Research and development is being actively conducted on fine ceramics as new materials that support high-technology industry by each department and their use is being extended. However, many problems must be solved to use excellent characteristics of fine ceramics and promote sophistication and vitalization of industries. Japan Fine Ceramics Center was founded as a national center to solve these problems on May, 1985, and received particular assistance from industries, public agencies and academic society nationwide, built fine-designed buildings and leading-edge research facilities and had excellent researchers and engineers. JFCC has been promoting business activities, mainly research and development of testing and evaluation of fine ceramics, to establish a technical basis concerning fine ceramics. A purpose of JFCC is to conduct applied research that leads to the establishment of an integrated testing and evaluation system and commercialization in industries, and to contribute to the promotion of the fine ceramics industry. As a business activity for this purpose, JFCC determines testing and evaluation methods, promotes standardization, performs systematic research and development, and conducts contracted operations, personnel training, technical guidance, information services, small and medium-sized firms fosterage, and international cooperation. As part of these business activities, the "supporting member system" was established in 1987 and has been used by a lot of people. It is intended to obtain support from industrial world, conduct JFCC business activities smoothly and make them easy to use. In addition, it is taking measures to foster excellent researchers, promote interaction with companies as a basic policy, and established a "special supporting member system" in April 1991 to facilitate dispatching excellent researchers to the center. We hope you agree with this spirit and apply for supporting membership or special supporting membership.

Qualification Companies, groups, research institutions or individuals who agree with the business purpose of JFCC and pay their membership fees. Member title Members are called "supporting members". Supporting membership fee A unit is 50,000 yen per business year. Purpose The purpose is to promote interaction with Japan Fine Ceramics Center, understand public meanings of its business activities, use the functions of the center freely, and cooperate to dispatch excellent researchers to the center. Member title Members are called "special supporting members". Working conditions for visiting researchers (1) Engaged in research. (2) Period: 2 to 3 years (3) Salaries are paid according to the regulations of the center. Special membership fee A unit is 100,000 yen per business year, and if a researcher is dispatched, the membership fee shown in the attached table should be paid. 1. A business year is from April to next March. If you become a member before September, pay a membership fee for a year, and if you become a member after October, pay a membership fee for half a year. 2. Pay supporting membership fees by the end of April every year. For the first year, pay membership fee by the end of the month in which your application is approved. 3. Membership qualification is updated every year unless it is canceled. 4. To resign membership, submit notice of withdrawal to JFCC. Paid membership fees are not refunded. 5. If the member is a group, advantages of the member concerning testing researches that conducted as a business activity of the group are provided.

Advantages of supporting members and special supporting members Item Advantages of members Free distribution of periodical publications JFCC news Publication fee discount Discount of technical documents, such as technical reports. Supporting member: 15% Special supporting member: 20% Delivery of information and discount of participation fees for events held by JFCC *FC fairs (with invitation cards) * FC fair seminars * FC international forums * Workshops * Trainings, seminars * Public presentation of results * Reports of a round- table conference for members * FC fair seminars * Workshops * Trainings * Seminar participation fee discount (5〜30%) Dispatch of lecturers to workshops Preferred dispatch of lecturers Open research room fee discount 30% as a rule Technical consulting Free as a rule Contracted testing fee discount 10% as a rule Equipment rental charge discount Supporting member: 15% as a rule (30% when using open research room) Special supporting member: 20% as a rule (30% when using open study room) FC standard reference material price discount Supporting member: 5% as a rule Special supporting member: 10% as a rule Home page Can be shown on the bulletin board for supporting members. Merits of special supporting members /dispatching of researchers Item Advantages of members Participation in R&D projects Can participate in national projects as requested. (A company can participate in R&D on high-risk leading-edge fields.) Ownership of part of intellectual property Based on intellectual property rules of the Center Publication of results Company names are shown JFCC publications. Education/training (personnel training)/td> Excellent leaders are fostered with state-of-the-art facilities. (Fine ceramics development begins with staff training. JFCC staff and the latest research facilities help human resource development.) Systematic fosterage and follow-up Contracted research charge discount 10% for each as a rule (Maximum discount: 500,000 yen) Interaction with domestic and foreign top-level researchers. You can interact with domestic or foreign famous researchers and engineers, including those of universities and public organizations, through research activities, forums/workshops/committees in JFCC. You can preferentially participate in meetings for exchanging information on new technologies, or for discussions, such as various seminars and lectures held by JFCC. Utilization of various research and development facilities Researchers can use approx. 250 kinds of research facilities for consistent manufacturing and evaluation from raw material particle to sintering and machining.

Application by mail Download the application form and membership list below, fill them out completely and send them by mail. Supporting member application form/membership list (PDF/18k bytes) Special supporting member application form/membership list (PDF/18k bytes)

For more information on supporting members or special supporting members, contact the following: 2-4-1 Mutsuno, Atsuta, Nagoya, 456-8587, Japan User Administration Department Japan Fine Ceramics Center Phone: +81-52-871-3500 FAX: +81-52-871-3599 top

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