Amino acids serve multiple roles in the biological system. AJINOMOTO Co., Inc., Japan, is interested in supporting innovative research focusing on the biological aspects of amino acids, such as nutritional, physiological and pharmacological functions and properties.

Ajinomoto Co. Inc. welcomes applications from individual investigators or from groups of investigators from the same, or from different, institutions working together to pursue a general overall theme with common objectives.

Objective: Identification of, and support for, innovative research initiatives that investigate newly discovered biological aspects; nutritional, physiological and/or pharmacological functions/properties of amino acids.  

Priority will be given to:

1.	Research focusing on the nutritional aspects of amino acid metabolism or function.
2.	Applications that explore novel application or usage of amino acids, including D-amino acids and non-proteinogenic amino acids.
3.	Research projects that focus on the metabolism or function of amino acids less commonly studied than the branched chain amino acids and arginine.

Application Categories
This call will focus on two support program types as follows:

a. Exploratory Research Grants.

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. will consider applications from individuals or groups from not-for-profit institutions that explore novel questions of amino acid structure, biology, nutrition, physiology and/or pharmacology according to the guidelines above.
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. will accept applications for a maximum of U.S. $100,000 in direct costs per annum for up to two (2) years of total support.

b. Young Investigator Research Grants. 

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. will consider applications from investigators who are within 5 years of their first appointment as independent investigators by the deadline for receipt of full applications. The scopes of these studies should be the same as those outlined above for Exploratory Research Grants. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. will accept Young Investigator Research Grant applications for a maximum of U.S. $100,000 in direct costs per annum for up to two (2) years of total support.

Application Deadlines
Applicants must file a pre-application at the pre-application page no later than31st March 2008.
Full applications must reach no later than 1st August 2008.
Late applications will not be accepted.

Start Date
April 1st 2009

For additional information regarding the application procedures for the Ajinomoto Amino Acid Research Program, please download the Guidelines file from this page. For Pre-application, please go to the Pre-application page, and fill out the form. An Application Form for full application is also available on this page.

Links
Guideline
Application Form (Full application)
Recipients of the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008

E-mail: 3arp@ajinomoto.com