Osamu Sakura
Professor
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Jissen Women’s University

This year (FY2025), we received 187 applications, from which 10 were selected through a rigorous selection process. In line with the theme of this program, “Interlinkages and Innovation for Future Societies,” all the research projects selected were well-balanced concerning both practice and research, as well as future-oriented, interdisciplinary, and boldly approaching new areas.

The purpose of this research grant program extends beyond research alone to support projects whose outcomes lead to social implementation or practical activities, as well as projects balancing the interchange between research and practical activities. We are proud to say that this has seen a significant degree of accomplishment.

On the other hand, there were signs that some of the selected projects struggled to strike a balance between research and practice, while certain projects with original topics were regrettably not selected due to biases in this regard. All the projects selected not only considered the balance between research and practice but also demonstrated a necessary relationship between the two, which made the projects as a whole more compelling.

The projects are mainly in the medical and educational fields, followed by social welfare and the environment. Although a somewhat greater diversity in research fields was hoped for in some quarters, all the selected projects are interdisciplinary in nature and have the potential for unique developments beyond conventional academic boundaries. Based on the list of selected proposals, we expect that the research activities will be more diverse than they initially appear.

The final selection stage was difficult, as it is every year. The applications remaining after the initial selection process were all of a high standard; it was even more challenging to judge them on a single scale of excellence due to the diversity of research and practical fields. I would like to thank the members of the selection committee, who made the difficult deliberations productive with broad perspectives based on their respective fields of expertise, as well as the executive committee and program officers from the Toyota Foundation, who provided meticulous support.

Only two applications were received from female principal investigators, and only one with a foreign national as the principal investigator. These relatively low percentages must be increased as we move forward. Although most of the principal investigators and researchers were affiliated with research universities in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai region, a certain level of diversity was achieved through affiliations with private universities, NPOs, and foundations.

We hope that everyone involved in the projects that successfully gained selection will boldly press forward without fear of failure. In addition, we do not expect outcomes to be achieved in their entirety through the selected projects alone. Rather, we hope that even incomplete outcomes will lead to the next stage of developmental output. Needless to say, this does not mean that the projects are not expected to produce results—let there be no misunderstanding on this point.

We encourage applicants who were not selected this year not to give up after this year’s results, but to try again in the next fiscal year or later. There was a very fine margin between the applications at the point of selection.

Finally, Toyota Foundation research grants are neither Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research nor national research projects. In other words, the results of the projects are not evaluated by field experts or government agencies. Ultimately, it is everyone involved who serves as the evaluators of the outcomes. We thank you in advance for your diligent evaluations and warm support.