Spun off in 1997 from Saitama University, GRIPS is composed of academics and practitioners with expertise in policy studies, economics, and public administration.

[4] In November 2024, IDEAS ranked GRIPS as Asia's top public policy school and 10th best worldwide in terms of research outputs and citations.

[5] GRIPS has a history dating back to 1977, when the Graduate School of Policy Science (GSPS) was established at Saitama University.

Some of the key milestones in GRIPS's history include:[7] The campus is located in Roppongi, close to the National Diet of Japan and other government agencies.

Before World War II, this area served as the garrison of the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Japanese Army.