ToraPlan Launches AI-Powered Service to Automatically Generate Research Project Proposals for Grant Applications

ToraPlan Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Shinya Katsuyama) has officially launched 'ToraPlan,' an AI-powered service designed to assist universities and research institutions in preparing research project proposals for KAKENHI grant applications.

What is the ToraPlan Research Proposal Automation Service?

The ToraPlan Research Proposal Automation Service is a support tool developed and provided by ToraPlan Inc. for universities and research institutions applying for scientific research funding. Based on simple inputs from researchers and uploaded reference materials—including their own prior publications—AI generates draft text for research project proposals. The service also assists in transferring the generated content into official proposal templates.

Background of Development

According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's 'Survey on Full-Time Equivalent Data at Universities,' the proportion of time university faculty spend on research activities has been declining from FY2002 to FY2023 (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Faculty work activities have diversified, with time allocated to research activities showing a downward trend.

Moreover, university faculty spent an average of 99.0 hours over five years (from FY2018 to FY2022) on application procedures for competitive external research funding (Figure 2).

Figure 2: On average, 99.0 hours were spent over five years on funding applications, significantly exceeding time spent on reporting (37.1 hours).

Additionally, over 45% of researchers cited lack of research time and funding as key constraints to improving research performance (Figure 3), highlighting the urgent need to secure time for research and improve funding acquisition environments.

Figure 3: Securing research funding is the second most critical factor affecting research performance, after research time itself.

In response to these challenges, ToraPlan was developed to reduce the time researchers spend on proposal writing and support an environment where they can dedicate more time to actual research activities.

Furthermore, in the FY2026 national budget, operating grants for national university corporations increased by ¥18.8 billion to ¥1.0971 trillion (Figure 4), and the budget for the Scientific Research Fund (KAKENHI) increased by ¥10.1 billion to ¥247.9 billion (Figure 5), reflecting ongoing efforts to strengthen support for fundamental research.

Figure 4: Operating grants for national university corporations increased by ¥18.8 billion in FY2026, enhancing research environments for basic science.

Figure 5: The KAKENHI budget increased by ¥10.1 billion in FY2026, expanding competitive research funding opportunities.

Additionally, Japan’s 7th Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan sets a target of ¥60 trillion in government R&D investment (Figure 6), indicating expectations for further national expansion of R&D funding.

Figure 6: The 7th Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan targets ¥60 trillion in government R&D investment, aiming for further expansion of R&D funding.

As R&D investment grows, the importance of grant application processes is expected to increase. However, given that researchers currently spend significant time on proposal writing, streamlining application procedures is essential to enable researchers to focus on core research activities.

Feature 1: Reducing the Burden of Proposal Writing

Researchers answer guided questions via a chat-style UI (Figure 7) and upload reference materials (Figure 8). The AI then generates draft text in the official KAKENHI proposal format, appropriately citing uploaded references—including the researcher’s own publications. The resulting Word document is generated directly within the application, eliminating the need for copy-and-paste.

Figure 7: Researchers input responses following guided prompts to create AI input data.

Figure 8: References (including self-published papers) can be uploaded via drag-and-drop.

Feature 2: Draft Generation Aligned with KAKENHI Evaluation Criteria

The AI generates text addressing standard KAKENHI proposal requirements, including research objectives, methodology, originality, feasibility, and research capability. It also analyzes uploaded references and automatically cites relevant literature to support claims of novelty and validity (Figure 9).

Figure 9: Uploaded references are automatically cited by AI based on their relevance to the research content.

Feature 3: Automatic Generation of Concept Diagrams, Research Structure Charts, and Timelines

To aid reviewers’ understanding, the AI automatically generates research concept diagrams, organizational charts, and research timelines, which are embedded directly into the proposal document (Figure 10).

Figure 10: Based on user inputs, AI generates images and embeds them into the research proposal.

Future Outlook

Currently, ToraPlan supports proposals for Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), (C), Early-Career Research, and Challenging Research (Exploratory). Support for other grant types—including S, A, Challenging Research (Pioneering), Research Activity Start-up Support, and Encouragement of Young Scientists—will be added sequentially.

Additionally, a new feature is planned to provide multi-faceted AI-based review of final proposal drafts after researchers have made manual revisions.

Executive Comment

Shinya Katsuyama, Representative Director and President, ToraPlan Inc.

"Driven by the desire to accelerate innovation in Japan, I realized that solving challenges in foundational research areas is essential. Among these, streamlining the time-consuming KAKENHI application process was a critical priority, prompting us to develop ToraPlan. I am truly delighted to finally launch this service to the public."

About ToraPlan Inc.

ToraPlan Inc. operates under the mission of 'Empowering Innovation' and provides the AI-powered research proposal automation service 'ToraPlan' for KAKENHI applications.

Media and Service Inquiries

Public Relations, ToraPlan Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Company Overview

Company Name: ToraPlan Inc.

Headquarters: 2F-C, Shibuya Tokyu Building, 1-10-8 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Shinya Katsuyama, CEO

Founded: March 2026

Business: Development and operation of the 'ToraPlan' research proposal automation service

Corporate Website: https://corp.toraplan.com/

ToraPlan Service Site: https://toraplan.com/