From the Foundation

At the 127th meeting of the Toyota Foundation Board of Directors held on Thursday, October 8, grants were approved for 44 projects in the Research Grant Program (for a total of 145 million yen) and 34 projects in the Asian Neighbors Program (138.5 million yen, of which 30 million yen went to 11 Special Subject grants).

The Research Grant Program invited applications from research projects addressing the subject of "Revitalizing Local Communities Under Globalization" under the basic theme of "The Search for the Richness of Human Life and Activity." Four grant areas were established, including "transmission and formation of culture," "society's frameworks," and "individual and interpersonal development." We received 734 applications this fiscal year (against 751 in fiscal 2007 and 437 in fiscal 2008). Most of the 44 projects selected for a grant focused on concrete issues facing the region, and won high evaluations for their potential to produce results that will give back directly to society through policy proposals and offering new alternatives.

For the Asian Neighbors Program, we invited applications from solution projects (activities) in Asia under the basic theme "Toward Community Formation Based on Mutual Reliance and Collaboration." Grant areas were "relationships with nature" and, in the field of relationships with people, "culture" and "social systems." We received 313 applications, of which 23 were selected for a grant. (A total of 175 applications were received in fiscal 2007, and 241 in fiscal 2008.) For the Special Subject "Preservation, Utilization, and Transmission of Indigenous Documents in Asia," we called for applications from research projects dealing with indigenous documents from throughout the Asian region. We received 74 applications, of which 11 were selected for a grant. The selected projects received high evaluations for engaging with efforts to encourage the people of Asia to examine their current situation and work together to rebuild a living space for the future.

For information on the selection process, please see the following documents:

• 2009 Research Grant Program
  Comments by Selection Committee Chair
• 2009 Asian Neighbors Program
  Comments by Selection Committee Chair
• 2009 Asian Neighbors Program
  Special Subject: "Preservation, Utilization, and Transmission of Indigenous Documents in Asia"
  Comments by Selection Committee Chair

Please refer to the "Search Projects" page for details.