
applicants and their proposals. One of the two letters should preferably be written
by a member of the Sylff steering committee, but this is not a requirement.
After reviewing the formal applications, the Tokyo Foundation may arrange for interviews
with applicants and/or referees on the phone, in person, or through other formats. The
Foundation will thereupon make a final decision on the award.
(3) Notification
Applicants will be notified of the results of the review so as to provide sufficient lead time
for the implementation of the project.
(4) Awards Disbursement
a. The award will be disbursed directly to successful applicants.
b. An Agreement will be signed between the applicant and the Tokyo Foundation calling
for more than half of the award to be paid before the projects implementation period.
The percentage will be determined in consultation with the Foundation.
c.

A project report, including a narrative description of the results and a financial report,
shall be submitted by all applicants. The financial report must be accompanied by
receipts. The remainder of the award will be paid upon the submission of the project
report. Should actual expenditures turn out to be significantly less than the amount of
the first disbursement, the Foundation will request a refund of the unexpended funds.

6. Others
SLI awardees will be requested to share the outcome of their projects with the Foundation and
the Sylff community in a variety of formats, including articles on the Sylff website.
***
Inquiries and applications should be directed to:
Leadership Development
The Tokyo Foundation
Attn: Sylff Leadership Initiatives Coordinator
The Nippon Foundation Bldg. 3rd Floor
1-2-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan
Phone: +81-3-6229-5503 / Fax: +81-3-6229-5507
Email: leadership [a] tkfd.or.jp
***
The Tokyo Foundation will accept inquiries related to this program via email ONLY.
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