The Iwatani Science and Technology Special Research Grant supports original research in energy and environmental fields through the Iwatani Naoji Foundation. The 2026 call planned about 25 awards of up to ¥10 million each and closed on July 31, 2026.
Eligible applicants are non-student researchers or group leads whose primary affiliation is with specified universities, inter-university research institutes, or colleges of technology in Japan. Funded projects begin on April 1, 2027 and follow a two- or three-year plan, with results expected within two to three years.
Benefits & funding
- Up to ¥10 million per project, with about 25 awards planned for the 2026 cycle.
- The grant is paid in one transfer to the recipient institution’s designated account between April and May 2027.
- Research may follow a two- or three-year plan beginning April 1, 2027.
- Editing and publication charges, conference participation costs, and research-support or outsourcing costs are each capped at 20% of the requested grant; overhead and researcher labour costs are not eligible.
Eligibility
- Apply as an individual researcher or the lead researcher of a group, with a primary affiliation at an eligible national, public, or private university, inter-university research institute, or college of technology in Japan; students are excluded.
- The research must address hydrogen, CO2, power generation or transmission and storage, technologies for environmental problems involving plastics, or digital technologies for energy and the environment.
- The work must already be under way or at a concrete starting stage, with results expected within two to three years.
- Researchers collaborating with a foundation selection committee member are ineligible, and lead or co-researchers may not submit duplicate applications to the foundation’s research grants.
- Recipients must attend the results presentation meeting held in the spring of the final research year and report on their findings or progress, and the grant presentation ceremony is held in person.
- Residence in Japan is not itself a condition; no separate nationality, age, gender, degree, or work-experience threshold is stated; the controlling gate is eligible primary institutional affiliation in Japan.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Download the application and recommendation forms from the foundation’s grant page when the annual call is open.
- 2Complete the application within 10 A4 pages and obtain a recommendation bearing the recommender’s or institution’s official seal.
- 3Attach one or two reprints of relevant research papers.
- 4Submit the documents through the foundation’s web application system by the deadline.
- 5Await the decision notice, issued to the recommender and applicant by late December.
Program timeline
Applications opened.
Jun 1, 2026
Application deadline.
Jul 31, 2026
Decisions issued to recommenders and applicants.
Late December 2026
Grant presentation ceremony.
Mar 5, 2027
Funded research begins.
Apr 1, 2027
Next annual application window opens.
Jun 1, 2027