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About
Research Grants
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The Inamori Research Grants Program supports researchers from diverse backgrounds working on innovative research. The program offers 2 million yen for the “Incubate” grant and 10 million yen for the “Accelerate” grant. Additionally, we provide opportunities to share research outcomes and engage in interdisciplinary exchange.
Since 1985, the Inamori Research Grants have been awarded annually. In 2025, we expanded the program to include two grants : “Incubate” and “Accelerate.” Our goal is to support innovative and excellent research activities based on intellectual curiosity with minimal restrictions, fostering talent that will contribute to the international community in the future. We aim to promote academic and cultural advancement and enhance international mutual understanding. The “Incubate” grant is designed to cultivate pioneering research seeds, and the “Accelerate” aims to further elevate research outcomes, encouraging researchers to dedicate themselves to their research.
The Inamori Incubate Research Grants supports the exploration of unique ideas and the cultivation of insights that lead to further progress. It targets exploratory, early-stage research based on original and innovative ideas, with the hope of expanding future possibilities through diverse thinking. By providing research funding with minimal restrictions, we aim to enable researchers to make new discoveries and achieve innovative results, laying the foundation for their further advancement.
Research Field
Qualification
Amount Granted 2 million yen each to 50 selected individuals
Use of Grants No restrictions, as long as use thereof is genuinely necessary for research purposes
Length of grant period For two years
Application Period From Late June to Late July
The Research Grants Selection Committee will subject all candidates to a stringent evaluation process based on their submitted applications. The Board of Directors will render a final decision on the award recipients.
Currently being prepared. Updates are expected in April.
The Inamori Accelerate Research Grants support researchers in advancing their previous research achievements and enhancing their strengths. We aim to encourage the pursuit of unique and excellent insights, striving for greater heights. By providing research funding with minimal restrictions, we look forward to seeing researchers grow further as they make breakthrough discoveries and achieve innovative results.
Research Field
Qualification
Amount Granted 10 million yen each to 10 recipients per year
Use of Grants No restrictions, as long as use thereof is genuinely necessary for research purposes
Length of grant period For three years
Application Period From Late June to Early August
The Research Grants Selection Committee will subject all candidates to a stringent evaluation process based on their submitted applications. The Board of Directors will render a final decision on the award recipients.
Currently being prepared. Updates are expected in April.
Grant recipients from 2005 onward are available in list format. For grant recipients from 2018 onward, you can view detailed profiles.
For information on the Inamori Research Grants through 2025, click here.
The Seiwa Scholars Society (3S in short) was established in 1997 with the aim of encouraging the recipients of the Inamori Research Grants in their research pursuits by providing them with opportunities to get to know, befriend, and inspire one another. This program is also prompted by the increasing importance of a horizontal and interdisciplinary perspective in today’s academic world, whose landscape has become fragmented through specialization. Members of 3S learn about each other across the diverse areas of study they represent － spanning the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences － through 3S Meeting, e-mail magazines and web articles.
An e-mail magazine called “3S Mail Magazine” is published several times a year. A web article called “Visiting 3S Researchers” is regularly posted on our website.
・Article Series “Visiting 3S Researchers”
Interview series with 3S members in various fields featuring their backgrounds, current research, and future prospects.
The Inamori Research Grants Program, which has been held annually since 1985, will introduce two new courses, "Incubate" and "Accelerate," starting from 2025. These new courses aim to expand and enrich the program.
In the series "Visiting 3S Researchers," we interview researchers in 3S who are very active in a variety of fields. The 14th interview is with Dr. Megumi Sasaki (2022 Inamori Research Grant Recipient) from Health Care Center, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
We had the privilege of visiting Dr. Kazuya Seo of Kogakuin University of Technology & Engineering, who kindly shared insights into his research in sports engineering, a scientific discipline that studies the world of sports.
The Inamori Foundation opened the applications for the 2025 Inamori Research Grants on July 1, 2024. The application is open until July 31, 2024, 17:00 (JST).
On April 13, a ceremony was held at The Prince Kyoto Takaragaike (Sakyo-ku, Kyoto) for the Inamori Research Grant, 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), which aims to promote exchange among grant recipients.
The Inamori Foundation announced the 50 recipients of the 2024 Inamori Grants on March 8, 2024. Out of 408 applicants (natural sciences: 335; humanities and social sciences: 73), 40 from the field of natural sciences and 10 from the field of humanities and social sciences were selected through the rigorous selection.