On April 18, a ceremony for the Inamori Research Grants, which support researchers in the natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences, was held at Hotel Granvia Kyoto (Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto), together with a networking event for grant recipients, the Seiwa Scholars Society (3S). This year marked the first presentation ceremony since the launch of the two new courses, “Incubate” and “Accelerate.” After the ceremony, past grant recipients among 3S members gave poster presentations, where researchers from a wide range of fields shared their knowledge and insights.
The Inamori Research Grants Program was launched in 1985 to support researchers by providing funding with minimal constraints, enabling them to freely pursue creative and promising research. From the 2026 fiscal year, the program was expanded to include two new courses designed for different phases of research development: “Incubate” and “Accelerate.” Each year, 50 researchers are selected for the “Incubate” course and 10 for the “Accelerate” course.
At the ceremony, Shinobu Inamori-Kanazawa, President of the Inamori Foundation, remarked, “I hope your research will open new perspectives, lead to innovative technologies, and ultimately contribute to a sustainable society and better lives for people.” She then presented the certificates to Yosuke Ashida of the Graduate School of Science at Tohoku University, representing the “Incubate” course, and to Hidetoshi Otono of the Faculty of Science at Kyushu University, representing the “Accelerate” course.
Following this, representatives of the grant recipients from each course delivered remarks. Norihito Arichi of the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kyoto University, representing the “Incubate” course, said, “While pursuing my own approach to organic chemistry, I aim to contribute to drug discovery. In line with the spirit of the ‘Incubate’ course, I hope to steadily advance the technologies I am developing and apply them to the creation of next-generation pharmaceuticals.”
Subsequently, Kazuki Kato of the Institute of Integrated Research at Institute of Science Tokyo, representing the “Incubate” course, said, “Having been selected through such a competitive process, I am determined to achieve research outcomes that go beyond what I proposed, and to eventually return those results to society.”
Following the presentation ceremony, the 3S networking event began with a ‘flash talk’ session, in which 23 3S members each gave a one-minute overview of their poster presentations. During the poster session, researchers from different fields gathered, listening attentively, asking questions, and exchanging ideas.
At the end of the program, a reception was held, where 3S members and selection committee members enjoyed conversations in a relaxed atmosphere. Shigetada Nakanishi, Chairman of the Inamori Foundation and Professor Emeritus at Kyoto University, remarked in his toast that the Foundation hopes its grantees will make use of their support freely and without putting too much pressure on themselves. He then referred to the rise of AI technologies and offered encouragement, saying, “It is important that you first carefully consider your own intellectual interests and curiosity, and then use AI—an effective tool—based on those interests. Rather than being swept up by it, you should make use of it. In an era when new methods are emerging, I hope you will keep this in mind and continue your efforts in line with the Inamori Foundation’s commitment to supporting intellectual curiosity.”
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