On April 19, a ceremony was held at The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike (Sakyo-ku, Kyoto) for the Inamori Research Grants, which supports researchers in the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences. The ceremony was followed by a social gathering for the Seiwa Scholars Society (3S), aimed at providing an opportunity for grant recipients to deepen their exchange. This year marked the third poster presentation by 3S members (the past and current Inamori Research Grant recipients), where researchers shared knowledge and insights across a wide range of academic fields.
The Inamori Research Grants Program was inaugurated in 1985 to support researchers by offering funding with minimal constraints, so they can freely engage in creative and promising research. Recipients are chosen from a wide range of research areas, across the fields of natural, human, and social sciences. Including the 50 recipients selected for 2025, the program has supported a total of 1,929 researchers, with cumulative funding reaching 1.91 billion yen.
At the presentation ceremony, Shinobu Inamori-Kanazawa, President of Inamori Foundation, remarked “I’m sure it must be a great source of pride and motivation for all of you to have your research and its social significance recognized by the Inamori Research Grant Selection Committee, which is composed of leading researchers who represent Japan in their respective fields. I hope you’ll take this opportunity to speak with them directly today and gain fresh insights and ideas to inspire your future research.” A certificate was presented to Haruka Arii from the Faculty of Education, Hokkaido University of Education, as a representative of the recipients.
Yoshio Nakatani, President of Ritsumeikan University, offered the following message to the recipients: “In academic research, perseverance and the ability to ask the appropriate questions are essential. Precisely because we live in uncertain and challenging times, I encourage you to take on new challenges without fear of failure.”
Keisuke Ikawa, from the Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, expressed his aspirations on behalf of the grant recipients, saying, “I often find myself focusing too much on visible results, but being selected for this grant has given me the opportunity to reflect on how my research can truly benefit people and society. I would like to use this moment to reconsider how my work can contribute to the broader world.”
Following the presentation ceremony, the 3S social gathering began with a “flash talk” session, where 22 3S members gave one-minute highlights of their poster presentations. As the poster sessions got underway, researchers from different fields gathered, attentively listening, asking questions, and exchanging ideas.
To conclude the program, a reception was held, where 3S members and selection committee members enjoyed friendly conversations in a relaxed atmosphere. Shigetada Nakanishi, Chairman of the Inamori Foundation and Professor Emeritus at Kyoto University, remarked, “With the advent of AI, you are entering an exciting era for research in both the sciences and the humanities. I sincerely hope that these research grants will help nurture Japanese researchers in these fields who, like Shohei Ohtani in sports, will go on to lead the world.” His words lifted the spirits of those in attendance.
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